Residential Glass Tips and Maintenance

If you've ever had a windshield chip or crack and had to measure it before the auto glass repair shop would do anything, there's a good reason. The limits you hear about, such as not repairing chips larger than a quarter, stem from the need to ensure the glass will be safe to use in a car traveling at high speeds and encountering strong forces. It also arises from the need to ensure you still have an unobstructed view after the repairs are done. Repairs on larger cracks might technically be possible, but that does not mean they're advisable. Repairs on smaller cracks, though, are extremely helpful.

Repaired Chips Can Still Be Visible

Remember that repaired chips can still be visible after the work is done. The chip and crack are filled in to make the area solid again, but the glass isn't miraculously melted into one clear panel. A large crack, even off to the side and not in your direct view, can be distracting and divert your attention. And "off to the side" doesn't mean right at the margins; it could be close enough to your line of sight that a truly big repair would be ever-present as you tried to look past it. Smaller areas of repair are easier to ignore, and even if they are close to your line of sight, you generally don't get distracted by them, and they don't really block the view if you do look through the area of the glass where the repair is. Small repairs, even if the original chip or crack is still somewhat visible, are a lot safer to drive with.

The Glass May Be More Weak Than Is Safe

Your car experiences some high-pressure situations like going through automatic car washes where very high-pressure water is sprayed at the car. If the glass is too close to the nozzle spraying the water, the pressure could be too great. There's a chance that a very large area of prior damage could have weakened the glass to the point where even the spray can damage the glass. This isn't an issue with small repairs because the glass around the repair site is still strong and the repaired portion is tiny in comparison. You still wouldn't want to place a pressure washer nozzle right at the site of the repairs, but you could take your car to a regular car wash with ease.

The Chances of More Damage Are Higher With Large Repairs

One of the reasons you want to get windshield damage repaired as soon as possible is that the jolts from the road — even if your car has great suspension — can wrench the glass in such a way that the damage grows larger. Repairs over a small area do very well in this regard; they prevent the edges of the crack from traveling anymore. Larger areas, though, would end up being weak enough that the repair could be overwhelmed by those jostling forces. Repair shops don't want to take that chance and will limit actual repairs (as opposed to replacement) to smaller areas of damage.

If you need an auto glass repair, call a local repair shop, like All State Auto Glass.