Tile Floor Refinishing Tips and FAQs

The buildup of dirt, moisture, and mildew can make tile flooring in the bathroom look dull or dirty over time.  When this happens, homeowners can take steps to refresh the original appearance of the tile flooring and save the cost and trouble of replacing the floor.

Here are three approaches homeowners can take to refresh old tile flooring:

Deep Cleaning

Homeowners should clean tile flooring regularly to remove surface dirt and grime, but a deeper cleaning may be required if the flooring becomes too worn out.  Before cleaning the tile, first run hot water in the bathroom for a few minutes.  The steam and heat from the water will open the pores of ceramic tiles which makes them easier to clean.  Then apply the cleaning solution and scrub the surface of the tile gently with a brush to avoid damaging the tile.  The grout lines must be scrubbed as well to remove mold and mildew.

Homeowners can use the following solutions to clean tile flooring:

• Baking soda and vinegar: The combination of baking soda and vinegar is a highly effective natural cleaning solution for tile flooring. Either apply vinegar or sprinkle baking soda on the floor and scrub the solution using a non-abrasive sponge or brush.  For deeper cleaning, combine the vinegar and baking soda to create a paste and use a non-abrasive sponge or brush to scrub the tile with the paste.  Rinse the tile with fresh water after letting the solution sit.
• Store-bought cleaners: Store bought solutions like lime scale removers can be used to remove tough dirt and stains. Make sure to follow the directions of the product and use non-abrasive materials to scrub the floor.  Keep in mind that these harsh cleaners are more likely to cause damage to the tiles than natural solutions.

Painting the Tiles

Painting the tiles to refresh their color is another way to refresh tile flooring without replacing it.  To do this, you will need to remove the grout and clean the tiles before applying primer and paint.  Make sure to choose paints that are moisture and mold resistant.

Shine the Tiles

Sometimes simply shining the tiles can be enough to refresh their appearance.  To do this, make a mixture of hot water with a few drops of mild soap. Use a mop to clean the tiles with this solution until all dirt and grime is removed.  You can then shine the tiles by buffing them with a microfiber cloth or dust mop.

NAPCO’s Tile Floor coating is specifically formulated for use on tile floor surfaces.  It is more abrasion resistant than our other finishes and its increased durability means that scuffs can be cleaned with ease using just detergent and water.

NAPCO’s Tile Floor coating shows an almost 50% increase in durability versus our Low Gloss Bright White coating.

Most other tile floor resins on the market are waterborne 1K polyurethane dispersions that take a significant amount of time to dry and cure.  As such they don’t have the wearability or return to use time of our 2K solvent borne Tile Floor Coating.

Any fired tile floor surface such as ceramic or porcelain.  Any stone tile floor surface such as terrazzo, granite, marble, slate, etc.  Finally, vinyl floor tiles can also be refinished.

Purchasing shoe spikes are *highly* recommended so your tile floor refinishes are more efficient, increasing your profit margins.

Cleaning and preparation are extremely like any other surface refinished with NAPCO coatings – make sure that the surface is clean and debris-free using one of our cleaning agents.  Then, any repairs should be done using our White-Water Resistant Filler.  Finally, prime right before spraying using either our Gorilla Grip Wipe-On Primer or our High Build Primer.  Note that if you are refinishing a natural stone surface, you’ll have to sand off the sealer coat using 180 or 220 grit sandpaper after cleaning and either vacuum up the debris, sweep up the dust, or blow it out of the area with compressed air.

Three coats are sufficient for full coverage and maximum durability.

18 to 20 inches from the surface of the floor.

Maximum PSI of 5.  For a Capspray 75 with a Maxum II gun that means opening your air knob to roughly 70% prior to application – the arrow on the air dial at 10 or 2 o’clock.

The cure time to water is two hours.

The suggested return to use time is 24 hours.

Using a tile floor cleaner such as a Swiffer Wet Jet or Bona Hard Surface Floor Spray and water is sufficient for cleaning and maintenance of the new finish on the tile floor.

Yes, once fully cured the surface can be buffed out with a walking buffer.

We recommend a standard five-year warranty against any coating manufacturer defects or defects of application.  Issues created or caused by the end-user are not covered by the warranty.

Spills and overspray can be cleaned using our On-the-Spot Overspray and Gun Cleaner.

Though not necessary, you can absolutely apply two to three coats of Tile Floor Clear Coating.

Do it piecemeal – break it up into smaller, more manageable sections so you can more easily refinish each without having to worry about hose and compressor location.  Make sure you refinish sections that are furthest away from a doorway, so you aren’t dragging your hose over a refinished area.

If you want to be as efficient as possible, then yes – shoe spikes allow you to walk on the freshly coated tile floor before each coat is fully dry with minimal disruption.  Shoe spikes will leave pinholes in the floor coating, but by spraying each coat of material starting in the far corner and working your way backwards, you are covering over the pinholes left and creating a fresh, new coat every time.

If you’re concerned about being elevated and potentially slipping or tripping with shoe spikes on then you can spray each coat without them – however, you will have to wait until each coat is fully dry and unmarred by your shoes or your hose as they travel across the floor.

When you’re wearing shoe spikes – make sure you have something to step onto after you’re out of the area.  You will pierce a piece of cardboard or a thin layer of cloth, potentially damaging the floor underneath.  It’s much better to have material to absorb the spikes when you walk out of the area – a few large pieces of tile, a heavy drop cloth or a beach towel folded over several times would be sufficient to prevent any damage to the flooring outside the area.