Does Painting Floor Tiles Last? One Year Review

A Rustoleum floor tile paint review after one year!

One year ago I shared how to paint tile floor when we painted our pink tile floor on our covered back porch which we use as our workshop.

Ever since sharing that post, I have received countless questions about the durability of the painted tile and how it is holding up!

Does painting floor tiles last? Well it has been one year and I’m ready to share a totally honest review!

Here is a look back at the before and after of our painted tile floor:

Note, I have also painted bathroom floor tiles too. You can see how to paint tile floor in a bathroom and the 6 month update on those painted bathroom floor tiles in that post!

Before I get into the full one year review, there are some important factors to cover first.

Note, this post contains some affiliate links. For more info see my disclosures here.

Floor Tile Paint Used – A Rustoleum Floor Tile Paint Review

This will be a Rustoleum floor tile paint review since I used Rustoleum floor paint and top coat for interior floors in Windsor Gray.

Although as I shared in my painting tile floor tutorial, there are different types and brands of floor tile paint that can be used. In fact, I’m very curious to try a different brand out to see how it compares to the Rustoleum.

Number of Top Coats Used

We only used one coat of the Rustoleum top coat over the painted floor tile because we were short on time when doing the project.

Rustoleum only requires one coat of the top coat but does recommend using a second coat for extra durability. Looking back I wish we had made the time for the second coat of the top coat.

Traffic Level on Painted Tile Floors

The painted tile floor in our workshop is exposed to an excessive amount of floor traffic, way more than your average interior room. So, we really put this floor tile paint to the test this past year!

Our workshop is used for all of our DIY furniture builds which means there are always large amounts of wood piled on the floor and our DIY mobile work bench with heavy duty caster wheels is constantly being moved around the room (as well as our tool storage pegboard on wheels).

Also, the room is used as outdoor toy storage for our son. And it connects to our shed and our backyard, so we are constantly going in and out of this space with our dirty, wet shoes and puppy paws.

We will definitely have a garage in our next home haha!

Cleaning the Painted Tile Floor

Again because this room is our workshop, the floor tile doesn’t get cleaned as well or often as our interior floors do. We basically just sweep it.

But, for this review, we took the time to give it a deep clean to really assess the condition of it. I started by sweeping the dirt up, then vacuuming the tile.

Next, as per the Rustoleum floor tile paint cleaning directions, Brandon and I mopped the tile with a mild cleaner mixed with water.

You can see how we cleaned our painted tile floor in the one year painted tile floor review video here!

Does Painting Floor Tiles Last?

The short answer is that yes painting floor tiles does last, even with excessive amounts of floor traffic! However, there are definitely some issues to consider!

Overall, when standing and looking at the room as a whole, the painted floor tile looks good and you can’t see any major problems.

But, if you look closer, there are several small nicks, scratches, and chips.

There is noticeable wear and tear in the high traffic areas of the tile, especially along the edges of the tile. Also, there is some darker discoloration of the tile on certain areas.

In the lower traffic areas of the room, the painted tile looks really good with barely any chipping or scratches.

Video Review:

Make sure to check out my review video on YouTube! You can see a better view of the room and the painted tile after one year!

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel here!

Would I paint tile floor again?

Yes I would paint tile floor again depending on a few factors. Overall, here is my recommendation for when to paint tile floor.

For a high traffic room, if you need a short term, cheap solution for ugly outdated flooring, painting tile floor is a great option! It’s definitely not as durable as real floor tile or other flooring, so that’s why I recommend it as a short term solution.

For a low traffic room, it can be a longer term solution for updating your flooring. But, keep in mind it will still be subject to chipping because it’s still paint!

Painting our tile floor only cost us about $100. If we had used real tile, it would have cost much more and would have been a very labor intensive project. If we hired the tile install out it would be significantly more expensive!

Cost savings and the simplicity of this project are definitely the biggest pros! Make sure to check out painting tile floor pros and cons in my original post for a few other considerations.

What would I do differently when painting tile floor again?

If I were to paint my tile floor again with the Rustoleum, I would definitely use a second coat of the top coat as I said previously. Maybe even a third coat too!

Also, I would make sure to stay off of the painted floor for a full 7 days after applying the top coat. We didn’t use the room much during those first 7 days however, the flooring was more prone to chipping and even light foot traffic caused a few chips.

I hope this one year Rustoleum floor tile paint review has been helpful and answers your question does painting floor tiles last?

If you haven’t checked out the tutorial yet make sure to head over to how to paint tile floor, as well as how to paint tile floor in a bathroom for bathroom floors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it a good idea to paint floor tiles?

Yes it is a good idea to paint floor tiles if you want a cost-effective way and an easy DIY project to update your old tile on your entire floor and make a huge difference! It can look just like new tile after painting! Make sure to use the right type of paint for painting floor tiles though.

What paint is best for floor tiles?

As I explained in my how to paint tile floor tutorial, the best kind of paint for floor tiles is paint specifically formulated for painting floors. Examples include Benjamin Moore Floor and Patio paint and Rustoleum Floor Tile paint, both are available in multiple paint colors. By using the right paint you will achieve the best results and longest durability.

Does tile paint peel off?

As I showed in the photos above, tile paint, if applied properly, does not peel off, but it can wear off or chip off over time in more high-traffic areas of the tile. It shows a lot of wear on the edges of the tile rather than the grout lines or any low-traffic areas of the tile.

Peeling may occur though if you did not clean the tile properly before applying.

Follow along on Instagram and YouTube for all the DIY projects I’m working on!

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