CramerS203AMZ Ceramic / Enamel Repair Kit for Baths, Sinks and Counter Tops, Colour: Alpine White

I first saw a tiler using this product years ago after one of his tiles fell into my bath and chipped it. I got this product to finish a fairly major repair to a badly damaged bathroom sink. A large chunk had been knocked out of the basin with 4-5 hairline cracks spreading out from the hole. After repairing as much as I could with cement and another 2-part epoxy (JB Weld - also highly recommended but unfortunately sets to a dark grey) I ground out a groove along the cracks with a dremel and dripped thin superglue into the cracks. I then ground out the groove again and cleaned it out so that when I finished the repair with the Cramer kit the mixture would stick properly. I then filled the remaining damage with the Cramer mixture. This sets to a warm white colour which was a fairly good match for most ceramic sanitaryware including my basin. Even though it was a big repair it wasn't that visible - you had to look quite closely. You don't have to be exact about the 30:1 ratio they give for resin:hardener. Once mixed you have about 4 minutes before it sets. For a big repair it may be easier to build it up in several small stages. Just after it has set is the best time to sand it down because it continues to harden after setting making sanding harder. On a curved surface I found the best way to sand it was wrapping the supplied medium grit sandpaper round an old credit card and sanding with the flat face pushing it hard against the repaired area. This results in a smooth surface that follows the existing profile or curve of the basin. The sand paper won't damage the hard glaze on a ceramic basin (test it somewhere hidden first tho') but I think it might be a bit too harsh for an enamel bath. I then gave it a few coats of paint with the supplied spraycan and left the basin without using it for four days. The paint finish is fairly good and seems durable but as other reviewers have said it is a very cool white that doesn't match most sinks. It would be a good match for the cooler white of an enamel bath. All this took a bit more time and effort because my sink was so badly damaged but for most jobs this product will be all you need to get a good result and it is actually very quick and easy to use.The two most important things for getting a good durable finish are:Sanding and cleaning or even grinding out the damaged area so the mixture adheres well. I used meths and acetone as cleaning agents - best not to use anything that leaves a residue like most bathroom cleaners.Sanding/reapplying the mixture - if you take your time with this you might get a repair that you won't even need to paint.

product itself is excellent but you need to be aware of a few points:* instructions show that you should add the hardener to the filler in the metal container but this produces way too much filler and if all the hardener is added it will set very quickly - much better to take as much as you need from the container and mix it separately on a piece of cardboard - also only use a very small amount of hardener (as stated in the instructions) - that will give you a few minutes to apply it which is ample time* even though it can be sanded it is much easier to apply the filler in small layers and "underfill" it - let it dry and then apply the next layer - build it up in 3 or so layers with the final layer level with the surface required - this minimises the amount of sanding required* paint sticks very well to the filler but you need to be careful as the can produces a lot of paint so easily causes drips* unfortunately paint will not stick to old enamel surfaces - I had some stains and even after trying to rough up this old enamel the paint still did not want to stick and flaked off after a while - it does actually state this in the instructions that it will not stick to old enamel paintso, product is very good for repairing chips (5 stars) but not for repainting old surfaces (hence 4 stars overall)

Despite being a popular make (Ideal Standard), could not find replacement lid anywhere. Even those selling replacement cistern for different suites lids, had them priced at £90+ so I suspect even I had managed to find one, it would have been a headsore in terms of price. Called Ideal Standard, their response "oh we only sell the whole cistern plus lid to ensure a perfect fit" ...hmmmm!So resorted to repair solution. Checked a few different options and this product had best reviews ... and is one recommended by professional manufacturers.Main tip: Use carefully and it does the job brilliantly.Your repair will of course be visible if you shine a torch and inspect carefully. But in normal bathroom light, with my critical eye, it was barely noticeable. Which means, a non-suspecting guest would very unlikely notice it at all.Kit contains everything you need.I made mistake of not applying enough filler first time and had to repeat. Better to apply a little over and then sand down (obviously) but bear in mind not to apply too much extra as difficult to sand down. I would suggest 1mm around and above the chipped area.Very easy to mix the filler and hardener and spatula does a fine job of allowing you to mix and then apply, scrape of excess.Make sure you shake the can for the full 3 minutes, as otherwise you can get thick blobs of paint which ruin the finish immediately. Also squirt a tiny bit into bin when first using because again there can be dirt/blockages in the spray point of the bottle.Not too sure about the tip of cutting a hole in piece of paper and holding that over the area. I would say just apply from a distance of 6 - 8 inches and in very light, sweeping moves for about 1 or 2 seconds. Then leave it for a whole minute - during which time you shake the paint can - and then apply again for 1 or 2 seconds - leave another minute while shaking can again - and repeat until it looks good.I would avoid trying to just paint over the exact chip and instead very lightly 'ease' the spray paint over the nearby surrounding areas also, therefore getting a seamless blend from the new paint to the old. The colour is a bright white which blended with my old when this technique was applied but was obviously different if the can was just pointed at the chipped area ... i.e. paint slowly and lightly and let the colour build until it is matched to surrounding areas. STOP when you are at the stage that the chip is not noticeable by others ... if you continue beyond this stage (trying to get it perfect and completely undetectable) you are likely to end up with an overly white and bright 'new spot' which is almost as bad as the original chip itself because stands out like a sore thumb!Finally, there was easily enough product for several small repairs but no idea how well it stores because I have just bought and used it. Even if it doesn't store well, it was well worth the price for this one repair in my view.

The enamel filler is good and easy to use. Once sanded off, it gives a good finish. But the spray paint is not so easy. Even using a mask, it is still uneven and tends to have a bluish colour.