Windshield Repair vs Replacement: What’s the Best Option?

December 19, 2024 at 14:03 PM EST

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Originally Posted On: https://abrilautoglassinc.com/windshield-repair-vs-replacement-whats-the-best-option/

Windshield Repair vs Replacement: What’s the Best Option?

Overview

That crack in your windshield isn’t going away. In fact, the next bump in the road could make it worse, turning a simple repair into a full replacement. In this blog, Abril Auto Glass Inc breaks down the key differences between repairs and replacements, helping you understand when each is necessary.

Highlights

Introduction

When your windshield is damaged, your vehicle’s safety is immediately compromised, whether you have a small crack, a line through the middle, or a growing chip that obstructs your view. Acting quickly with the right solution and knowing what each entails will prevent further damage and help keep your windshield intact. Damage may be unavoidable, but your next steps are in your control.

Types of Windshield Damage

When you’re driving at high speeds, rocks and debris can easily be kicked up by other vehicles, especially on highways or gravel roads. The force of these objects hitting your windshield can create small cracks that often seem minor. Windshield glass is strong, but repeated or hard impacts can make a mark.

In more severe cases, such as during a collision or when a heavy object falls onto your windshield (e.g., a branch from a storm), the impact can cause complete or partial shattering. There’s no doubt that, at this point, the only solution will be replacement.

Here are a few other types of damage and their probable causes:

Chips: Often caused by small debris like pebbles or gravel striking the glass, leaving a small, localized mark.
Star breaks: Typically result from pointed impacts, such as a sharp rock, creating a pattern that radiates outward.
Bullseye cracks: Caused by rounded objects, like hail or larger stones, leaving a circular, crater-like chip.
Edge cracks: Usually start at the edge of the windshield, caused by structural weakness or sudden pressure.
Stress cracks: Occur without impact, often due to extreme temperature changes or poor windshield installation.

Why Driving With a Cracked Windshield Is a Safety Concern

Many cracks start relatively small. Their size can give you the impression that they’re harmless or not worth addressing right away or at all. However, one concern is that since windshield glass expands and contracts from temperature fluctuations, these cracks spread.

There’s also a tendency to think that, given what feels like a low probability of more debris hitting your windshield, it’s not worth fixing a small crack. This thinking can convince you that driving with existing damage is acceptable, but each new impact increases the risk of weakening the glass further.

Finally, both dirt and minor jostling or vibrations are often enough to worsen an existing crack. If you drive over a speed bump or hit a pothole, the added pressure can cause the damage to spread so that what would be simply repairable now requires a full replacement, as the glass shatters.

Factors for Choosing Windshield Replacement or Repair

Your windshield is damaged. The question now is, would a repair or replacement best suit your situation? If the glass is gone, depressed, or partially shattered, it’s not recoverable. However, there’s still some gray area where size, location, and extent are concerned.

This is where professional expertise is important. For instance, you might not notice the small cracks radiating from the impact point, but these can compromise your entire windshield’s structural integrity, meaning what looks repairable actually requires replacement.

Here’s a look at the primary factors:

Size of damage: Small chips (typically under 3 inches) and cracks (under 6 inches) can often be repaired, while larger damage usually requires replacement.
Location of damage: Damage near the edges of the windshield or in your line of sight often necessitates replacement for safety and structural integrity.
Depth of damage: If the crack or chip penetrates multiple layers of the windshield, replacement is typically required.
Spread of damage: Cracks that are spreading or branching out over time often exceed repairable limits.
Structural integrity: Any damage that compromises the windshield’s role in supporting the roof or deploying airbags requires replacement.

Why Not All Small Windshield Chips Can Be Repaired

While size, location, depth, spread, and damage are all relevant metrics used to determine whether small windshield chips are repairable, it’s not always straightforward to simply measure the crack and make a decision. The risk of future spreading and hidden factors both come into play.

If you were to have a crack repaired that wasn’t a truly good candidate for that service, the damage can worsen because the resin may not fully bond with the larger or deeper cracks. This can leave weak points that expand under stress from, mainly, road variations and temperature fluctuations.

Consider a star-shaped chip located near the edge of your windshield. While it may fall within the typical repair limits, its position at the edge compromises the glass’s structural integrity. Or what about a chip from a heavy impact that has subtly deformed the inner layer of the laminated glass?

In both cases, the criteria and qualitative categories used to evaluate repair options fail to account for hidden risks. This is why it’s important to have a professional assess these nuances and determine whether a repair is truly viable or if replacement is the safer choice.

The Process for Windshield Glass Replacement and Repairs

The focus of windshield repairs is on filling the damaged area with a specialized resin. The resin is injected into the chip or crack, cured, and polished to restore clarity and strength. The process is often quick, often less than 30 minutes, and is designed to stop the damage from spreading.

Replacements involve removing the damaged windshield entirely. The area is cleaned, and a new windshield is fitted using strong adhesives to ensure a secure seal. This process usually takes longer, often an hour or more, and requires more time for the adhesive to fully cure.

Schedule Your Car Windshield Replacement or Repair Today

You might already know whether you need a car windshield replacement or repair. There are clear-cut cases where the decision is obvious. For those gray areas, however, a professional assessment is necessary.

Don’t wait for the damage to worsen. Schedule your repair or replacement with Abril Auto Glass Inc—call (951) 704-9151.