Staining Outdoor Tile?
Our backyard was tiled over by the last owner with these assertively terra cotta tiles, but we’d prefer something darker or more slate colored. Does anyone know of a way to stain or glaze tiles like these?
Our backyard was tiled over by the last owner with these assertively terra cotta tiles, but we’d prefer something darker or more slate colored. Does anyone know of a way to stain or glaze tiles like these?
fugly….but no way to stain glazed tiles
From the photo, it looks like you have ceramic tiles, not terra cotta. (Maybe that’s some bizarro stamped and stained concrete pattern, but unlikely.) In general, unsealed terra cotta is quite porous and will take a stain easily (including wood stain). If ceramic, you’ll need to remove the glaze first (not recommended). You can test your tile’s porosity by sprinkling random drops of water and watching whether the surface darkens. Make sure you check grout lines, too. If water is absorbed in two seconds or less, your tile is highly absorbent and you’ll have no trouble staining. If different random drops absorb at different rates, the same thing will happen when you try to stain and the result will be uneven. If the water simply beads on the surface, your tile’s either glazed or sealed and won’t be easy to stain. You can always try testing stain in an inconspicuous location.