Using Windshield Repair Resin to Fix Chips and Cracks on Your Windshield |
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Fred Nichols
23 December 2015
The windshield is a very important safety feature and that is why it is found in all vehicles including jeeps and drop tops. It is the part of the vehicle that forms the barrier between the driver, wind and any flying debris that may prevent them from operating the vehicle properly. Vehicle windshields are often made of laminated glass, which are two layers of glass held together by an interlayer. Laminated glass does not break on impact. In most cases, it shatters while the interlayer holds the broken pieces together to prevent injury.
In case your windshield is chipped or cracked by flying or falling debris, you can repair the crack depending on the size of the damage. Auto glass repair specialists advise that you can carry out DIY windshield repairs on cracks or chips that are less than an inch wide and not in the driver's line of view. Anything else should be left to the professionals.
Windshield repair resin
This is a substance used to repair chips and cracks on the windshield. It is the most important part of the repair process as it can save you from a very costly windshield replacement. The windshield repair professional uses the resin to fill in the broken off part of the glass restoring a smooth and clear surface.
The resin comes in different levels of thickness or viscosity and this often depends on the size of damage to the windshield. Deep cracks and extensive damage requires more viscous resin to seal the damaged area as compared to mild chips that hardly dent the surface of the glass that can be repaired by less viscous resin. The unit of measuring resin viscosity is cps. Viscosity can be as thin as water, 20cps or as thick as honey, 1,500cps.
Applying the resin
The area of damage has to be cleaned and dried completely before the resin is applied for proper bonding. Auto glass repair specialists often use a vacuum to search out all the dirt and moisture from the chipped area before injecting the resin. Once the resin has been applied on the windshield, it is cured using ultra violet light to seal faster. This reduces the process of fixing the windshield to as little as thirty minutes to an hour.
Auto glass repair DIY kits
You can also find low viscosity resin in auto glass repair kits for repairing windshield damage at home. Avoid repairing damage within the driver's line of vision or at the edges of the windshield by yourself as these require a bit more expertise. Low viscosity resin is suitable for minor DIY repairs as it is not very difficult to use. If you want to tell whether you can handle the repair, run your fingernails across the surface of the scratch and if it does not get caught then you can use the DIY repair kit. Besides the low viscosity resin found in auto repair kits, high viscosity resin or commercial grade chemicals are not sold on a retail basis.