Painting a Tile Floor ~ Tips and Grumbles

Hi! Allow me to introduce myself...

I'm Kelly...and someday maybe I'll start a chapter of

Northern Colorado Procrastinator's Anonymous.

Maybe...someday.

Perhaps.

I thought I should at least remind you of who I am since I, um,

apparently haven't been around for almost 3 weeks.

I know, right?

I couldn't believe it when I looked at the date of my last post.

I just shook my head and sighed.

Anyway...I am finally showing you that project I had to restart

and was dragging my feet on.

Yup!

I painted the ceramic tile in my entry.

I may be little crazy.

At least I'm sure my husband thinks so.

We don't have one of those large entryways where you can

put an awesome dresser and fancy it up with fun décor.

Okay, I'm a little jealous.

Anyway...so I wanted to add some interest to this

area and thought paint would be just the thing!

  

After cleaning it very well and using some Krud Kutter I taped it off.

Yes, I put little pieces on the squares NOT to paint in

case this redhead had a blonde moment or something.

{Sorry, blondes-but no one ever claims to have a brunette moment :) }

Okay, here's where the problem(s) started.

First, I hated it.

Okay, I know that's a biggie.

I love black and white checkerboard floors...

it just didn't belong in this spot.

{My husband said it looked like a circus.}

Second, NOT all chalk paint is created equal.

***I am not here to bash anyone, okay?***

I love chalk paint, but it's not all suitable for all uses.

The charcoal is CeCe Caldwell.

It did NOT adhere to the ceramic and easily wiped off after dry,

even after applying the "durable top coat."

That being said, I've seen in used on lots of furniture with awesome results.

Okay? Just not this ceramic tile.

{The other is Annie Sloan Old White, it seemed to do very well for this application}

So here's my dilemma:

I can't possibly get all the paint off and go back to the "before."

My solution?

I sanded off as much of the gray as I could and washed the dust off.

I chose 2 colors I thought would be less

contrasting and would go better in this spot.

I mixed up some homemade chalk paint and started over.

I knew wax would not be a good choice here,

so I sealed the whole thing with a couple coats of poly-acrylic.

I'll probably do at least one more.

And then there's this little bit of reality:

I almost didn't write this post at all.

A couple of days ago, I noticed a spot

on one corner of one of the tiles.

Some of the paint had chipped off.

{insert some cursing and grumbling here}

Upon inspection, I don't think I got that section sanded

and/or the paint dust wiped off before the next paint went on.

(you can see the chunky shelf in the below pic here)

It's a small enough spot that I can fix it easily,

and I don't see any other signs that it will continue to happen.

So that's good.

Cuz I was totally ready for this to be done.

:)

So here's the down and dirty:

Not everything in the DIY world turns out the way

you like it and you have to go back to square one.

In my case, literally.

But I want you to know...

I am really pleased with the final product.

It add a little visual interest and lightens up the corner.

{Bonus...my husband really likes it, too!}

What would I do differently?

On this non-porous surface I would consider using

primer even though you normally don't have to with chalk paint.

I might have done a sample with sheets of colored paper to

simulate the checkerboard before I got out the paint brushes.

Why am I telling you this?

Because in my experience, if someone else can go

through the headache first and tell me about it,

I might not have to do it the hard way and find out myself. :)

So, what do you think?

And...should I paint the strip of wood

between the door and the floor?

If so, what color?  I can't match the walls...possibly the door.

Okay...I'll try not to stay away so long next time.

As a matter of fact...you'll want to come by in a few days!

I'm helping out a bloggy friend with her first giveaway!

Woot woot!!!

Stay sassy!

 Partying here:

Crafts a la Mode

Lil' Luna

Cheerios and Lattes

Serenity You

Funky Junk Interiors

I Should Be Mopping the Floor

The Dedicated House

Homecoming

Love Grows Wild

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Home Stories A to Z

City Farmhouse

Ivy and Elephants

The 36th Avenue

Living Well Spending Less

Live.Laugh.Rowe

Saving 4 Six

From My Front Porch to Yours

Embracing Change

Redfly Creations

A Peek Into My Paradise

DIY Showoff

Dimples and Pig Tales

Dwellings

Stone Gable

Love of Family and Home

Beneath My Heart

Thrifty Decor Chick

Due to the ridiculous amount of spam this post receives...

I am disabling comments on it.

If you have a valid question, please feel free to send me an email.

Thanks,

Kelly