RedGard is a very helpful product that can make waterproofing and sealing certain areas of the home quite a bit easier.
Of course, as with any sealant type material, people often wonder what will happen when the product is painted over.
It is smart to consider these things, as painting over various products can mean that your paint will not stick or will come out with a poor finish.
Luckily, we have all the information you need about painting over RedGard and the proper process for getting this done.
Can You Paint Over RedGard?
You can paint over RedGard, but it will void the warranty that comes with the RedGard product.
The warranty is in place to show that the manufacturer is confident that this product is going to remain waterproof for the duration of its time on your wall or floor.
When you put paint over the product, RedGard can no longer guarantee that their product will remain a waterproof covering.
This is, of course, because of the chemical components of the paint being placed over the RedGard.
RedGard does not know how the paint you use will affect their product through the years.
In addition, the type of paint you choose may not be the best match, and the way you prepare the surface can also have an impact on the way that RedGard works.
However, if you are willing to void your warranty and try to paint over RedGard, there is a specific process you can follow.
Some people wonder why painting over RedGard is at all necessary.
The reason behind this usually has to do with making something more aesthetically pleasing.
Many times, the RedGard is applied in areas where there is a lot of traffic and visibility.
Wanting to paint over these areas to make them look better is actually a very common concern and request.
Steps for Painting Over RedGard
The following steps should help you to paint over your RedGard without much trouble.
Make sure to consider all parts of this process and the supplies needed before getting yourself involved.
Step 1: Make Sure You Are Fine with Voiding the Warranty
Remember that RedGard is an expensive and highly durable product.
Part of the high price you pay is so that the warranty will stay in place on the RedGard product.
The problem is that, as soon as you paint the RedGard, you are going to void the warranty on the product.
This void in the warranty ends up making it difficult to decide whether or not painting makes sense.
If your walls are in pretty bad condition, the decision about whether or not to void the warranty may become an easier one.
It’s important to remember that you are not voiding the waterproofing capabilities of the product.
Instead, you are simply giving up the fact that RedGard would be responsible if the product were to become no longer capable of protecting against water and moisture.
Step 2: Prepare and Gather Supplies
Like any project that requires painting, you are going to need to protect your surface areas.
Depending on where you are painting, make sure you have the proper drop cloth and supplies.
You may need to use some painter’s tape to keep the edges clear of any spillover paint.
The drop cloth should be placed down so that it does not slide or move around during the job.
You are going to need a primer, a topcoat, paintbrushes, and a roller as well.
Most of the time, the areas where RedGard is installed can be large, open walls.
These are going to be covered best by using a roller as opposed to simply just a paintbrush.
Keep in mind that the paint brushes and rollers will need to be cleaned and washed before switching between the primer and the final coat of paint.
Once you have all of your supplies in place, you can move on to the next steps required before painting can begin.
Step 3: High-Quality Primer
Perhaps an essential part of this entire process is using a high-quality primer.
The primer is going to ensure that your paint sticks to the walls and that your RedGard stays in good condition as well.
Most of the time, before installing a layer of paint, people will sand or scuff up the surface of a project.
This is done so that paint will properly stick to the wall.
However, when it comes to painting over RedGard, you will not want to scratch or scuff the surface of the wall.
If you do this, it could have an impact on the actual RedGard, and you won’t want to do that.
Instead, you must rely on the primer to make sure that you can get the results that you need.
The primer is a glue type substance that will help the new coats of paint stick to the wall coated in RedGard.
The primer also has enough adhesive property to it that you should notice no issues with it sticking to your walls.
When choosing a primer to go over RedGard, go with a premium product that is capable of sticking to a wide range of surfaces.
If you are painting a concrete wall in a garage, make sure to choose a primer capable of painting concrete.
Always consider whether or not your painting project is located indoors or out as this will impact the type of paint that you need to use.
Step 4: Two Coats of Paint
Once you have your primer installed, you are going to need to add paint.
We recommend adding two coats of paint over the primer.
It is important to remember that paint can also act as a sealing substance.
Although not necessarily on its own, paint is a good waterproofing and sealing method and final coat.
When you put two coats of paint on something that has been treated with RedGard, you are only further protecting the surface.
You will likely need the two coats to completely cover the primer that you applied to the walls.
Thinning the primer is sometimes a good option if you want to try to get away with only doing one final topcoat.
However, we highly recommend that the two topcoats be done so that they do not start to break down or fall apart through the years.
While you are painting and setting up, it doesn’t take all that much more time to put another coat of paint on.
This is your chance to do it and to do it properly.
It is also important to make sure that your paint has ample drying time between coats.
The longer you give the paint to dry, the better the chance that it will hold up long term.
Step 5: Check for Breakdown of Paint Long Term
Now that you have completed this project, you should be all set.
You will want to watch over the years to make sure there are no issues with the paint breaking down.
If it starts to fall apart, you may end up having to repaint.
However, it’s a good idea to consider the waterproofing over the long term and see if you need to add more waterproofing measures.
Can You Apply Tile Directly Over RedGard?
RedGard is very commonly used below flooring.
The RedGard is in place so that water is never an issue on the subfloor.
When the RedGard finishes drying, it is a red color that is quite visible and apparent on the top of the subfloor.
This type of premium barrier is a great idea to use on the flooring before putting down the final layer.
Of course, most people want to know whether or not you can tile directly over the RedGard.
The good news is that, in order to tile, you are going to need to use a mortar.
The mortar will lay directly on top of the RedGard, and it will have no issues adhering to the RedGard finish.
Once you have the mortar down, you can put the tile or flooring directly on top, and it will be ready to go.
Putting this RedGard type of finish under your tile floor is a smart decision for the floor’s long-term durability.
How Do You Remove RedGard?
If you want to paint a surface and you first want to remove the RedGard altogether, you will have a bit of a process on your hands.
The longer the RedGard has been in place, the easier it will be to remove.
Naturally, over time, the RedGard starts to break down, and this will make the removal process quite a bit easier.
To remove RedGard, you will need a stripper of some sort to get it to start to peel off.
The stripper is a paint remover that should be left on the wall to help to start to break down the RedGard even further.
When you do this, you will still potentially have some scraping and peeling to do to get all of the RedGard off.
One of the things that makes this process a bit easier is that the RedGard is quite easy to see.
Being that it is red in color, the final product looks very different than anything else around it.
Many waterproofing and sealing type products are clear, and it can be difficult to tell if you have completely removed them.
With the RedGard, this won’t be a concern.
Instead of removing the RedGard, it may be best to apply a new layer or coat to freshen it up and then follow our steps for painting over it.
This will get you the most complete and finished look for your project.
Can You Sand RedGard?
We mentioned that you would need a primer when you are painting over RedGard.
This is so that the paint will properly stick to the surface painted with RedGard.
A large reason behind this is that you can’t and should not paint RedGard.
If you do attempt this process, you will find that it truly gets you nowhere as the RedGard does not sand well as it is meant to stay in place for years to come.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you now feel a bit more ready to complete a painting job over the RedGard product.
RedGard is a very effective and safe way to protect the tile from cracking and provide a waterproof seal.
Painting over the RedGard will void the warranty on the product, but most people find that they have no issues with the functionality of the RedGard long term.
Painting over the product is often necessary to complete a finished look in a home or a garage.
Always use a high-quality primer that will adhere well to the top coat of paint and to the RedGard bottom layer as well.
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