When the Repair Tech Comes to You

The windshield in your vehicle is made from layered safety glass that will help reduce damage if something hits it. While the glass can crack, the windshield design often makes it possible for an auto glass repair technician to fill the crack for you. There are times when the glass is beyond repair, but there are some things you can look for that can help determine if repair is possible or not.

Location Of The Damage

The location of the damage on the glass is one of the first things that the auto glass repair shop will check. Any crack that intersects the edge of the glass is more than likely not repairable, but if the damage is a few inches from the edge and there is stable glass around it, it is often possible to repair. 

Because the repair depends on the glass around the crack to bond the resin to, any crack that runs off the edge of the glass will leave an exposed fracture point, so trying to fill it is not possible. The crack at the edge leaves the glass weak and will most likely refracture over time.

If you are dealing with a mobile auto glass repair service, they will check the glass when they arrive and let you know what needs doing before starting any work on the vehicle. 

Depth Of The Crack

The depth of the crack in the windshield can play a significant role in repairing it, and it cannot be repaired if an object strikes the glass and penetrates the polyethylene sheet between the layers. That plastic sheet between the glass layers is critical to the stability and integrity of the windshield, so if it is damaged, the auto glass repair shop will need to replace the glass. 

Mobile auto glass repair services often bring a windshield for your care when they come to make a glass repair. If the damage is too significant to fix, having the glass with them allows the tech to install a new windshield and quickly get you back on the road. 

Size Of The Crack

The size of the crack in the glass is another factor that will determine if repair is possible. Most auto glass repair services will not repair any damage over about three inches in diameter. If the crack has fractures running out from the main body, these need to fall within the repair size, and long cracks tend to continue to spread, so the sooner the repair is made, the more likely the auto glass repair tech can stop the damage from getting more significant. 

A quick way to assess the ability to repair the crack in your auto glass is to lay a dollar bill over the damaged area. If the dollar bill covers all the damage, there is a good chance that the crack is repairable, but if it does not, you may need a mobile auto glass repair service to replace the windshield. 

Contact a local auto glass repair service to learn more.