More than likely every single driver has experienced a chipped or cracked windshield at some point in their driving history. Dirt roads kicking up rocks, dump trucks or vehicles hauling debris, random items flying around and skipping along the highway, a hail storm, your kid’s baseball…the possibilities of a damaged windshield are endless.
Instead of automatically bringing your vehicle to a repair shop and spending loads of extra and unnecessary funds, learn about what chip or crack you can fix yourself or repair on the cheap or when you need to call the professionals.
Carwindshields.info state that whether or not you’ll be able to repair a damaged windshield depends on a few things: the size, type, depth, and the location of the damage.
Size is sometimes important. According to their experience:
Any shop should be able to repair chips of about one-inch diameter and cracks about three inches long. Traditionally, any crack larger than a dollar bill could not be repaired, so size was a very important factor in making the determination.”
They do state that as automotive technology continues to grow, auto body repair shops are more and more able to fix larger and more complicated cracks.
It is important to remember that a small chip can turn into a large crack later, especially in poor weather. You can fix a small chip or crack with a DIY repair kit such as this one from Amazon, but only if it is quarter-sized or less.
The experts at Carwindshield.info also give information on certain types of chips and cracks:
Star Break (short radial cracks coming off of the impact point), Bulls-Eye (circular damaged caused by circular object) or Partial Bulls-Eye (aka Half Moon, also caused by circular object, damage is not completely circular), Crack Chip (single crack size of a quarter), Ding (same as Crack Chip), or Pit (small piece of glass missing) can be easily repaired.
Lastly, location is key. There are certain areas on your windshield that when chipped or cracked, it can easily be repaired instead of fully replaced…but then there are also areas in which you’ll unfortunately need a full windshield replacement.
Their site lists types of damages that usually cannot be repaired (and a replacement must occur), which is extremely useful to know; this will help you to determine if you need a professional involved.
- on inside of the windshield
- deep damage on both layers of glass
- damage over rain sensor, internal radio antenna
- damages that reach into the driver’s critical viewing area
- complex multiple cracks
- very long cracks (i.e. over 18 inches long)
- contaminated cracks
- edge cracks and chips
If you are unsure if you should attempt to repair a chip or small crack yourself, there is no harm in stopping by an auto body repair shop and getting some in-person advice. If they are honest, they should be able to provide you with DIY tips and tricks and if the windshield legitimately needs to be repaired or replaced by an expert, then they will be able to help you in that instance as well.
Contact Downtown Autobody for any windshield repair recommendations and know that you can also trust them with all of your paint or body repair needs!
