How to Fix Chipped Porcelain
Updated: Jun. 24, 2024
Make annoying dings disappear.
Introduction
Tiny chips and dings on expensive porcelain fixtures and appliances are distressing-but fixable. With a few careful dabs of touch-up glaze and a little sanding and buffing you can make those ugly blemishes vanish.Materials Required
- Touch-up porcelain glaze kit
Porcelain is beautiful, but over time it can start to show signs of wear and needs freshening up. Fortunately, you can disguise chips, dings and scratches in porcelain bathtubs, sinks, toilets and major appliances with a quick and easy touch-up glaze. Glazes that match the original manufacturer’s colors nearly perfectly are available- or can be ordered- from home centers, hardware stores and paint suppliers. Apply the glaze from your DIY porcelain repair kit, and you’ll be as good as new!
Project step-by-step (3)
Clean the area first
To begin this project, you need a fresh surface. Clean the area that is in need of repair with soap and water, rinse it, and let it dry. Then, thoroughly mix the touch-up glaze. Dab the glaze onto the damaged area with the enclosed applicator brush and let it dry for 24 hours.
Repeat that process, if necessary, until you’ve filled the damaged area. Be sure to let the glaze completely dry before adding the next coat. Multiple thin coats here are better than a few thick coats that won’t dry evenly.
Lightly sand the glaze
Lightly sand the repaired area with the sandpaper enclosed in the porcelain repair kit until it’s smooth. Then buff it with a soft cloth. This way, you won’t end up with any unsightly lumps or bubbles of glaze. You’re striving for a smooth surface here.
Repair a scratched toilet
You’re supposed to use a closet auger to remove toilet clogs. But many DIYers don’t have one and use a regular snake. Sure, it works, but it can also leave metal scratches on the bowl. If that happens to you, don’t freak out. Just pick up a pumice stone from any home center.
Wet the stone and keep it wet while you gently scrub the marks. Don’t scrub too hard or you’ll scratch the porcelain; you only want to clean off the marks here. And don’t be surprised if the stone wears away quickly—that’s normal.
