One of the most common and most dangerous mistakes made by drivers every day is leaving a cracked windshield be. You are driving down the highway and a piece of gravel or a rock flies up from underneath an 18-wheelers wheel and hits your windshield at high speeds, leaving a small crack behind. It is just a small crack, so you let it be.
The problem here is that small cracks don’t stay small, they grow. With extreme temperatures, hot or cold, with impact such as a pothole or sharp turn, just with time itself, they will turn from a small chip or crack to a medium crack to a bigger crack, to your entire windshield needing to be replaced. Regardless of how the crack occurred, if it can be repaired.
Repairing and Replacing a Windshield
Although frustrating, the good news is that small chips and cracks can generally be quite easily repaired and it usually isn’t too expensive. However, if you let it be and wait until the chip or crack expands (which it will), it can lead to you needing to replace the entire windshield, which won’t be so inexpensive.
While having the crack or chip repaired to save you money and time in the long run is important, the other extremely important reason to not let a crack be is for the safety of you and others on the road. Having a chip or crack in the windshield can impair your vision of the road and be potentially hazardous for you, your passengers, and fellow drivers around you.
If the chip is directly in front of the driver’s view, or if there are multiple chips, or if the damage is around the edges of the windshield, it is strongly suggested that one completely replace the windshield instead of opting for a repair. Your windshield will also need to be replaced if the crack is over a certain size.
How a repair works
If your windshield is repairable, it is actually a pretty simple process. A special resin is injected into the chip or cracked area that “heals” the glass and forms a bond to retain its strength. If there is a crack in the windshield, occasionally holes must be drilled at each end in order to prevent the crack from spreading and growing.
What you should do next?
The main point to take away is that if you have a small chip or crack, you want to have it taken in for a windshield repair in McKinney immediately. It will save you money, time, and effort in the long run as well as ensure your safety and those around you. It only takes a small bump or sharp turn for a crack to go, so waiting even a day can change your windshield’s fate.
Nortex Lube & Tune is trusted car shop in McKinney that puts your safety and satisfaction first. Keeping your car maintained means retaining its value as well as keeping you and your loved ones safe on the road. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.