Do you have a chip or a crack in your car’s windshield? You should stop driving your vehicle immediately and have your windshield either repaired or replaced, depending on the amount of damage that was done to it.
Driving your vehicle with a chipped or cracked windshield can be incredibly dangerous. It could result in your windshield breaking more easily in the event of an accident. It could also get worse over time, even if you don’t sustain any other damage to it.
At the first sign of damage to your windshield, you should reach out to an auto glass specialist and have it taken care of right away. Here is how you should ultimately determine if you should repair or replace it.
You Should Repair Your Cracked Windshield If…
If you have a chip or crack in your windshield that can be covered by a $1 bill, then you can probably have it repaired rather than replaced.
While there are some situations in which you would want to have a windshield replaced when you have a small chip or crack (more on that later!), a repair should work just fine for small amounts of damage to your windshield.
While repairing a cracked windshield, an auto glass specialist will take a special resin and use it to fill in the chip or crack. The specialist may also drill two very tiny holes at the end of a crack to ensure that it doesn’t spread.
Typically, you can have a small chip or crack in a windshield repaired in under an hour and for less than $100. Of course, deeper chips or cracks might require more work, but in general, it shouldn’t take you much time or money to repair your windshield.
Just don’t put off doing it. Doing so could lead to the chip or crack in your windshield getting larger in a very short amount of time.
You Should Replace Your Cracked Windshield If…
Small chips and cracks will usually respond well to the special resin placed in them during the repair process. Your windshield will look like new once your auto glass specialist repairs it.
But there are some instances in which you’ll want to have your cracked windshield replaced completely rather than trying to repair it.
If you have a large chip or crack that cannot be covered by a $1 bill, that’s almost always a surefire sign that you need to replace your entire windshield.
Here are a few other signs that will tell you windshield replacement is your only option:
- The chip or crack is directly in your line of vision when you’re driving
- There are more than three chips or cracks spread out on your windshield
- The chip or crack occurred somewhere near the edge of your windshield
- There are divots located throughout your windshield
- Your windshield is simply old
You will know when to replace your windshield when you notice any of these signs. If you choose to try and repair a windshield that is in this bad of shape, the repairs won’t hold for long and you’ll eventually be forced to do windshield replacement.
Why Using a DIY Repair Kit Might Be a Bad Idea
If you’ve decided to try and repair your windshield rather than replacing it, you might be thinking about using a DIY kit to fix it.
This might sound like a great idea and a way to save a few bucks. But in actuality, you could end up doing further damage to your windshield. You might also put yourself and your passengers at risk by not fixing the root of the problem.
If you’ve used a DIY kit in the past with success, you’re more than welcome to give it a shot and try again. But if you’ve never done windshield repair, you should probably leave the job to the professionals.
Certain tasks involved with repairing a windshield, like drilling small holes to stop a crack from spreading, can be difficult for the average person to do. Without the right training and expertise, you will likely struggle to get the repair job done.
Instead of trying to repair a windshield on your own, you should call on a company like Allstar Glass Corporation for help.
Don’t Wait to Get a Broken Windshield Fixed
Whether you decide to repair your windshield or choose to replace it, you should never, ever put off making a decision. In most cases, you should have your windshield repaired or replaced the same day you notice a chip or crack in the windshield.
If you drive around with a chip or crack in your vehicle’s windshield, there are a number of things that might cause it to grow larger. It could start spreading across your windshield and getting bigger if you:
- Hit a large pothole
- Drive on a bumpy gravel road
- Make a sharp turn
- Sustain further damage to your windshield
The windshield on your vehicle is one of the most important aspects of it. It’s designed to protect you while you’re driving while allowing you to see others clearly.
Chips and cracks can prevent you from driving to the best of your ability. They can also make your vehicle appear unsightly and even bring its overall value down.
Before you spend another day driving around with a chip or crack in your windshield, you should consider having it repaired or replaced.
You will love the way that your vehicle looks when it’s done, and you will get the peace of mind that comes along with knowing your windshield is in perfect condition when you’re out on the road.
Have Your Windshield Repaired or Replaced Today
It can be difficult to decide whether to repair or replace something. It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to figure out if you should repair or replace appliances, a windshield, or something else. There is so much to consider, and you need to weigh your options carefully before making your decision.
Check out our blog to get the consumer and business resources you’ll need to make all kinds of difficult decisions throughout the course of your daily life.