How to improve painted mosaic tiles and grouting?

[petercraney]

Hi, we have just bought an apartment with a bathroom that needs some TLC. I assume these are mosaic tiles that have lost some of the grout. Moisture readings are low in the walls.

Are these tiles painted, or is the layer on the tile grout?

I have highlighted what I mean in the first photo and then added some others. I have seen many videos on grouting (including on Bunnings), but its usually larger tiles. The videos say to apply the grout over the whole of the tiles and then wipe/clean away the excess on the tiles. I thought I saw one where a thin layer of grout remain on the tiles.

I havent seen much around mosaic tiles. These are very small.

Any comments on what I need to do here is much appreciated. Do I need to fill in th grout and then paint over all the tiles? 

These tiles look like they go all the way up to the ceiling, would another option be to put tiles over these mosaic tiles to 'spruce' it up?

[Jason]

Congratulations on your new apartment @petercraney. This must be an exciting time for you. It's great to have you join the Bunnings Workshop community.

To my untrained eye it does look like the previous owner might have tried to spruce up existing tiles and grout by painting over them, and that paint is now failing. 

In order for members to be able to better recommend next steps, would you be able to indicate what your budget or appetite is for a full renovation? Or are you simply looking for a more short-term cosmetic makeover?

I'm sure our helpful Bunnings D.I.Y. experts @EricL and @MitchellMc will be happy to share their thoughts as soon as possible,

Thanks,

Jason

[petercraney]

Thanks so much Jason. I am not looking to pull down all of the tiling at this stage, only wanting to know if I should regrout, and then paint over that, and if so what type of paint I should use. Also, after removing grout with a 'grout tool' (I cant recall its name, should I clean/spray into the gaps with vingear/bleach to kill mould, or is that not recommended as it gets moisture behind the tiles?). Finally, at a later stage, rather than pull put all the tiling I did wonder I could tile 'over' these tiles. I've seen that recommended for other projects ,but in the wet area of a shower I wonder of that is not recommended. 

[MitchellMc]

Hi @petercraney,

You've got a couple of issues here, which are the failing grout and then the compromised painted tiles. It would be best to consider replacing the tiles due to these issues. However, if you are looking at a temporary refresh that might last a few years, then you could cut out the degraded grout with a grout saw or multi tool with a diamond blade. Next, I'd recommend abraiding the tiles with 240-grit sandpaper. You can then re-grout your tiles. Once the grout is dry, you can paint the tiles. Due to the already compromised paint on the tiles, your new coat will only ever last as long as the old paint and grout. If the grout or old paint continues to fail, so will your repair job.

Regarding tiling over the area, the layer of paint on the tile means this option is likely not worth considering for reasons similar to those above. Tiling over tiles is possible, but tiling over painted tiles is likely something not worth investing in. It would be a far better idea to remove the compromised painted tiles and re-tile the area entirely, providing a long-lasting result.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[petercraney]

Many thanks Michael. When I was in BW last I purchased a grout removal tool / grout saw. To what extent do you think it necessary to have a multi-tool? I was worried about using one given how small the tiles were (tile sheet / mosaic tiles). Do you think its safer just to use the grout saw? While there is a bit of damage, it doesnt really extend past 3 or 4 tiles at a time. Also, would I need a primer to paint these tiles, or as they already have paint (which i will sand back or 'abradinign'), would it be ok to just go for the paint? 

[MitchellMc]

Hi @petercraney,

If it's just small patches where the grout has become crumbly, then a hand grout saw would suffice. The multi-tool becomes most effective in larger areas. You would be less likely to damage the tiles with the hand saw.

Unfortunately, I'm unaware of any tile paints designed to adhere to existing paint. So, these tile paints have primers, but they are designed to prime the surface of a tile. If you were to sand the paint off the surface of the tiles, then you could paint as per their directions.

Mitchell