There are all sorts of events that can damage a car windshield. Some, like a poorly aimed ball from a neighborhood kid or a piece of gravel that hits the glass on a busy road, are fairly innocuous, albeit unfortunate. Others, like vandalism or a fender bender, can often be more serious and dangerous. Whatever the cause or the severity, a damaged windshield is nothing to be trifled with. When it comes to broken, chipped, or cracked automotive glass, it's important to get a professional on the job so that he or she can determine the appropriate course of action and complete a windshield replacement or repair as needed. That way, you can get back on the road with confidence as soon as possible.
Incurring damage to your windshield is unfortunate, but the good news is that a total replacement job isn't always necessary. Auto glass professionals can often perform windshield repairs, especially if the damage to your glass is small and contained. This type of repair works best for small chips or cracks to the glass. To complete the repair, an auto glass professional will clean the area so that the surface is prepped and ready, then apply an epoxy resin that will fill in the chip or crack in question. This resin creates a bond between the parts that were broken as well as filling in any gaps. When it sets and dries, though, this material is clear and smooth, and so becomes an almost invisible part of the whole glass's surface. It's extremely important to call an auto glass repair expert and get this type of repair done if you have any damage to your windshield. You need to fix even the smallest nicks as soon as possible so that they don't have a chance to expand and get worse, possibly requiring total windshield replacement.
Getting a full replacement windshield is obviously a different procedure from getting your windshield repaired. If the damage to your windshield is either too severe or is in a location where a repair won't be a viable long-term solution, your auto glass pro will wholly replace your existing glass with a new piece. This can feel like a daunting prospect, especially in terms of cost, and it might be tempting to simply live with the damage to your windshield if it's still mostly intact. However, this is a poor course of action for many reasons. First of all, a damaged windshield makes your car exponentially more vulnerable to both the elements and to vandalism and other crime. Secondly, damaged windshield glass can impede your visibility and creates risk for further damage to your car and injury to vehicle occupants if you were to get into an accident. With modern techniques and tools, replacing your windshield glass does not have to be a huge ordeal. Your local auto glass expert can remove the old glass and install the new in a very short time. Before work starts, make sure that the replacement glass is the correct type. Most reputable auto glass pros will offer OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) glass that will exactly match the make and model of your car. Once the replacement is complete, you'll be ready to get back on the road behind the wheel of a safe and secure vehicle.
If you have a damaged windshield, call your local auto glass professional as soon as possible so that you can get the appropriate type of work done. These experts can perform windshield replacements or repairs quickly and efficiently so that you can once again have a fully functioning vehicle.