If you’ve ever owned a car or truck, there is a good chance you have sustained a small crack in the windshield at some point. Windshield cracks can occur when any airborne object of some substance collides with the windshield. This can happen while the vehicle is in use or when the car or truck is parked. Fortunately, you do have a couple of options when it comes to windshield repair. You may be able to fix it yourself, but larger cracks need to be repaired by a professional.
Your first option with windshield crack repair is to seal the crack yourself. This is a viable option if the crack is very small, perhaps no more than an inch or two (around 2.54 to 5.08 cm) in length. You can get everything you need from a local automotive repair store. There are even small kits that are designed for this type of simple windshield repair jobs. Tell the sales associate “I have a crack in my windshield,” and he or she can direct you to the kits that are in stock. Look over each kit carefully, as some require mixing compounds and also give very specific instructions in how to apply the sealing compound.
Car Windshield Cracks
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- Any crack that is at or very near the windshield’s edge, or any chip at or near the edge that has caused the windshield to start cracking, attenuates the strength and integrity of the windshield and its bonding to the surrounding metal frame, which in turn compromises passenger safety.
- I was always told that if the crack is smaller than a dollar bill, it can be fixed; if it's larger, the windshield probably needs to be replaced. I had a long crack across the windshield of my car, and called a repair place that came out to my house to fix it.
Furthermore, a cracked windshield can shatter anytime due to factors such temperature fluctuations, an object striking the glass, or the entrance of dirt in the crack. But even if the glass ends up shattering, the possibility of it collapsing onto your hood or into your vehicle is highly improbable. In addition to detracting from the appearance of your vehicle, a cracked windshield make can also reduce your visibility. While many people think that a small crack is a minor issue and ignore it for days or even weeks, the imperfection can spread quickly and make your car unsafe to drive. Stress Crack – A crack that occurs without anything hitting the windshield, typically due to a large variation in the temperature. One situation that might cause stress cracks is when a car becomes overheated from sitting in the sun, and then the air conditioner is turned on high or the car is washed with very cold water.
Windshield damage is never expected and rarely convenient. Sometimes a full windshield replacement is the only answer. But at Safelite, if a chip or crack is six inches or smaller, a quick repair may be all you need. Our trained windshield repair experts service over a million windshields a year on all types of vehicles.