Can My Windshield Be Repaired or Does It Need Replacing?

Hey folks! This is John from Freedom Auto Glass LLC.

Welcome to another Q&A session where I answer questions from you all on the internet.

Today's question is:

"Can My Windshield Be Repaired or Does It Need Replacing?"

Summary:

John explains that whether a windshield can be repaired depends on the location and size of the damage. If a crack reaches all the way to the edge of the windshield, it cannot be repaired, because the repair machine relies on creating a vacuum and the resin will simply escape out the side near the edge. Size is also a factor: damage larger than about a fifty-cent piece can technically be repaired but won't look good, and if it sits in the driver's line of sight, the imperfection becomes a hazard. He stresses that every rock chip is unique and must be assessed case by case. Once damage exceeds roughly a fifty-cent piece, he generally recommends replacement, since the glass is structurally compromised at that point.

Answer:

That's a great question, because our world is kind of weird — almost nobody really does glass, so people don't know the answer. Here's the deal: if the chip is cracked on the edge and it runs all the way through to the edge of the windshield, there's no way to repair it. The repair machine works by creating a vacuum, and if the crack reaches the edge, it can't hold that vacuum — the resin just squirts right out the side and it can't do its job. Size matters too. If the damage is bigger than about a fifty-cent piece, you can technically still repair it, but it's not going to look great. And if it's sitting right in your line of sight, that imperfection becomes a hazard. Every rock chip is different — they're truly case by case, no two are the same. So once you get larger than about a fifty-cent piece, I usually recommend replacing it, because at that point it's structurally flawed and that's a lot of resin to be filling in.