Without taking in note of your location, your car’s windshield can be damaged any time. Be it a pea gravel falling from a construction site near the car, occasional chunk of unknown debris by other cars passing by .
The reason behind the damaged windshield doesn’t matter, what matters is whether to repair or replace it after the damage to ensure that the damage doesn’t get worse. Be it a small fix or a total replacement, here is all you need to know before performing anything.
To repair or to replace
Well, it is not always necessary to replace your wind shield. For cracks reasonably smaller, a repair from professional can work wonders and would cost you only a dollar bill.
But ,according to Safelite, if your windshield is in any or one of the following condition –
1. The crack is directly in the driver’s line of sight
2. The windshield is old with tiny divots
3.There are more than three cracks on the glass and
4.The damage is at the edge of windshield,
It should be replaced rather than repaired.
According to NHTSA , the windshield is an important part of the structure of many vehicle and contributes to the overall strength .Hence it is important to repair the cracks before the grow bigger and must be replaced as of necessary.
A windshield is typically made up of three layers, a layer of polymer or resin is sandwiched between two layers of glasses.
The repairing requires injecting a special resin into the chipped area.
For cracks, holes may be drilled at the end of the crack to help prevent it from spreading. But it is necessary to get it done by a professional due to the efficiency and delicacy it requires to not drill through the plastic but only the outer layer.
If repairing is possible to a certain damage, do it as soon as possible because keeping it that way can increase the risk of the damage to get severe. Even a small chip can spread across the windshield when you hit a pothole or drive on an uneven road.
In many states, it is even illegal to drive around with a damaged windshield.
How to do it yourself
Many people are comfortable to do the car repairing jobs themselves. If you are one of them and you are trying to repair it yourself then get to know that there are various DIY repair kits available which replicate the resin injection technique.
You will definitely get a difference in the results because of the tools the professionals use and the expertise they have on their work. These kits may also not perfectly replicate a professional repair and can be preferred on chips that are merely effective at the beginning .
The main purpose of repairing is preventing the chip or crack from spreading and restore the structural strength of the glass .So, if you are not sure about the DIY process, getting it done by a professional is the best option .