CAN YOU REPAIR YOUR WINDSHIELD MULTIPLE TIMES?

You can repair your windshield multiple times due to damage or cracks, but the structural integrity of your windshield may be affected making a total replacement your only option. It is best to seek the advice of experts when deciding whether you can attempt to fix multiple cracks at once, or if you should wait and do it over time. You may wonder if it is okay to repair a crack on a windshield that has had a repair done just a month prior. The experts at Scarborough auto glass companies can help you to decide what approach to take would in for your particular case. The structure and clarity of your vehicle’s auto glass is extremely important to the safety of you and your passengers. For safety’s sake it is best to avoid taking chances and risks by only doing repairs if your windshield really calls for a replacement. That being said, many auto glass shops will offer discounts for multiple chips and cracks. You can often get them all fixed at the same time. The only time it might be hard to get multiple chips or cracks replaced is if they are in the direct line of sight of the driver. In this case, having multiple cracks or chips repaired could cause your visibility to be affected. Whether or not you can repair multiple cracks or chips depends on its location. It is best to speak with your auto glass shop to confirm if you can indeed fix multiple cracks or chips at once or, if it is too risky. Another factor to consider when determining if multiple cracks and chips can be replaced is the size of the cracks/chips themselves. If they are smaller than a quarter, you can likely repair them all without altering the integrity of the auto glass too much. Keep in mind that there are certain kinds of damage that cannot be repaired at all and will require a full windshield replacement. This includes damage on the inside of the windshield, deep damage on both layers of glass, damage over the rain sensor or radio antenna, damages that are within the driver’s critical viewing area, complex multiple cracks, very long cracks, and edge cracks and chips. All of these are cases where a windshield replacement is likely to be your only viable option. Again, the best thing you can do when you are uncertain is to check with an auto glass repair technician to get their professional opinion. They are trained to know glass well, and will be able to determine with relative ease whether or not damage can be repaired. When pondering whether or not to do multiple repairs to your windshield you should consider the same questions you would for a single crack or chip. Does the crack or chip interfere with my vision while driving? Can dirt gather in the windshield chip? How long is the crack? Can I hear wind through the crack? Is the windshield leaking? Are the windshield wipers being affected by the crack in any way? These are very important questions to ask and can help you to determine whether or not you might be able to get away with just repairing the cracks or if you need a replacement. The bottom line is that you should always check with your Scarborough auto glass shop if you are uncertain about which course of action to take. The best thing you can do when you get cracks or a chip is to act fast. The longer you wait the harder it will be to just do a repair job. You may find that by waiting you will now need a replacement instead. There are various types of cracks and chips and by knowing the different types you may be able to better understand if you can repair them. A bull’s eye is damage to the glass that is circular but it is larger than a chip. A chip is damage that causes a small piece of glass to be removed from the windshield. A combination break is when there are multiple types of breaks in your windshield such as a chip with cracks running out from it. A crack chip is a single crack that can be covered with a quarter. Ding is another term used by the general population to describe a chip. An edge crack is a crack that starts within 2” of the edge of the windshield or reaches the edge of the windshield. A floater crack is one that starts in the middle of the windshield. A half moon is damage that is similar to the bull’s eye but not completely circular. A long crack is usually referring to a crack that is longer than 6” long. Partial bull’s eye is another term for a half moon crack. A pit is an area where a small piece of glass is completely missing. A star break is when there are short cracks coming off the point of impact and it resembles a star. A stone break is any damage that is caused by a stone that could easily turn into a crack over time. A stress crack is another type of crack. This type of crack isn’t caused by impact but usually by temperature differences. For example, if your car becomes overheated in the sun and you blast the A/C or wash it with very cold water it could cause a stress crack. It can also work in the case of your windshield being too cold and exposed to high heat at a rapid pace. It is a good idea to know about these different types of cracks and chips so that you can easily tell your service technician over the phone what type of crack or chip they will be dealing with. It may help them to provide you with important information concerning your windshield. They may be able to determine if a repair job is possible just by knowing the type of crack or chip it is. Your Scarborough auto glass experts will be able to assist you when it comes to deciding whether you can replace multiple cracks or not. It is sometimes possible depending on the location and severity of the cracks. You should always keep your safety in mind when deciding if you should repair multiple cracks or chips. If you are sure that the chips and cracks being repaired will alter the integrity of your auto glass too much then you are better off replacing it. If the multiple cracks are in your direct line of sight they are also likely not worth being repaired. It is best to not sacrifice your safety to save a few bucks. You will end up spending more money in the long run if you end up getting further damage done to your windshield simply because you didn’t take the steps to repair it properly. If you are uncertain if your windshield should be repaired again because it was just repaired recently then talk to your auto glass professionals. Let them know about the history of your vehicle’s repairs and the type of crack or chip that was previously in the windshield. The more information they have from you the better the advice they can give.