Did you know that the windshield of your car has a lot to do with the structural stability of the vehicle? If the windshield is cracked or broken, it can allow the roof of the car to collapse more easily during rollover accidents. Our blog will show you the role that a windshield plays in the structural stability of your vehicle and inform you of what you can and should do if you notice a crack or chip in your windshield as soon as you possibly can. You may be surprised at how easy it is for you to get these repairs made.
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Nicks And Cracks: When It's Time To Replace Your Windshield 27 October 2016
structural stability provided by the windsheild
Diagnosing A Damaged Windshield
Elias Tuomi
If your windshield cracks, shatters, or is otherwise damaged, then you might not know what to do. Is the damage severe enough to warrant a total replacement? In a situation where the windshield totally shatters, the answer is obviously yes. However, if it's just a small crack, then you might be inclined to just ignore it. On the other hand, you can also get your windshield repaired, but does that really fix all of the damage? Here is a brief overview of how to figure out the severity of your windshield damage:
Different Kinds of Broken Windshields
First of all, you should know that there are quite a few factors that determine the severity of windshield damage:
- Damage Type - chips are small, generally circular disfigurations where an object hit the windshield at high speeds. If a chip is under an inch across, then repair is feasible. A crack is a long, narrow disfiguration that can be caused by a wide variety of things, such as temperature damage or a collision. If a crack is only a couple inches long or shorter, then repair is your best bet. Finally, shattering is the total loss of windshield integrity which cannot be repaired. Heavy, fast collisions can cause shattering, but so can internal problems in the windshield, such as stress cracks.
- Depth - windshields are usually made up of three layers: a layer of safety glass that is flanked on both sides by normal glass. If the damage penetrates through an outer layer and damages the inner layer, you will probably need an entire replacement. However, if the damage is just limited to the outer layer on the exterior of your vehicle, a simple repair should suffice. Unfortunately, if the damage is located on the outer layer of glass that is on the interior of your car, you will probably need a full replacement.
- Size - as was mentioned earlier, smaller cracks and chips can almost always be repaired. If you have minor damage that is bigger than that, don't worry. Newer and newer technologies have made the repair of cracks and chips easier and easier. Even if cracks are a couple of feet long, repairs are still possible.
- Location - as was mentioned earlier, cracks on the interior of the windshield are extremely difficult to repair. So is damage that is on the very edge of the windshield, since the support of the windshield will be compromised.
- Crack Type - there are quite a few different crack patterns, but the main one that you have to watch out for is the stress crack. A stress crack occurs without any external impact and thus only affects the internal layer of the glass. This means that you cannot feel the crack if you touch the glass, but you can see it. Stress cracks are very dangerous since they can rapidly grow and obstruct your vision.
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