Windshield replacement can leave many drivers with anxiety. Cost and time both play into account when it comes to many car-owning adults. Luckily, a crack or a chip doesn’t mean that it is time for a full replacement. Small cracks can be repaired quickly and efficiently without losing the structural integrity of your windshield. How do you know if a crack or a chip needs to be repaired?
Where Is The Damage Located?
Sometimes the damage can be small enough where many people think that it doesn’t need to be fixed. Depending on if it is in the direct eye line of the driver, it can impair your vision quite a bit. When you are on the road with many other people, having even a small amount of your eyesight blocked could make a significant difference in avoiding accidents.
Another area to be aware of when it comes to cracking or chipping is the corner of the windshield. Most of the structural integrity of a vehicle comes from the windshield itself and the corners are where the windshield connects with your vehicle to form a bond of protection. If any of those points are compromised, the windshield has less area to disperse an impact and will break immediately.
How Large Is The Damage?
Many window companies have the ability to repair damage that is about the size of a quarter. Anything beyond that is typically recommended for a replacement. Luckily chips themselves are typically cosmetic damage and will not affect the structural integrity but it still will affect your line of sight if it is in the way.
A crack is something that can be repaired if it is attended to when it is very small. Once it reaches more than the width of a quarter then there can be trouble. A crack, unlike a chip, can slowly spread across the surface due to a wide variety of reasons ranging from dirt to temperature.
How Much Damage Has Occurred?
If you have a single small chip or crack then you should be ok to just get them fixed and not have to worry about them. If there are three separate ones in different places then it is time to get your windshield replaced. This is due to the structural integrity of the windshield being severely inhibited by that many cracks.
When a rock or a pebble comes off of the road and hits a windshield, the energy from that impact is dispersed among the entirety of the windshield. If there are multiple cracks in the way of the energy being dispersed all the way to the outside of the windshield then the energy has less area to travel and slow down. This results in more cracks or chips due to the windshield dampening the impact less than it should.
Is There A White Haze At The Corners Of Your Windshield?
If your windshield is older and has been exposed to the elements like windshields typically are here in Colorado, you may notice a white haze at the corners of the windshield. For safety reasons, a windshield has a small very thin layer of vinyl in between the double pane of glass. This is there to protect you in case your windshield was to fully break. The glass itself would stick to the vinyl instead of shattering and sending shards of glass towards you and your passengers. When the glass starts to separate away from the vinyl is when you tend to see this white haze around the corners. This is a clear sign that it is time for a replacement because it will not protect you in the event of a crash.
Getting A Windshield Replacement
A windshield replacement isn’t always the worst thing to have to get when you have a Denver windshield replacement shop that you know you can trust. Most insurance companies will cover your cost of replacement, all you need to do is schedule a time to do so. Contact us today and request a quote on your vehicle to receive 5% off of your quoted price!