by THAT Painter Lady on Monday, December 14, 2009
This is an easy fix if you want to “jazz up” your kitchen back splash or even your fireplace… but don’t have the big bucks for real tile.
Learning how to make faux ceramic tile is fun and when you get tired of the “tile” you just paint over it! Much easier than chipping out that expensive tile.
In the past I’ve talked about using texture medium to create “raised” design tiles or motifs on your walls. This is a really pretty design idea – but it does require a bit more commitment. If you want to get rid of the raised designs… you are going to have to invest in some “elbow grease”. 
I’ve also given you some quick tips for A Faux Finish Back Splash.
And I’ve even helped you with some faux tile ideas for your patio: Painting Concrete Patio
You are going to need a stencil! Yep… that’s how you keep every tile evenly sized, evenly spaced and yet each one just a bit unique. That’s what gives the tile backsplash a realistic look even though it’s just faux painted ceramic tile.
I highly recommend this “sculpture tile stencil” from StencilEase… this little inexpensive tile stencil has saved my behind a jillion times. StencilEase calls this a “Sculputure Tile” because they recommend using the stencil with sculpture paste to give each tile a “raised” look. This is more realistic… but as I’ve said before – “Texture Is Not The Easiest Stuff To Remove”.
This tile stencil comes in two sizes:
4 inch tile
6 inch tile
So… how do I make the tile look so real? With shadows and highlights – of course.
I teach the highlight and shadow technique in my Faux Brick Course… but essentially it’s the use of black paint to create shadows… and white paint to create highlights. Just like you would see on “real” tile.
Now… You will probably want to add some detail like I did on mine:
Adding the floral detail is very easy with a tile floral stencil… they still look hand painted because I went back and touched up each “tile” separately and this makes the tile look “real” and a bit different.
Floral Tile Stencil
As you can see… by just using a tiny bit of paint and a few inexpensive stencils… You can create a brand new look to your kitchen, bath or even your fireplace! It’s easy…
by THAT Painter Lady on Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Before you start to paint your floor with fantastic colors or faux finishes… don’t forget the prep work. All the paint preparation details are laid out for you here: Ideas For Painting Floors
Now… we get to the fun part. The painting process for floors is straightforward – if you follow some simple rules.
photo credit: jsymmetry
Step 1. If you haven’t already taped off everything that needs protecting… get it done now. The base boards… cabinet bases… door frames, make sure you are protecting everything. I hate to get finished painting and find that I have several more hours of clean up because I was too lazy to tape off everything.
Step 2. Don’t start painting the center of the floor first. Paint all the edges with a brush. This is called cutting in. It means getting down on your hands and knees with a brush and painting a nice smooth coat of your floor color right next to all the walls and cabinets.
One thing to avoid… don’t paint this in a stripe. Most new painters will paint all the edges as if it were a one width stripe. The magic trick is to paint the edges nice and clean but… the area where the paint works towards the center of the room should be uneven.
As paint dries and you paint over in layers the built up areas will be a bit uneven and show. By leaving this “edge” uneven… you will reduce the risk of having a striped layer around the edge of your room.
Step 3. After the edges painted… the only thing left is getting the color on the rest of the floor. It’s a simple as rolling on the paint just like you would paint a wall.
Tip: Plan the painting job exit. Start painting as far away from the exit door as you can and paint right up to the exit as you finish. Yes… you have heard the old saying “Don’t paint yourself into a corner”. You would be surprised at how often it happens.
Two coats are fine… Three coats are better. The key is to make sure that the paint is not only dry – but cured for a day between coats. If you have to walk on the painted floors between coats… wear socks!
Seal the Deal!
After you are in love with your new painted floors – you will need to coat it with two coats of clear WATER-BASED SPAR URETHANE GLOSS . Make sure to let the floor “cure” for several days first. Water-based urethane will not turn yellow and it should give you several years of great looking floors.
by THAT Painter Lady on Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Do you hate the way your floors look?
It doesn’t matter if you have tile, cement, wood or linoleum… they can all get tired and worn looking or just plain ugly.
The problem is – you can’t always afford to replace the flooring in our homes just because it’s ugly.
A solution might be - “Paint The Floors”.
Yes it’s a temporary solution. Paint just isn’t meant to last forever… especially if we are walking and cleaning it daily.
photo credit: faster panda kill kill
A painted floor or porch can look fantastic and last for several years. These few years can bridge the gap until you can replace the flooring or you might want to paint it again. It’s an inexpensive alternative to new flooring.
Just think of all the cool ways you could change your floors to match up with your current decorating scheme… and when you want to change – it’s just a matter of getting out the paint and creating an entirely new look.
So… how do you paint floors? I’m going to share a few simple tips right now. Get ready for some great information. You’re going to love these ideas and just how easy it is to paint your floors.
Floor Surface Preparation for Painting
All floors need this step… so don’t skip it. Preparing your floor for paint will ensure that the finished product will last as long as possible.
Concrete Floor Preparation – The concrete floor must be degreased and cleaned before painting the floor. A general purpose or a heavy duty degreaser should be used. I use cat litter sprinkled on for a few days to absorb any greasy “stuff”. Then I wash the floor with TSP -
(trisodium phosphate – purchase at hardware stores) – remember to rinse – rinse and rinse again.
You might need to use an “etcher” on the floor to get it ready to accept paint. If the floor feels smooth and not like fine grit sandpaper… you will need to etch.
Epoxy-based paints are really the best option for painting on cement. They have the best adhesion for concrete than latex based floor paints and will last through several years of wear and tear. Don’t fall into the trap of using wall paint for cement floors. They just are meant to stand up to the wear and tear a floor gets on a daily basis.
The higher the gloss level of the paint the better the wear level will be.
Be careful of slippery floors though… you might want to add some silica sand to the paint to give your feet a bit of “grip”.
Preparation for Painting Wood Flooring – Cleaning and degreasing the wood is necessary. Use a liquid degreaser and clean with TSP as suggested above.
Priming is very important… Prime the wood with two coats of latex primer – it’s a good idea to thin the primer to get it to penetrate the wood.
Wood floors can be painted with acrylic latex paint specifically for floors.
Preparing to Paint Ceramic Tile – Once again… squeaky clean surfaces are a must for great – long lasting results. I use a bathroom cleaner with a bit of bleach and mild abrasive all in one. And scrub. The grout is porous and the tile is not… you knew that. But both surfaces have got to be clean and dry before one drop of primer touches these surfaces.
Prime with the best primer you can afford. I love the 1-2-3 Primer/Sealer from Zinsser. It works like magic.
Use Oil based paints to paint ceramic tile. Anything latex will peal quickly.
Vinyl Floor Preparation – Strip off the wax. Even if you don’t think it has a wax coating… clean it as if it does. You can use a stripper, but TSP works just as well.
Prime with a primer-sealer… this will have the best adhesion. Paint choices for vinyl are oil-based paint, paint with urethane, or porch and garage paints.
Now… let’s get down to the actual painting process for floors.
