Painting Tile Backsplash – One Year Update

Do you ever want to attempt a DIY project, but you’re not sure how it’ll stand the test of time? That was my dilemma when I wanted to paint our kitchen tile backsplash. One of my least favorite parts of the kitchen was the tile backsplash. I researched it and a few years ago, I decided to just go for it. So I thought it would be helpful to give an update about painting tile backsplash.

I’ve got an update for you in case you’re on the fence about painting tile. Especially in an area like the kitchen that gets used multiple times a day. Our painted tile backsplash is holding up beautifully and it’s still one of the most budget-friendly DIY projects we’ve done.

When we moved into our house, I knew eventually I would attempt to change our kitchen a bit. Nothing drastic – no gut jobs or ripping stuff out because that’s just not in the budget right now. Mainly cosmetic changes such as paint.

Painting Tile Backsplash

So, what do I think after a year? Yes, yes, yes. Do it!  I’ll be the first to cheer you on if you decide to paint! It’s so worth it and so easy. And the best part is, it’s holding up beautifully! I would do it again in a second.

It cleans up perfectly – lots of messes are made in this kitchen! There are no chips or peeling spots. It looks just like it did when I first painted.

In case you’re considering it, I’ll give you a rundown of what to do, what not to do, and the best kind of paint to use. If you want to see the full tutorial, you can check it out here –Painting a Tiled Kitchen Backsplash

And since I painted the tile, I finally got the nerve to paint the cabinets too – I took part in a $100 Room Makeover Challenge and went for it.

Thrifty Kitchen Cabinet Makeover Reveal

Here’s the original photo of our kitchen from the real estate listing when we bought it:

And a few right before I painted:

And here’s what it looks like now!

Supplies Needed for a Painting Tile Backsplash

• TSP
• Kilz Oil Based Primer
• Oil Based Enamel Paint
• Quality Paint Brush
• Foam Rollers
• Rags
• Newspaper or something to cover your counters
• Painters Tape
• Bucket
• Mineral Spirits (you can’t clean oil-based paints/primers with soap and water)
• Liquid Deglosser – optional (I used it for part of the tile after cleaning with TSP, but it’s not a necessary step. My paint adhered on the parts of the tile I didn’t use it on just fine. 

Painting Tile Backsplash Tips

• The most important thing you can do is clean the surface like crazy before you start. I used TSP cleaner. Especially in a kitchen where you can have oily spots or caked-on gunk – it’s got to come off or your paint won’t adhere. So clean, clean, and clean some more. I use an old mop bucket and rags and follow the instructions on the bottle.
• Protect your counters.  I’ll say it again. Protect your counters. Because you know who didn’t do a good enough job of that? This girl. I still have tiny little specks of paint on my counters. Cover all of it. You don’t realize how much a roller splatters even when you’re super careful. Here’s looking at you shiny silver cooktop with paint flecks on it now. Oops.
• Tape off the surfaces you don’t want paint on. I taped around the appliances and the underside of the cabinets.
• Prime your surface. Especially in an area like a kitchen that gets tons of use – you’ve got to prime. There’s a lot of projects I skip primer, but I wouldn’t with this.
• Use good quality paint and brushes. You don’t want a chippy mess in a few months. Unless that’s the look you’re going for of course.
• Allow for adequate drying time and ventilation. Oil-based primer smells. I know this and I use it anyway because I’ve found it to be the best thing out there for making sure your paint adheres. Open windows and make sure the kids are gone that day.
• Don’t overpaint the surface. It’s tempting to go back and try to smooth out something or touch it up just one more time. But with oil-based paint, you need to paint it and leave it. I have a few noticeable spots (probably only to me) that I tried to just “fix” an area and it didn’t work. Use a quality roller and a quality brush.
• If you’re nervous like I was to even touch the brush to the tile, go to Lowes or Home Depot or any other hardware store and get one of those large inexpensive tiles and do a practice run. This will let you see how the paint goes on and might make it a little less daunting.
• You’ll need at least two coats of paint and you need to allow for adequate drying time. I waited a full day before the second coat of paint.
• The paint I chose didn’t require any sealer and it’s a gloss finish so it wipes clean like a champ.

If you want more details, definitely check out the original post click here

Hopefully, this helps if you’re on the fence about painting tile backsplash or not. I spent about $30 total including paint and supplies and it was so worth it.

And feel free to email me or comment with any questions you might have. Shoot me an email if you do it – I’d love to know how it turns out!

2021 Update for our Painted Tile Backsplash

It’s now been several years since I painted the backsplash – almost 4 years actually.

I did the one year update, but how about 4 years later?

The short answer is amazing. That’s right – no problems at all! It’s super easy to clean and I finally got the first few chips in the paint.

The chips happened close to our dish drainer – I apparently don’t know how to be gentle when putting heavy pots or pans down and I banged into the tile one too many times and got a tiny chip.

However, it’s barely noticeable and I highly doubt anyone would even pick it out. It’s still shiny and pretty – I used gloss paint for painting the tile and it looks great. I don’t regret the finish or paint at all.

So after 4 years, would I still paint our tile kitchen backsplash?

YES!!! It’s seriously one of the most cost-effective changes we made to update our house on a budget. Along with the $100 kitchen cabinet painting, it completely changed the look of our kitchen for very little money.

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