Guide to Windshield Glass Repair Methods

If you’re a Tucson, Arizona-area driver who cares about the condition of your vehicle, you already understand why maintenance and repair work matters. However, your car’s needs don’t stop with the occasional oil change and tune-up. You’ll also want to take care of auto components you might not usually take into consideration—including your vehicle’s windshield.

When your windshield gets chipped or cracked, you shouldn’t ignore this situation. Instead, you’ll need to visit your local auto glass shop, where qualified technicians will use one of many different repair techniques to get your auto glass back in shape. In this article, you’ll find an in-depth explanation of these windshield repair methods, tips on finding a business you can count on to handle this work, and much more.

The Importance of Car Windshields

Your vehicle’s windshield is meant to disappear. If your auto glass hasn’t developed any problems, you shouldn’t have any reason to think about this component instead of looking at the road in front of you. Of course, that doesn’t mean your windshield isn’t necessary—this pane of glass is a truly essential part of any modern motor vehicle.

Without the protection provided by your windshield, you and your passengers would have to deal with the threat of foreign objects such as dust and pebbles while driving. This is the most obvious role windshields play in vehicles, but their usefulness doesn’t stop there. They also uphold cars’ structural integrity, lowering the risk that their roofs will cave in after a crash.

But in order to keep you safe while driving, your windshield must always be in good condition. Even a seemingly slight chip or crack could be enough to weaken this pane of glass, preventing it from functioning at the level you’d expect.

What Causes Auto Glass Damage?

Unfortunately, even the most careful drivers in Tucson can find themselves dealing with unexpected windshield damage. These are just a few of the many factors that could potentially result in a broken windshield:

Car Accidents

A collision can do a number on many different components in your vehicle—and that certainly includes its windshield. Still, you may be surprised to learn that your windshield can get damaged even if it is not directly hit in a car accident. In fact, just running into a stationary object could spell trouble for your auto glass.

Debris

Though your windshield is responsible for keeping free-flying debris like gravel and rocks out of your cabin, these materials could easily damage this pane of glass. Relatively large debris may cause immediate problems for your windshield, but continued exposure to small debris can also lead to issues.

The Elements

Due to El Paso’s desert climate, residents and their vehicles must be ready for hot days and cool nights. Unfortunately, sudden temperature changes are a leading contributor to the formation of stress cracks, and the same is true of exposure to UV rays. Along with these issues, falling tree branches are another “natural” cause of windshield damage.

Construction Vehicles

Construction vehicles often have signage reading “CONSTRUCTION VEHICLE: DO NOT FOLLOW.” There’s a good reason for that—many of these vehicles carry rocks and other materials that could seriously damage your windshield. Even if a construction vehicle does not have this signage on display, it’s wise to keep your distance just in case.

Installation Problems

Not all auto glass shops are capable of installing windshields with the level of care you deserve. If your vehicle was pre-owned, its windshield may have been improperly replaced by a less-than-trustworthy business. Of course, windshields that have not been installed correctly have a significantly higher risk of failure.

Understanding Different Types of Windshield Damage

Now that you’ve had a chance to learn about the most common causes of windshield damage, it’s time to shift gears and look at the various types of windshield damage your auto glass can sustain. Chips, cracks, and other forms of auto glass damage fall into two distinct categories:

Impact-Related Damage

A qualified auto glass shop can help if your windshield has sustained one of these types of impact-related damage:

• Bullseye chips. Bullseye chip damage is shaped like a ring surrounding a small dark spot. In most cases, skilled auto glass technicians can easily fix these chips.
• Half-moon chips. Also known as “partial bullseye chips,” half-moon cracks closely resemble the previous type of auto glass damage. However, they have a half-circle instead of a full circle at their center.
• Star cracks. A star crack consists of a central point of impact surrounded by lines going in multiple directions, creating a star-like shape. If left unchecked, this type of auto glass damage can quickly weaken your vehicle’s windshield.

Non-Impact Damage

As you know, auto glass damage isn’t always the result of something hitting your windshield. With that in mind, keep an eye out for non-impact damage like:

• Stress cracks. Commonly seen on older windshields, stress cracks are caused by years of strain. These cracks cannot be safely repaired, making windshield replacement a must.
• Long cracks. A long crack is any crack greater than 15 cm in length. These cracks are notoriously difficult to repair—even for skilled auto glass technicians.
• Edge cracks. If you have a crack that starts at the edge of your windshield, you’re dealing with an edge crack. This type of damage occurs when the sides of your windshield experience intense pressure (which can easily happen if this component was not installed correctly).
• Combination cracks. As its name implies, a combination crack is a mixture of two different types of auto glass damage—for example, a star crack and a long crack. In many cases, combination cracks necessitate windshield replacement.

Know The Windshield Repair Method You Need

Auto glass damage isn’t something you can safely ignore, even if your windshield “only” has a tiny chip. That type of damage may not seem like a big deal at first, but it could grow into a much larger crack before you know it. At that point, you may not be able to get away with a simple windshield repair—instead, you might need to invest in a full-scale windshield replacement.

To keep your windshield damage from expanding, you’ll have to set up auto glass repair as soon as you notice this issue. Depending on your windshield’s condition, you’ll need one of the following services:

Windshield Crack Repair

When you schedule a service appointment for a windshield crack, your auto glass shop may use one of two techniques to resolve this situation:

• Resin injection focuses on injecting liquid resin into your auto glass crack and letting it harden. When it does, the damaged area will be filled with solid resin, keeping your crack from getting any larger and reinforcing your windshield’s integrity. Generally speaking, qualified specialists can complete this process in 30 minutes or so.
• Vacuum injection also involves the use of resin to repair windshield cracks. However, this technique differs from “standard” resin injection in a few ways (most notably, the fact that it uses a tool designed to create a vacuum around a crack). Once a vacuum has been established, a liquid resin will flow into the crack and solidify.

Windshield Chip Repair

Has your windshield received damage in the form of a chip? If so, you should know that the chip repair process is extremely similar to the process of repairing cracks. That means it shouldn’t take more than half an hour to repair your chipped windshield.

Windshield Replacement

Though it isn’t technically a type of windshield “repair,” there are situations where windshield replacement is the only way to ensure your car has a usable windshield. As you might expect, this service is all about removing your existing windshield (possibly with the use of suction cups) and replacing it with a new pane of glass.

Windshield replacement takes longer and costs more than any type of windshield repair. Additionally, this task needs to be handled by skilled professionals who have access to high-quality OEM and OEE replacement windshields.

Windshield Polishing

On the other hand, not all windshield damage calls for a full repair or replacement. If your windshield has accumulated a few scratches over the years but is otherwise fine, you may be able to get it looking just like new with the help of windshield polishing.

While providing this service, auto glass technicians put a specialized polishing compound on the damaged area of your windshield. Then, they’ll buff it out, removing any defects in the process. If you get this service taken care of by skilled professionals, they may be able to complete their work in as little as 15 minutes.

Since it is far simpler than windshield replacement or repair, windshield polishing is one of the most affordable forms of windshield maintenance out there. However, it isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution—this is only meant to fix the most minor types of auto glass damage. Along with that, windshield polishing does not provide the durability benefits associated with other repair techniques.

Can Your Auto Glass Damage Be Fixed?

Because windshield repair costs less and can be completed more quickly than windshield replacement, it’s not hard to understand why Tucson residents would prefer to get the former service. Of course, that isn’t always an option—certain types of auto glass damage can render a windshield unfixable.

If you’re dealing with any form of auto glass damage, your first step should be to contact a reliable auto glass shop for service. While considering what type of attention your windshield needs, the technicians working there will look at factors like:

• The size/depth of your damaged area. If your windshield has a crack no more than 14 inches long or a chip with a diameter of an inch or less, you may be able to get windshield repair work. Sadly, that won’t be possible if your chip/crack is more significant than that or has reached your windshield’s vinyl/inner glass layer.
• The type of damage your windshield has. Bullseye chips aren’t usually hard to fix for the average auto glass shop, but other forms of damage can be much trickier to repair.
• The location of your damage. Even if your damage seems like it should be easy to fix, your windshield will probably need to be replaced if its damaged area is directly in the driver’s line of sight.

The Pros and Cons of Windshield Patching

If you’re dealing with small-scale windshield damage, you might think scheduling windshield repair to resolve this situation is overkill. Instead, you might be tempted to purchase a DIY repair kit and apply a patch to your windshield. But while this may seem like a simple, cost-effective way to set things right, that isn’t actually the case.

The fact is, most professional auto glass shops don’t use patches to fix broken windshields. This treatment can keep your auto glass damage from spreading further, but it won’t remove damage from your windshield or restore its overall strength. As if that wasn’t enough, a poorly-applied patch could worsen your existing windshield damage.

Thus, even though you may be able to effectively use patches as a temporary solution for minor windshield damage, you shouldn’t use this method as an alternative to full-fledged windshield repair. By investing in professional auto glass repair work, you’ll have a chance to resolve your windshield damage before it gets to the point where you’ll need a new windshield—helping you save money in the long run.

Choose Tucson’s Best Shop for Windshield Repair

Tucson residents deserve the best from their auto glass shop of choice, but not every shop can provide this level of quality. When you’re looking for a Tucson-area business to handle your next windshield repair, consider factors such as:

• Certified technicians. The most qualified technicians in the auto glass field have certification from both the Auto Glass Safety CouncilTM and Dow.
• Experience with insurance. When your auto glass shop is a preferred insurance provider that can work with your insurance, you shouldn’t have to worry about the cost of your auto glass repair or replacement work.
• Mobile service. Instead of forcing you to take time out of your day for windshield repair, Tucson’s best auto glass shops will provide mobile service at no extra cost.
• Ways to save. If you’re dreading the cost of auto glass repair, make sure your auto glass shop can help you afford this service by providing financing options and promotions.

If you’re looking for all of these benefits and more, look no further than Max Auto Glass. As a division of BRAKEmax Tire & Service Centers, you can get our auto glass services at any BRAKEmax location or save time by setting up free mobile service at your residence or workplace. Get started by requesting a quote for windshield repair today!