When driving around, especially this time of year, cars are constantly kicking up debris that can cause little nicks or scratches in your windshield. As you continue to drive, these small imperfections can become significant issues in the blink of an eye. For a deeper dive on windshields, check out this article
How does this happen?
Small chips in a windshield often aren’t small for very long. Many different factors can cause a chip to become a crack in a flash. During the winter months, water droplets can find their way into cracks and freeze, putting more pressure on the windshield. Although you’re not safe in the summer either, heat often causes things to expand, including windshields, and this creates increased stress that can cause a chip to become a crack. A simple bump in the road can also strain the windshield be catastrophic for these little imperfections.
How do you fix it?
A windshield is made of three different layers. There are two layers of thick glass, with a thin layer of plastic in between them. This means that damage occurs, it usually just affects the outer layer. When the crack is small, there are some home remedies that may do the trick in the short term. However, we do not recommend these methods because they act as a bandaid rather than actually solving the issue. In smaller cases, we can deep clean any chips or cracks and then inject the area with an advanced resin that holds the windshield together. This method can extend the life of your windshield, without much time or money. If you let a chip sit until it becomes a bigger crack, it can become a much bigger issue. “Spider-web” cracks or other large cracks may not be able to be fixed with a simple resin injection, so the whole windshield would need to be replaced. This can cost a lot of money and takes more time to solve as well, so the earlier you catch these problems the better.
If you notice a chip in your windshield, bring it to us at Eustis Auto Body, and we’ll get you back on the road in no time, so you and your windshield can be stress-free.