How experts repair windshields

Everyone has a handyman in them, do it yourself repairs give you that sense of confidence and achievement. That being said, the outcome is never really as good as a pro. Trained experts know little secrets and tricks that make all the difference in the world. The same applies to the auto glass repair industry and according to Whitby auto glass, professionals differentiate windshield repair into three basic categories:

• Star Chips
• Resurfacing
• Basic Cracks

The basics to the repair remain the same, but professionals use their years of industry experience to make the final result impeccable.

Basic Cracks: These are the long, snaky cracks that are so deadly to the windshield. There are two ways of repairing the crack; the bulls eye method and the flex method. Whitby Auto Glass experts actually recommend the bulls eye method. The tip of the crack is drilled, to pop a bulls eye. This then creates miniature fractures in different directions which stops the crack from spreading. A probe is used to hammer a loop around the bulls eye to prevent those minute cracks from creating an issue. The bridge is placed over the bulls eye and the injection of the resin begins. The rest of the crack is repaired using an injector which is removed from the bridge.

The second method is the flex, this may be a two man job, depending on the crack. A small amount of pressure is applied from the inside of the car to the crack, pushing the crack outwards. This makes it easier for the resin it get a stronger foothold inside the cracked area. 

Resurfacing: Sometimes the windshield may not have deep cracks or chips but rather small dents and nicks. Resurfacing is the process of repairing those little nicks to make sure they do not develop into something more troublesome in the future. The first step is to use a drill on the little pit on top of the windshield, and the second step involves pouring a bit of regular resin into the dent. This resin is known as the primer, it is a prerequisite to applying the pit resin. The final step is to cover the dent with a cellophane patch. The process of resurfacing is done when a windshield is covered in small damaged areas. 

Star Chips:  Star chips or breaks are typically deep chips with small cracks that spread out in different directions. It is one of the most common types of chips seen on windshields. A drill is taken to the centre of the break and using a probe the resulting bulls eye is looped. The next step is the same as in any windshield repair; simply take the bridge and injector to apply resin to the break. 

This is how experts deal with basic windshield repairs, one very important thing to note is that the popping and looping of the bulls eye should only be done by professionals. If you do not have experience dealing with windshields and different types of damage, you may accidentally drill into the polyvinyl layer of the windshield. If that happens, you will end up with a much bigger and more expensive problem on your hands, and you may need to call your car insurance company.