# Tile Before or After Painting



## jakejorgenson (Mar 17, 2009)

Just wanted to know what you guys all do on this. We usually do tile before paint and cabinets so we can get the countertops template done and while we wait for countertop fabrication we can paint. Then we can finish the project really quickly after painting work is done. I'm just curious how other builders are doing this and if you are doing the tile before or after.


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## Bearded Wonder (Jan 21, 2011)

Here in Texas tile is almost always done after trim, cabinets and paint. 


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## Easy Gibson (Dec 3, 2010)

Backsplash obviously gets done after cabinets are in. Painting is also easier before the cabinets are in.

So, paint, cabinets, backsplash, in that order.


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## schaefercs (Jul 10, 2008)

First coat before tile, second coat after if I'm doing the whole job myself.


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## builditguy (Nov 10, 2013)

Paint, cabinets, tile. Then touch-up paint. Alot easier for us rather than cutting in around cabinets and tile.


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## Lugnut1968 (Dec 11, 2014)

Yepp... paint, cabinets, tile then touch up paint. And I will back charge it there is too much damage done to the paint job too. One tile man thought it would be a fantastic idea to set his tile saw up in the breakfast nook so he did not have to walk but 5 feet. After the $250 back charge, on the next job he walked his rear the 15' to the garage..


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## avenge (Sep 25, 2008)

I always finish the ceiling, walls if tiled I will sometimes not put the final coat on till finished. I don't like flashing from touch up and it's no big deal for me to cut in.


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

schaefercs said:


> First coat before tile, second coat after if I'm doing the whole job myself.


That's what we do.


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

We prime and one coat, tile, cabinets and final coat.


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

After. Usually. If it is a small job for scheduling reasons we might do the shower first. Whole house, always after.


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## Bearded Wonder (Jan 21, 2011)

Interesting how it's different in different areas. I have a friend who build cabinets in Missouri. He builds them and finishes them in a shop, then installs them after paint and tile. So they are set on top of the tile. This for new construction. 

Down here everyone would think that's crazy. Cabinet guy builds and installs. Painter finishes cabinets on site. Tile after cabinets are finished. 

It all looks pretty much the same when it's done...


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

Bearded Wonder said:


> Interesting how it's different in different areas. I have a friend who build cabinets in Missouri. He builds them and finishes them in a shop, then installs them after paint and tile. So they are set on top of the tile. This for new construction.
> 
> Down here everyone would think that's crazy. Cabinet guy builds and installs. Painter finishes cabinets on site. Tile after cabinets are finished.
> 
> ...


Just don't see the sense in hanging cabinets after tile. The tile would have to be prefect. There is no run for error. Tile can be cut and adjusted to work with the cabinets.


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## darthdude (Dec 30, 2012)

Primer and first coat ideally are before cabinets/tile. Trim gets done after cabs, the. Wall/ceiling touch ups/ding repairs and final coat of color. Boom, done! I always like to at minimum have primed before tile in bathrooms too. Then I know that little extra moisture protection is in place behind the tile.


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## darthdude (Dec 30, 2012)

Oh and I don't even remember the last time I installed cabinets that were not prefinished. Any decent cabinet maker should be set up to stain, finish, paint, whatever, in house. Why would you ever want to do that work in the field, if you have a proper paint area in your shop?


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## bob hutson (Mar 16, 2013)

I have done it both ways depending on the job and if any subs are tracking through .


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

darthdude said:


> Oh and I don't even remember the last time I installed cabinets that were not prefinished. Any decent cabinet maker should be set up to stain, finish, paint, whatever, in house. Why would you ever want to do that work in the field, if you have a proper paint area in your shop?


We generally pre finish and mask them off with plastic after drywall, before trim.

Seen plenty of on site finishes that were fine though. Its not going to be a factory finish, but neither are most shop finishes i have seen. Only a few shops here do any finishing.


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## charimon (Nov 24, 2008)

Please paint your bathroom ceiings before I tile the walls ALL the way up. It is sooooooo much easier to clean up dark grout off of painted ceilings.


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## Xtrememtnbiker (Jun 9, 2013)

I'm surprised no one has addressed what kind of tile. As far as floor, backsplash, wall tile, etc.

Backsplash would have to happen after cabinets. Floor tile is nice to go in before trim stage as it's much faster to install in door openings without doors hung. 

We mix it up depending on the job since all those trades are done in house it just depends on what that specific job is like.


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## avenge (Sep 25, 2008)

TNTSERVICES said:


> Just don't see the sense in hanging cabinets after tile. The tile would have to be prefect. There is no run for error. Tile can be cut and adjusted to work with the cabinets.


I don't get that either, the tile is as level as the counter top. If those aren't perfectly level how do you set the cabinets? Besides that the tile would have to be at the perfect height for full length cabinets unless there's room for play with moulding at the top of the cabinets.

As for painting doing the final coat before tile leaves too many touch ups which I don't like. You still have casing, base, caulk, grout on walls and whatever else might get screwed up. There's still too much to be done with a final coat already on the walls and/or trim.


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## Lugnut1968 (Dec 11, 2014)

Xtrememtnbiker said:


> Floor tile is nice to go in before trim stage as it's much faster to install in door openings without doors hung.


As a trim man, I say nope to this one. Set your doors to the lowest type of flooring for that opening. What about tile or 3/4 hardwood? Well, that is what jamb saws are for... :thumbsup:


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## Xtrememtnbiker (Jun 9, 2013)

TNTSERVICES said:


> Just don't see the sense in hanging cabinets after tile. The tile would have to be prefect. There is no run for error. Tile can be cut and adjusted to work with the cabinets.



I'm guessing he's referring to floor tile. He's from Texas and John was saying on my flooring under cabinets thread he never sees tile under cabinets. Can't imagine anybody trying to lay a backsplash before install cabinets and counters.


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## avenge (Sep 25, 2008)

charimon said:


> Please paint your bathroom ceiings before I tile the walls ALL the way up. It is sooooooo much easier to clean up dark grout off of painted ceilings.


That's the only area I prefer to do a final coat and touch up as needed after tile.


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## Xtrememtnbiker (Jun 9, 2013)

I've hung doors that had the same height material on both sides after that material was installed and hung ones that would need to be cut before the floor. Like I said, we do it in house so it's easy to decide per job.


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

Xtrememtnbiker said:


> I'm guessing he's referring to floor tile. He's from Texas and John was saying on my flooring under cabinets thread he never sees tile under cabinets. Can't imagine anybody trying to lay a backsplash before install cabinets and counters.


We have had a few thread where some guys said that's what they do.


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## Xtrememtnbiker (Jun 9, 2013)

TNTSERVICES said:


> We have had a few thread where some guys said that's what they do.



Interesting... That doesn't make much sense...


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## jakejorgenson (Mar 17, 2009)

Interesting replies. The main reason we do cabinets and tile before is it saves time in the schedule where we do granite tops almost every house. It usually is about 10 days or so for granite after they template on installed cabinets. During that wait, we paint. It saves us almost 2 weeks on most jobs we do and keeps the ding and dent touchup from tile and cabinet install to a minimum.


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

TNTSERVICES said:


> We have had a few thread where some guys said that's what they do.


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

Xtrememtnbiker said:


> Interesting... That doesn't make much sense...





Jaws said:


>


Post #15

http://www.contractortalk.com/f10/kitchen-backsplash-153754/

There was also another one where the guy was showing off his tile work and bragged about doing backsplashes before cabinets.


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

TNTSERVICES said:


> Post #15
> 
> http://www.contractortalk.com/f10/kitchen-backsplash-153754/
> 
> There was also another one where the guy was showing off his tile work and bragged about doing backsplashes before cabinets.


Well Cleve is a better carpenter than me for sure then.... :thumbsup:


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## Xtrememtnbiker (Jun 9, 2013)

Jaws said:


> Well Cleve is a better carpenter than me for sure then.... :thumbsup:



It's not a matter of being better. I'm sure I could do that if I wanted to. But why the heck would I want to??


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

Who the hell installs tile before hanging cabinets? :blink:


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

I almost always lay tile before cabinets. I just assume my tile will last longer than the cabinets they pick so when the next season of hgtv starts pushing a new style I wont have to worry about matching the floor.

We prime/paint the ceilings, color tint prime the walls, then punch out the room (cabinets included) then two coat the walls and trim very last. The new duration formula seems to almost eliminate the need to second coat but we do it anyways.


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## offshorehs (Oct 20, 2010)

Been doing a lot of bathrooms lately and the prime and first coat before wall and floor tile is working out pretty well. Saves on cutting in to grout and grout residue on walls is easy to wipe off of the eggshell finish.


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## Spencer (Jul 6, 2005)

ohiohomedoctor said:


> I almost always lay tile before cabinets. I just assume my tile will last longer than the cabinets they pick so when the next season of hgtv starts pushing a new style I wont have to worry about matching the floor.
> 
> We prime/paint the ceilings, color tint prime the walls, then punch out the room (cabinets included) then two coat the walls and trim very last. The new duration formula seems to almost eliminate the need to second coat but we do it anyways.


That is the same way I think about it. In bathrooms I try to tile under the vanity whenever possible. I've been in to many where they HO wants to change the configuration of the vanity but then the tile has to be replaced because it will leave a blank spot.


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## cleveman (Dec 28, 2007)

I paint the ceiling first, especially if I'm tiling to the ceiling in the bathroom. I'm working on a kitchen now and I have painted the ceiling, then I tiled the floor. Next I'm doing the backsplash, although I could have done it before the floor. After the backsplash is in, I'll paint the walls because I have a lot of backsplash going in an area where there are no cabs. It is just decorative in that area.

After painting, I'll make and install the cabinets.


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## Kowboy (May 7, 2009)

When floor tile goes in before cabinets, it's impossible to tile in an appliance as is this refrigerator in a Gulf-front mansion.


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