Glass paint in the bathroom

The bathroom is another room in your home ideally suited for glass paint. Glass paint can be applied to a wide range of surfaces, but it’s particularly good at making a permanent bond with impervious surfaces like glass and tile. Here are a few suggestions for working with glass paint in the bathroom.

Preparing tile surfaces for painting

Glass paint works exceptionally well on the tile surfaces you’re likely to find in the bathroom. If you’re working with tiles that have already been set, take a good look at them. If you see mold or mildew on the tiles, grout or caulk, clean the affected area with a strong bleach solution. This will kill the growth and eliminate any stains that may have been created. Also, check the grout around the tile. If it has shrunk or cracked, remove the old grout and regrout before starting your paint project. Clean any stray grout off of the surface before you move forward. If you want to protect the grout from any stray paint, seal it with a grout sealer, and cover it with painter’s tape or masking tape prior to painting.

Once you’ve addressed any mold or mildew, and repaired or replaced the grout, clean the tiles as you would any other glass surface. Use alcohol and fine-grit steel wool to remove any remaining grease, soap residue or other dirt that may accumulate on the tiles. Dry the tile surfaces with ordinary paper towels. If you’re working with tiles that have not yet been set, just clean the surface with alcohol and steel wool. Wipe dry with ordinary paper towels.

Painting on bathroom tiles

Bathroom tiles have been glazed, but glass paint will bond to the glaze just as it would to glass. A small, high-quality brush will allow you to control the paint well on tiles that have already been set. You can create decorative freestyle patterns, or you can also work with a stencil to achieve your desired look. Wipe up any spills or drips immediately with a small amount of acetone. The tiles should be try to the touch in about 2 hours or less. They will be safe to handle in about 4 hours, and cured in 24-48 hours, provided you also use the Glassprimer™ glass paint catalyst. We do not recommend skipping the catalyst for “working” surfaces like bathroom tile. Without the catalyst, glass paint can take as much as a year to cure completely.

Painting on other surfaces

You can also use glass paint in the bathroom on surfaces like mirrors and windows. The key to a successful application is careful surface preparation, and the use of the catalyst to promote rapid curing. Once the paint is cured, it will stand up to the extreme changes in humidity that you will see in a bathroom.

If you’d like more information about working with glass paint in the bathroom, or you’d like to buy glass paint, please visit our online store.

Photo Credit: blue sky, via FreeImages.com