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Can you paint outdoor floor tiles?

amykat86
Finding My Feet

Can you paint outdoor floor tiles?

hi - we are re-doing our backyard and wondering any suggestions on jazzing this area up. I’d like to avoid ripping up the tiles. Does Bunnings have outdoor tile paint that would work? Happy to hear suggestions. 

 

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MitchellMc
Bunnings Team Member
Bunnings Team Member

Re: Outdoor tile paint

Hi @amykat86,

 

I presume those tiles have some type of coating or glaze on them? I've called a few of our outdoor flooring paint suppliers lately and all of them have advised against coating a tile with any type glaze on it. The paints are designed for porous substrates like concrete or cement-based pavers. The pavers on the ground would be a perfect example of what they could go over, the tiles on the patio and steps not so much.

 

Personally, I would be tempted to clad the entire patio and stairs with timber decking. An issue you might have to deal with is the last row of tiles. It appears to ramp up to the sill of the sliding door and there wouldn't be a lot of room to place a joist. I'd then paint all that cream trim/handrail in a blue-grey colour or perhaps even Dulux Monument.

 

Let me mention some of our knowledgeable members @diy_hausdesigns@TedBear@Walzz and @Yorky88 to see if they would like to join the conversation.

 

I look forward to hearing what our other members suggestions are and seeing you start your transformation.

 

Mitchell

 

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Re: Outdoor tile paint

Thanks Mitchell. Yes I believe there is a coating on the tiles so I guess that rules that out. There is a slant on the tiles near the sliding door - is there anything we could do about that if we were to deck it?

 

Cheers

Amy

MitchellMc
Bunnings Team Member
Bunnings Team Member

Re: Outdoor tile paint

@amykat86,

 

After having another closer look at your photos I don't believe timber would be appropriate. When I first saw your images I had interpreted the shadow on the bottom edge of the door as a track approximately 50mm high. Now I can see it is not and the bottom of the door is flush with the top of the sloped tile. Where-as previously I thought you might have around 70mm height to work with now I see it is much less than that.

 

With the available height, you would basically be laying decking on top of tiles and this is problematic as water would not have the ability to drain off the area. I apologise for my misinterpretation of your image and possibly getting your hopes up.

 

Mitchell

 

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Re: Outdoor tile paint

Tiles that are glazed can be painted as long as you sand the top layer back first. 

MitchellMc
Bunnings Team Member
Bunnings Team Member

Re: Outdoor tile paint

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @AngieLee. It's fantastic that you've joined us, and many thanks for contributing to the discussion.

 

Do you have any suggestions of how the glaze could be sanded off, as I haven't attempted to do that myself? Do you think a coarse 40 grit sandpaper would do the job? Perhaps even an angle grinder with a Josco 127mm 40 Grit Abrasive Flap Disc might work.

 

We look forward to hearing all about your projects and plans around the house and garden and would encourage you to let us know whenever you need assistance or have something to share. I trust you'll find loads of inspiration for your projects within the community as our clever and creative members share their ideas here all the time.

 

Mitchell

 

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Re: Outdoor tile paint

Hello,

 

I wonder if you could some kind of acid to break through the glaze of the tiles and render them porous to the paint,

I also would llke to change the very dated look of the tiles on my balcony and I'm looking at different options.

Re: Outdoor tile paint

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @samreggio. It's great to have you join us and many thanks for jumping into the conversation.

 

That's an interesting suggestion. You could use an acid, but you'd likely need to use hydrofluoric acid or ammonium bifluoride. Neither of which I'd recommend for D.I.Y. use around the home as they are highly dangerous. If you were going to go that route, I'd recommend you consult a trained professional and employ them to do the job.

 

You might like to post some pictures of your tiled area as our helpful members could have some alternative suggestions for you.

 

Mitchell

 

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