How to Paint Tile in Bathroom | Rust-Oleum Tile Transformations Review

Today I’m showing you how to paint tile in bathroom settings, like a backsplash (which is what I tackled), plus I’m sharing my Rust-Oleum Tile Transformations review.

The main bathroom in the lakehouse will be the first room to be fully renovated, hopefully this summer.  Other than the size (huge to me) and layout (nothing unusual), I dislike everything about its original state.  That’s not to say it’s bad, it just isn’t my style at all.  I don’t like the wood tone of the cabinets, the uncomfortably low vanity, the 1990s tile, the bold pink, and don’t get me started on the beige tub, sink, and portal shower.  (Actually, the portal has been great for bathing Szuka, who has become a master escape artist dodging to the left or right and leaping out of the tub with surprising agility.  Unlike the townhouse tub, the space portal blocks her exits, allowing me to wash her without getting kicked in the head by her giant puppy paws). 

Here’s a reminder of the before:

Even though we hope to reno soonish, I wanted to spruce up the room a little but spend very little in the process.  Every dime I spend in here takes a dime away from our dream bathroom.

The Products I Use:

There is such a small amount of tile (just between the mirror and vanity) that I contemplated just picking up some leftovers at Habitat for Humanity and redoing it.  But I’ve tiled before and, although it’s not terribly tricky, it can be time consuming.  I wanted something quick and painless, as well as thrifty, and thought that this bathroom would be the perfect place to experiment a little with a different kind of DIY solution, so I approached Rustoleum about trying their Tile Transformations Kit.  I figured that it’s faster to learn how to paint tile than it is to actually re-tile.  I opted for the Solid Colour Textured Finish, but they sent me the Natural Stone Finish also, which worked in my favor because I made a tiny mistake learning how to paint tile in bathroom areas…

How to Paint Tile in Bathroom with Rust-Oleum’s Tile Transformations Kit

Here’s a closer look at the tile, before:

The first few steps were easy: remove the caulking around the tile and clean it thoroughly with the magic scrubbing powder provided.  Then I taped off the area and protected the surfaces with drop cloths.

Easy, peasy – no sanding!  Next came mixing the two parts of the paint together.  The instructions warn that this paint dries quickly (it has a 90 minute working time), so not to take your sweet time, but to not just slop it on, either.  It’s a two-person job: one paints the coating onto the grout with a brush and the other follows with a small roller (the handle isn’t included).  The instructions also warn to watch for drips and sags.  Due to my own guffaw (I’ll explain in a minute), every time I tried to catch a sag, I removed paint in the process and revealed the naked tile beneath.  I fussed and fussed but couldn’t get a smooth finish.  It had some sags and too much texture.  Hubby proposed that the paint might tighten up as it dries, so I left it.

The next morning I arrived at the lakehouse to see the sags had remained.  I contemplated sanding and starting over, or just ripping it out and replacing the tile after all, but I figured I had nothing to lose so I added the step for the Natural Stone finish.  It’s basically a transparent, grey-tinted coating with flecks and glittery bits that is layered on top of the Solid Colour Textured Finish.  It is supposed to dry clear, but it tinted the original colour, dulling it a bit, which was a-okay by me but different than what the instructional video suggests.  I rolled that on without any trouble, hoping it would hide my goof.

Once it dried, it looked better! 

The finish hides the sags a little because it has some sparkle and texture, and because it’s meant to look like stone, a little irregularity actually helps the rouse along.  Crisis averted!! 

Here’s a closer look at the finish (I re-caulked to replace the caulk removed before painting):

The End Result:

In real life, the flaws are much less noticeable (I tried really hard to photograph it so you could see the texture I accidentally created).  Also, although it has a textured finish, to the touch the texture is smooth, not rough, so cleaning should be a breeze.  I wouldn’t use this finish in a space I’m putting money into because without the grout lines it’s obviously not real stone, but at a glance it looks refreshed – it’s a perfect cheap and easy, temporary fix.  The tile is now plain and simple – definitely an improvement on the 90s tile design lurking beneath, and all done for only a couple of minutes of work.  Seriously, painting this tile and the half bathroom tile, both steps, took less than half an hour total (over two days), including prep and clean up. 

So What Went Wrong?

I am confident that the problem here was a user error.  The instructions indicate the paint must be used within 7 days of tinting and I was just barely passed this timeline but didn’t think a few days would make a difference.  Because this paint hardens to an amazingly durable finish (definitely NOT the same as just priming and painting, this special coating acts and feels like real ceramic), I think it started to cure in the can and by the time I applied it, it was a little too firm to use.  Lesson learned: follow the instructions to the letter.  Even with the snag, the bathroom is coming along nicely and I can’t wait to show you the (problem-free) makeover of the cabinetry next.  So long yellowy oak!

UPDATE: So if you want to know how to paint tile the right way, my advice is this: TRY this product because it does not feel or look like paint.  It has also held up 100% to cleaning.  But get the product tinted and immediately use it, do not wait like I did!  It will roll on smoothly and look perfect, I am so confident in that. 

I partnered with Rustoleum for this project and although I was provided the product, I was not encouraged to provide a positive review.  Having diagnosed my error, I would happily try this product again because it was straight-forward and is a fabulous quick-fix for dated tile.  If you decide to try this product, be sure to follow the instructions carefully, and check out this video tutorial for more help.