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Anything to do to change the texture of a tile?

Posted by FlyLeft (My Page) on
Mon, Jul 18, 05 at 21:20

Hi--I'm mostly a Kitchens person, now becoming a Baths person, with occasional forays into Appliances, Mosaics, Flooring...you all look like the right group to ask this question...

We are reluctantly choosing a particular rectified porcelain wall tile for our DIY bath remodel because of its looks, but I *really* don't like the texture of it--it's matte to the point of being kind of chalkily resistant, not a luscious chalky like soapstone. In tactile terms, we vastly prefer a satin-finish simpler ceramic tile, but it's just not got the visual points of the frontrunner (which has the vaguest shadows on it that pick up the floor tile color). So I like the feel of one, and the looks of the other. Here's the question:

Would there be a way, aftermarket, to 1) change the texture of the frontrunner tile, put some kind of coating on it to make it smoother to the touch (I'm a big touch person) or 2) add some kind of shadowing to the satin-finish tile to make it relate more to the floor? I'm not afraid of trying things--I am just finishing up a glass tile mosaic backsplash, my first ever mosaic effort ever :) So I'm willing to read up and practice and give things a try.

Any thoughts would be most welcome.


Follow-Up Postings:

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RE: Anything to do to change the texture of a tile?

FlyLeft,

Just answered one of your older questions and here I am again. The only thing I can think of to change the texture is sandblasting and then you would loose most of the glaze as well. As far as adding shadowing to the satin-finish you can spray or airbrush the porcelaine on and bake it in a regular kitchen oven. Again I would experiment first.

Another place to ask for info. would be to contact someone that makes handmade tiles and ask them the question.


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RE: Anything to do to change the texture of a tile?

Go to one of those ceramic "paint and glaze" places or a ceramics hobby shop. Show them a sample and ask if they would reglaze it and fire it again. Yes, what you want can be done if someone will refire the tile for you.


 
 

 

 


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