It happens suddenly and without warning as you drive down the highway and the car in front of you kicks up road debris with enough force to crack or chip your windshield. Sometimes the driver may not even be aware of when or how it happened, and in the end it doesn’t make a difference. The need for Windshield Glass Repair is a given.
The quicker it is addressed the better the chances for a repair versus replacing the entire windshield. Without prompt attention chips and cracks will worsen over time. Some factors that worsen cracks and chips include vibrations from driving, hitting potholes or bumps in the road. Blasting the car stereo loudly, especially the bass, and temperatures extremes. In freezing weather, cracks tend to increase in length horizontally and in hot weather cracks increase vertically.
A vehicles best chance of having its windshield restored to its original strength and reliability is to have an experienced auto glass technician at Long Horn Auto Glass evaluate the damage. A vehicle’s windshield provides nearly 30% of its structural integrity, meaning that in the event of an accident, like a rollover, the windshield protects the occupants by preventing the roof from collapsing in. A windshield must be structurally intact enough to withstand the 2,000 pounds of force behind the deployment of the passenger airbag. The passenger airbag is deflected off the windshield first and then directed to the passenger.
The process involved in Windshield Glass Repair is fairly simple and quick for the experienced technician. The technician first inspects the windshield to decide if it is repairable or needs to be replaced entirely. A general rule of thumb is that chips smaller than a quarter in size and cracks less than three inches long, roughly the width of a dollar bill, are repairable. Chips and cracks that lie directly in the driver’s line of sight are never repaired because even the best of repairs have the potential to leave distortions or discolorations that impair visibility, especially during night time driving.
If the chip or crack is repairable, the affected area is cleaned and dried and an acrylic resin is injected into the spot forming a firm bond. The resin is smoothed and cured underneath an ultraviolet light. Once the acrylic is set the area is buffed and polished, virtually eliminating any signs of damage getting the driver back in business in no time. You can also connect with them on Facebook.
