Why You Shouldn't Delay Getting That Rock Chip In Your Windshield Repaired
You're driving home and the car in front of you throws a rock up onto your windshield. You hear it hit the glass and see a tiny chip in your windshield. It's out of the way of your line of sight so you forget about it. This is exactly what you shouldn't do. Failure to get that little chip repaired can easily result in a huge crack across the entire windshield. Here is how that tiny rock chip can become such a big problem and how a window repair services shop can fix the problem.
How Safety Glass Works
The glass originally used in windshields simply shattered into sharp pieces when broken. This was hazardous to early automobile drivers. Safety glass was invented to prevent injury to the driver and passengers. It is made by bonding two pieces of glass together with a plastic film. When the windshield made of safety glass breaks, the plastic holds the fragments in place. You get the characteristic spider web pattern seen in broken safety glass.
When a rock creates a chip in the surface, only one of the pieces of glass breaks. This creates a stress point on the windshield. The vibrations created by driving along with the temperature changes inside and outside of the car put more stress on that point. The stress can start a crack in the glass at the impact point and make its way across the windshield. This can happen quickly. You can get a rock chip on the way to work and come out to the parking lot at the end of the day and find the windshield cracked.
When this will happen is unpredictable, though. You could drive the car for years without the crack developing. This makes it easier to forget to have the chip repaired until you're surprised some morning by a cracked windshield. Luckily, having a rock chip repaired is quick and easy.
The Rock Chip Repair Process
You can get the repair done on your way to or from work, or on your lunch hour. Some insurance companies waive the deductible and pay for a rock chip repair. This saves them from having to replace the entire windshield later when it does crack. The repair process is quick and, when done by professional auto glass technicians, the result is barely noticeable.
- All dirt and glass pieces are cleaned out of the chip.
- A clear resin is forced into the hole and any cracks that have started from the impact point.
- The resin is polished so it is level with the surrounding glass. This is so your windshield wipers don't drag on the patch.
- When the resin dries, it is as clear as the rest of the windshield glass making it unnoticeable.
The process only takes a few minutes, and your windshield will be protected from a potential crack developing at the rock chip. For more information, contact Ming Auto Beauty Center or a similar location.