Three Types Of Windshield Damage You Should Get Repaired At A Professional Auto Glass Shop

If the idea of windshield damage doesn't already make you automatically think "repair shop time!" then you may be laboring under a misapprehension or two concerning auto glass repair. If you think using a repair kit at home would make a DIY project, it's probably best to restrict that experiment to times when windshield damage is no more severe than a superficial scratch. Here's why you should take these other three types of damage to an auto shop that specializes in glass repair.

1. Chips

When your windshield has sustained a chip that includes actually having some of the glass missing, the pit will have to be filled with a hard, viscous type of resin. This type of resin isn't available in DIY kits. They do have a type of resin and may claim that it's able to fill windshield chips, but best chip-filling results will be obtained with the types of resin found at auto shops. The auto shop has, in fact, a bunch of different thicknesses of resin and will choose the most suitable one based on the type of chip, the weather, the depth of the damage, and so on.  

2. Cracks

Whether your crack is just a few inches long or goes most of the way across the windshield, it's unlikely that you'll be able to stop its progress yourself. Even if you do find a method of DIY repair and employ it, your amateur repair is less likely to take hold than a professional repair and you won't know whether you succeeded or not until the crack starts growing again. Unfortunately, if the crack grows, it may make the windshield impossible to repair (especially if it grows all the way to the edge of the windshield or obstructs the driver's view of the road).  

3. Holes

If there's a hole all the way through your windshield, there's no hope for it; you're going to need to get the entire windshield replaced. You should never attempt an amateur windshield replacement, though, for several reasons. First, if the replacement isn't done in the correct way, the windshield may end up structurally unstable. This makes it more likely to develop cracks when you drive over bumpy roads. Second, the structural support of the windshield is very important for proper function of air bags in a crash, so if the windshield is compromised, you may as well be sabotaging your air bags. This is also why it's important to get windshield cracks fixed right away.  

These three types of damage are all excellent reasons to head over to your auto repair shop as soon as possible. Remember, if you have comprehensive insurance, it may even cover windshield repairs, but only if they're done by a professional!


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