How to cover wall tiles without removing them
How to cover wall tiles without removing them
How do you cover wall tiles without removing them? Can you effectively cover wall tiles without removing them?
You need to update the bathroom or kitchen and you either have a limited budget or limited time or both. What are the options? To answer this popular question we have to break it down into two sections; covering wall tiles in an area that will receive a lot of water (such as a shower) and covering wall tiles in an area that doesnt receive that much water (such as a kitchen splashback).
You can cover wall tiles without the laborious task of removing them, we will look at the best methods in our guide…
How to Cover Wall Tiles – Waterproof Options
Covering Wall Tiles with Tile Paint
Tile Paint has been a popular choice for a number of years and the quality has advanced considerably. There are a number of well known brands with Tile Paint available in a number of colours and finishes. You can achieve a good finish with tile paint and it is quick and easy to apply.
How to apply Tile Paint?
Clean the tiles thoroughly with a grout cleaner and bleach. Repair any visible defects in the grout.
Thoroughly stir the paint. I would recommend scuffing the tiles with light sandpaper but not all manufacturers require this.
Apply the paint with a fine brush or roller working the paint into the grout line.
Wait 24 hours for the paint to dry.
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Covering Wall Tiles with PVC Wall Panels
Using PVC Wall Panels to cover wall tiles have become the increasingly popular choice in recent years due to their versatility plus they are the guaranteed waterproof option. There is no other option that can match PVC Wall Panels with regards waterproofing performance.
You can use PVC Wall Panels anywhere in the house, from the shower to the kitchen – they are versatile enough to work in any setting.
We have covered all aspects of PVC Wall Panels on this site from measuring up to fitting but in this instance we would encourage you to look at the cost and performance advantage wall panels have.
Covering Wall Tiles with Self Adhesive Wall Tiles
I have included these in the Waterproof section but I would recommend regarding these as water resistant rather than use them in a high water volume area such as the shower. The adhesive is incredibly strong but I am not sure how they will hold up with a lot of water.
The self adhesive tiles are typically 300mm x 300mm and 3mm thick and are generally good quality but I would strongly recommend paying close attention to the reviews as not all tiles are equal.
Self Adhesive Tile – Installation
This is where they really do excel as it is literally peel and stick. You will need to thoroughly clean the tiles you are going over and be careful to check how flat the existing surface is. Ideally you do need a flat surface as an irregular surface will show on the covering self adhesive tile.
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Covering Wall Tiles with Tile Stickers
This is another waterproof option with a cautionary note. Probably more suited to a behind the sink splashback than a shower area but a number of the tile sticker manufacturers claim they can be used in the shower area. Again, before purchasing I would advise paying close attention to the reviews.
The Tile Stickers are 152mm x 152mm and fit directly to the individual tile.
Tile Sticker – Installation
You will need to check the size of your tiles before ordering, ideally you will purchase a tile sticker that matches the size of your tiles but you may need to trim back with scissors.
Clean the tiles thoroughly before applying and just like the self adhesive tile tile stickers are literally peel and stick. Self Adhesive Tiles will be quicker to apply as they come in a sheet.
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How to Cover Wall Tiles – What is the Best Waterproof Option?
We have four good options for covering tiles with a requirement for waterproofing. I would regard the latter two as more water resistant so would be good for splashback areas in the bathroom and kitchen.
Tile Paint is effective, the one coat strapline is often misleading as you will need to apply more than one, likely multiple coats.
The clear winner and please excuse my bias here are wall panels. They just work. The cost and speed of installation will be similar to the other options but they look better and most importantly there will be no lingering doubt regarding the waterproofing integrity.
Best Option – PVC Wall Panels
How to cover wall tiles without removing them
How to Cover Wall Tiles – Non Waterproof Options
Covering Wall Tiles with 3D Wall Panels
3D Wall Panels are a great non waterproof option. They will add texture to the wall and effectively cover any existing tiles.
You would use these panels more in areas like the kitchen and aren’t really suitable in the bathroom or any area in the house that has high moisture.
3D Wall Panel – Installation
You fit 3D Wall Panels in a similar method to bathroom wall panels.
Cut to size, apply a sealant or adhesive to the rear of the panel then push firmly home.
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Covering Wall Tiles with Kitchen Splashback
This option is limited to covering tiles in the kitchen and can transform a kitchen almost immediately – very effective.
Kitchen splashbacks are typically 3 Metres long and 600mm tall but there are a lot of manufacturers that offer bespoke options. Splashbacks are commonly made from glass, stainless steel or acrylic. For covering tiles you would be looking at the coloured glass or acrylic options
Where to buy kitchen splashbacks
Due to their size I would recommend factoring in delivery options or collection options when you are considering a purchase. Start with a Google search and narrow down from there, a number of the big box retailers stock them but far more bespoke options consider a supplier such as Genie Splashbacks
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Glen Coulson
Glen is one of our expert bloggers in bathroom design, cladding and all things DIY. If he isn’t fitting PVC panels, he’s talking or writing about PVC Panels and really should get out more.
Read his posts for the latest coverage of style trends and easy to follow guides.