What to do if Your Windshield is Cracked |
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Fred Nichols
April 30, 2014
You are driving on the road and all of a sudden a stone hits your car's windshield and there is a slight cracking sound. What do you do then? Do you leave it as it is thinking it is just a minor crack after all? Or do you take your car to an auto glass specialist? If you are worried about the possible cost of the windshield repair, you can rest assured--it is not the end of the world and can be easily fixed.
Your car's insurance company will should for the entire repair. You don't have to pay a single cent. Even if the windshield needs replacement, you can rely on the insurance company to settle the amount after you have paid the deductibles. So if there is any crack or chip that you find on your car's windshield, don't think twice about taking your car to an auto glass specialist. Leaving the crack or chip as it is can be dangerous.
The chip or crack is bound to spread to other parts of the windshield, not only making the situation worse but affecting driving vision, which could endanger your life and the lives of your passengers. What's more, if the situation becomes worse, you need to replace your car's entire windshield. The insurance company is only going to pay a specific amount. You would have to settle extras with your own money.
Whether the windshield replacement specialist decides to repair or replace your car's glass depends on certain factors. The person will look into aspects like the seriousness of the damage, location and size of the crack or chip. Normally, if the size of the chip or crack is merely the size of a quarter up to three inches long, the windshield will be repaired. But this depends on the location too. If the cracks happened around the windshield's edges, the specialist might recommend replacement.
This is because the cracks can spread very fast to the other areas of the glass, resulting in structural weakness of the entire windshield. Some people are not aware of how important the car's windshield is, not only for giving driving clarity but also for giving structural strength to the car itself. So immaterial of how small the crack is or where the chip is located, don't leave it as it is. Not only can it spread to other parts of the windshield but dirt is bound to accumulate in the chip or crack, resulting in a worse condition for repair.
What does a glass repair specialist do? In case you are not aware of this, a car's windshield is normally made of 2 or more glass layers. For giving extra strength, a layer of polymer resin is normally added in between these two layers. If a crack or chip occurs, it normally happens on the first layer and then spreads to the plastic layer. The specialist will normally attach a special tool directly to the glass before injecting a bit of special resin into the affected area.
Then he covers the area properly before using a special light to cure the resin. The resin will feel as hard as a rock after a while. He polishes the area for ensuring clarity. If you were to go to an auto glass expert with years of experience, you can expect good quality work that finishes within minutes. If the resin is applied properly, the bond can last for a number of years.