How to Darken a Porcelain Tile

Contrary to what you might think, porcelain tiles can in fact be painted as other surfaces in your home are painted. However, if you just take a paintbrush to it in the same way that you would to a plaster wall, you'll probably find the paint coming off within a few days or weeks. Because the porcelain is hard and slick, it has to be de-glossed before you start, and the paint has to be sealed in polyurethane after you're finished, to keep it all in. It's a lot of work, but less so than ripping out existing tile and replacing it with darker tile.

Power belt sander
Aluminum oxide sandpaper belt
Paintbrush
Primer
Dark paint
Polyurethane gloss
Extra-fine sandpaper

Instructions

- 1
  Sand each of the tiles with the belt sander, getting them free of shine. Brush off the dust.
- 2
  Brush a thin, smooth layer of sealing primer onto each tile, keeping the brushstrokes in a consistent direction. Don’t paint the grout lines between the tiles.
- 3
  Let the primer dry eight hours.
- 4
  Paint the tiles with dark paint, again using thin, smooth brushstrokes in a consistent direction. Don’t paint the grout lines.
- 5
  Let the paint dry for eight hours. Brush on a second paint layer in the same manner. Let it dry, then add a third coat. Continue until the underlying primer is completely covered. Let the final coat set for 24 hours.
- 6
  Lightly sand the polyurethane with fine sandpaper, to dull the shine. Wipe off the dust.
- 7
  Brush on a second layer of polyurethane. Let it dry, sand it by hand and brush on a third coat. Let the third coat set for 48 hours.

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