Can I tile on painted walls?

Unfortunately painted surfaces are generally not suitable for tiling. A detailed examination of the painted surface should be made to decide whether it is suitable. Emulsion paint, lime-wash, distemper and similar finishes should be removed since they can possess poor adhesion to backing.

Emulsion paint is water based and so when this comes into contact with tile adhesives it causes the paint to become ‘soft’ again. This means it has a very poor bond to the adhesive which is holding on your tile. So removing the emulsion paint is very important. This is not easily achieved and can cause damage to the surface you are wanting to tile onto. If this is a concern think about using cement backerboard such as No More Ply. This will provide the perfect substrate for tiling onto. For further advice on No More Ply or tiling onto painted surfaces call our friendly customer service team on 01473 805959.