Replacing Or Repairing A Chipped Or Cracked Windshield In Your Car
The windshield in your car is designed to be durable enough to resist some impacts with small rocks or road debris but they can be chipped or cracked if the impact is hard enough. If the damage is severe enough, you may have to replace the entire windshield but small chips and cracks can be fixed now and the technology used allows the work to be done with the windshield still in the car.
Replacing the Windshield
If you have a windshield that has been broken or has heavy damage on it, the entire glass will likely need to be replaced. The glass will need to come out of the car, the seals replaced, and the new glass installed but what used to require a trip to the automotive glass shop can now be completed in the driveway of your home or even the parking lot where you work. Mobile auto glass repair is becoming more normal than not and the process is so much faster than it used to be. The technician comes to your location and with all the tools and the glass and in many cases can replace the glass in about 30 minutes.
Filling Chips in the Glass
Chips in the glass used to be a death sentence for the windshield but many small chips are repairable now. The process uses pressure and resin to fill in the chips and create a repair that is hard to detect when the repair is complete. The cost is a lot lower than replacing the entire windshield and is being covered by some insurance companies if you have coverage for glass breakage or damage. These repairs are often done on location so you don't have to take the care into a shop and it does take very long to complete.
Fixing Cracks on the Windshield
Like fixing the chips, some cracks can be fixed now rather than requiring replacement of the glass. Cracks in the glass used to be the primary reason to replace the windshield but now a process of filling the crack with a special resin can save the glass. The resin is injected into the crack and cured with ultraviolet light. When the repair is complete, it is virtually impossible to detect where the repair is on the glass and the resin is just as strong as the original glass was.
The Cost of Repair Versus Replacement
The cost of repairing the windshield is going to be different from shop to shop so you should shop around a bit but in most cases, it will be lower than the cost of replacing the glass. Check with your insurance company to determine whether they will cover a repair or just the replacement of the glass.
For more information, talk to a professional like Econo Glass Company.
Share