Do you ever have a project that turned out to be so much easier than you expected that you're kicking yourself for putting it off for so long? Painting the ceramic tile floors in our bathroom was one of those projects for us because it was inexpensive and simple.

Here's what you did to get the job done.

Step 1: Sand the tile floors.

Sanding the tile scuffs up the surface, allowing the primer to adhere better. And you were able to sand off the disgusting unidentified crap on your tile's surface. The goal is not to remove the glaze from the tile, but rather to scuff it up. Ceramic tile can contain lead, so if you're unsure about your tile, consider testing for it or consulting with a professional. To avoid breathing in sanding dust, always wear protective eyewear and a suitable mask or respirator. Keep the dust contained so that it does not spread throughout the house.

Step 2: Clean Your Floors

You vacuumed up all of the dust and debris after you finished sanding and then went to town on cleaning your floors. Any heavy-duty stripper and cleaner should suffice.

You mixed the cleaner with water, mopped it on the floor, let it sit for about 15 minutes, and then scrubbed the entire floor with a nylon scrub brush, as directed. Then you cleaned it with a bucket of warm water and repeated the process. The cleaner the floor, the better the adhesion of your paint!

Step 3: Repair any Missing Grout or Cracked Tiles

The grout on our floor was a shambles, with chunks missing in several places. Regrouting is a big job because you have to dig out the old grout first, so you took the easy way out and simply used paintable caulk to fill in and smooth over any bare spots in your grout. The caulk adhered well, and now that it's painted, you'd never guess we did it. Now is also the time to replace or repair any cracked tiles; instead of replacing them, we simply caulked the cracked area and sanded down the rough edge a little.

Step 4: Use a Quality Primer

Using a high-quality primer is essential for success when painting ceramic tile! You used a paintbrush and a small roller at the same time, painting the edges and grout lines with my brush and then rolling on the primer for the rest of the project. To avoid painting yourself into a corner, start at the far end of the room and work your way towards the door. After it dried, you recoated it with the same method.

Step 5: Paint Your Tile!

You painted your floor tile in the same manner that you primed it, using a paintbrush on the edges and grout and rolling the rest as you went.

Step 6: Do You Want to Seal Your Tile?

The final step, if you choose to do so, is to seal your tile. Porch paint does not require sealing because it is designed to withstand a lot of wear, but sealing it with a polyurethane would definitely make painted tile more durable. The only disadvantage of using polyurethane is that if you get a gash in your floor or another area that needs to be repaired, it's a little more difficult to repair in a way that blends in perfectly if you've top coated with polyurethane. So, for the time being, my floors are going topless (and have held up really well after several months of use), but if your floors get a lot of wear and tear, a top coat of polyurethane is definitely something you'd consider.

Step 7: Allow Your Floor to Dry Before Using It!

Allow your floor at least a couple of days to fully dry after your final coat of paint or polyurethane before walking on it (the more humid it is, the longer it will take) – it's best to be gentle with it (no heeled shoes, etc.) for the first week or two until everything is fully cured. We've been using our bathroom normally for a few months now, and the painted tile is still looking great!