Windshield Repair
You know the story, driving down the road and a dump truck throws a stone into your windshield and you don’t have time to get the license plate. Or even worse, the truck is going the other way and you have no hope of getting a license number to track down the truck.
What do you do next ???
FIRST let’s backup and see if you got your insurance quoted lately and included comprehensive coverage with a low deductible which will cover situations like this.
Now that we have that “I Told You So” out of the way, here is what to do next… Calmly pull over to a safe spot and inspect the damage. Grab a piece of paper and write down the date, time and road where the damaged occurred, your insurance company will ask when you call them. Check to see if there is any glass missing from the windshield or any pieces that may fall off the vehicle while driving back to your house, work or wherever you are going. Once you determine it’s safe to drive, drive to your destination and get planning on how you will get your windshield fixed.
Most areas have a windshield repair shop which will come to your home or place of work to fix your windshield. This is very convenient, but you must have nice weather or a garage to have the work completed. The process of windshield repair takes only about 30 minutes and typically costs $150 - $300 depending on the vehicle.
16 August 2007 01:02
You’re talking about windshield replacement. Windshield repair means to repair existing damage like a rock chip or crack so that you don’t have to replace the entire windshield. This costs much less than replacing.
Whatever, you’re trying to sell insurance anyway.
04 September 2007 16:16
Phoenix Auto Glass Repair:
WINDSHIELD REPAIR VS REPLACEMENT
Auto glass is designed and manufactured for safety in case of accident; they stay intact during collision due to laminated safety auto glass (two pieces of auto glass with a layer of vinyl between). However, if weakened due to damage, it will not provide optimal protection when an accident occurs! Learn the difference between needing windshield repair and a windshield replacement!
Routine Repairs
According to a parking lot survey involving 13 major cities, the highest percentage of windshield and auto glass repairs consists of stone breaks, followed by edge cracks, then floater cracks.
Stone Breaks – See “Star” or “Bullseye” picture below.
Edge Crack – Has an impact point located within two inches of the edge of the windshield. An edge crack is never the result of a stone break because it cracks almost immediately.
Floater Crack – A stone break which can be star, combination or bullseye, that has cracked due to exposure to severe temperature changes.
A Phoenix, Arizona, parking lot reflected the following: 236 stone breaks, 15 floater cracks, 88 edge cracks and 12 vehicles with miscellaneous damage.
Crack and Chip Repair
Cracks worthy of repairing are ones that are relatively clean. If the crack is less than one month old, and has not been driven in really polluted or dirty areas, it can be repaired. Otherwise, the auto glass repair technician will balance other factors to determine if the crack repair will be worth the time and expense. Multiple single cracks may not be worth repairing, depending on your situation.
Rules of Windshield Replacement
Stress cracks – These occur naturally due to inherent uneven distribution of forces in the windshield. Typically, they have no point of impact and start from the edges. Repairing and restoring the original strength of the windshield would result in the re-formation of the crack.
If the chip or crack is larger than a dollar bill.
If you have damage to both glass layers or the inner glass layer.
In primary field of vision – Chips that are greater than a quarter in size with a center impact hole of greater than 3/16” and within 4” of another chip repair.
Your windshield has three or more long cracks - too much structural integrity has been compromised.
Breaks with visible impurities that cannot be removed – the debris may impede resin flow and complete filling of the cracks. It prevents quality auto glass repair and is visually distracting.
The optimal auto glass repair environment is under shade with luminescent light bulb overhead and windshield temperature around 72-74 degrees F, typically in a garage setting. Results are best when the chip or crack is new and clean, so don’t let those visible fractures go too long.
www.suntecautoglass.com