What You Should Know About Windshield Repair

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You windshield is an important component of your automobile. It plays an important structural safety role in your vehicle. Your windshield glass basically has three important layers; on the outside is a glass layers, in the middle is a polyvinyl butyrate (PVB) layers, and on the interior side is another glass layer.

PVB layer is sandwiched between the glass layers to help them together. Outer layer glass can easily break, depending on the force of the impact. Usually, when hit by rocks from the road, the force isn’t significant enough to make the windshield glass shatter. What you usually get is a rock chip.

When you have a rock chip in your windshield, you need to get it repaired. It has been found that as time passes by, rock chip continues to spread and make a longer crack. If the crack is very long, it cuts the structural strength your windshield provides for your car. That’s a major safety issue.

Many years ago, repairing chipper or cracked windshield was a difficult task. The first company that attempted to develop a product to repair windshield was 3M. Their idea was to use ultrasound vibrations to clean up the break and then inject resin to fix the crack. However, because the technology was new and there was less research in this subject, the product failed to make proper repairs.

Over the next decade, windshield repair systems evolved significantly. What was invented next is a kit that replaces the air in the cracks with resin. This system is the one being used today, a slightly better version of the original once however. It is now very easy to fixed chipped or cracked windshield. All you really need is a good windshield repair kit, and you are all set.

Because chip cracks are pretty small, most people ignore it; especially when the damage is not in driver’s line of sight. If people don’t see it right in front of them every day, they forget about it. That’s not a good thing because once the crack spreads; you might have to replace the windshield. Replacing windshield can cost you hundreds of dollars.

Fortunately, there is good news for windshields that have huge cracks in them. If the crack is less than 24 inches long, it can be repaired using a professional windshield repair kit. If the crack is longer than 24 inches, then you will need to have the windshield replaced. Replacing windshield is not cheap and it can cost you anywhere from 300 to 1000 dollars. Exact cost will depend on the kind of vehicle you have, your location, quality of windshield and many other factors.

The cost of windshields can vary significantly. You will find many kinds of windshield glasses in the market. Those marked as OEM are original and manufactured by the original company. They are more expensive compared to the other ones. Such glasses also come with many other features that your vehicle may or may not need.

Because of the higher cost of these auto glasses, it makes sense why 10-20 dollar windshield repair kits are a good choice for repairing your windshield early on. Therefore, selecting the right kit is critical. If you go over to our home page, you will see plenty of good windshield repair kits that you can use with ease.

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2 thoughts on “What You Should Know About Windshield Repair”

  1. I like that you point out that if time passes by without fixes the rock chip repair then this could lead to more severe damage. I can see why it would be so important to take care of the chip as soon as possible. You might consider asking a family member or friend to have it taken in if you are unable to get it done. That way you won’t have to worry about too much time passing by.

  2. Rachel Lannister

    Thank you for the terrific read. You mentioned in it that you should act on seeing a professional quickly if your car windshield has any cracks. My brother has a rather large crack in his window and was wondering if it was still safe for him to drive. We’ll have to find a place that has the capabilities to replace, as his windshield might be past repair and replacement may be necessary to ensure safety while driving.

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