Knowing When To Replace Or Repair The Windshield In Your Vehicle
The windshield in your car or truck is made from several sheets of glass, laminated together with a thin sheet of plastic between them to help stabilize the glass in the event of damage. The system is durable, but cracks and damage can still occur to the glass, and knowing when it is time to take your vehicle to a glass shop for windshield repair or replacement is essential.
Cracks And Repair
One of the most common types of damage to vehicle windshields comes when a rock or other road debris strikes the surface hard enough to crack the glass. Typically the crack is limited to one side of the glass, the outside being the most common, and in some cases, a windshield repair is possible.
If the crack is on the passenger's side of the glass and is limited to a small area, most glass shops will fill it and repair the glass. A crack on the driverside can be more critical because it can adversely affect the driver's view through the glass, especially at night when car lights can reflect off the break and make it much more difficult to see.
Windshield repair on the driver's side of the windshield is possible, but the glass shop will first measure the size of the crack, evaluate it to ensure it is not spreading, and determine if there is a structural comprise as a result of the impact. If the windshield meets the criteria for repair, a technician can fill the crack with an epoxy-based filler to seal the gap and create a bond to repair the damage.
A correctly done repair is often difficult to find if you don't know where the damage was. It will also restore the ability of the driver to see clearly when operating the vehicle.
Windshield Replacement
In some cases, the damage to the vehicle's windshield can be so bad that the crack in the glass runs or expands as you drive the car, and the damage can compromise the structural integrity of the glass. Any time there is damage to the glass that you can feel inside the windshield, the glass needs to be removed, and a windshield replacement is required.
Often, the measure for the size of the damage is different based on the glass shape and where the damage is, but the tech working on your car can go over the damage and explain why the windshield replacement is needed. A new windshield can often be installed in a few hours, and once the seal that holds the glass in place cures, it will be as strong as the original glass and look as good as new.
The cost of a new windshield is often not as expensive as you might think, but you can call several glass shops to get pricing and find the one that best fits your budget when you are ready to make the repair. For more information about windshield repair and replacement services, reach out to a local company.
