Auto Glass Repair

There are common patterns and terminologies for the various different types of cracks and chips a car's windshield will encounter.

• The "Bull's Eye" - It is a circular- shaped chip with an indent in the very center.
• The "Half Bull's Eye" or "Half Moon" looks just like it sounds.
• A "Star" looks like multiple cracks extending out in different directions which all originate from one common center point.
• A "Combination" is generally referring to a cross between a Bull's Eye and a Star.
• The "Bee's Wing" is shaped like a "V", which might vaguely resemble a bee's wing set paused in the upward stroke.

The color matters when you are considering getting the crack or chip fixed. If the crack is black or silver, it is important to get it fixed as soon as possible. If however the knick is totally white you do not actually need to get it fixed as it has not pierced through the first glass layer to the PBV inner layer. The integrity of the window is still intact.

Bumps and jolts to a windshield as well as adverse weather can cause cracks to quickly spread.

In cold weather the chips and cracks are more likely to extend in a horizontal direction due to the way the glass is affected by the cold. The Motor Industry Research Association (MIRA) did a study that indicates a 60% increase in the likelihood of a crack spreading at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. When the temperature was lowered to 14 degrees, the likelihood increased to 80%. Another factor is the temperature variation between the cold air on the outside of the glass in contrast to the heated air on the inside. These directly adjacent variants in temperature can not only extend existent cracks but create new ones.

Warm weather can also cause cracks to spread. While it is not likely for the temperature to reach quite the same heat extremes to be as much of a concern by itself it can still be a problem. If the air conditioning unit is running the temperature variation it would present the same circumstances to create cracks and lengthen existing ones.

Simply driving the car around will also present an environment that could potentially cause existent cracks to reach farther across the glass. The extra force exerted by vibrations and bumps will put pressure on the slight instability of the crack causing it to spread. Even the force of the wind at a fast enough speed can cause cracks to spread.

Expedience is the fastest way to a solution

Chips and cracks can only be fixed under a certain set of conditions. If the chip occurs directly in the line of sight of the driver, most repair services will not repair it. Generally, a chip also has to be smaller than a 50 cent piece to be able to get it repaired. Also, if a crack is longer than about six inches the more companies will refuse to repair it. If the crack has been exposed for a considerable amount of time there is a higher likelihood that the plastic-like layer inside your windshield has been damaged and, again, you will be refused service. Most of the time waiting to get windshield chips or cracks fixed will only make things worse. If you do not want to end up replacing the whole windshield, fix it sooner rather than later.

Now that you know more about what circumstances can cause a chip or a crack in a windshield, you should be better prepared to prevent them from happening. They are not altogether avoidable however, so if your windshield inadvertently finds itself the victim of an arbitrary highway missile or other such scenario, you now are also equipped to deal with such a calamity in a manner that prevents it from becoming full on disaster.

Knowing how cracks and chips on your windshield occur will help you determine if the damage is repairable or not and what process is needed for the repair.