Auto Windshield Repair

Auto Windshield Repair

Car windshields are made of toughened glass, but this glass is still susceptible to damage. This can happen for various reasons. For instance, a chip of gravel can hit the windshield while the car is in motion. Accidents can obviously cause the windshield to shatter completely. Extreme cold weather conditions are also often the culprit, and sometimes can magnify an existing minor crack. Many times, car windshields become the victims of vandalism or others’ careless driving. In this section, we tell you how to repair a windshield yourself, how to use a windshield repair kit, and the cost of repairing or replacing windshields.

Replacing a car windshield is an expensive affair. A viable alternative is repair, which most insurance companies now accept in place of replacement. In fact, they even waive the client’s deductible should he or she choose to repair instead of replace the car windshield. This makes financial sense to insurance companies too, because they save millions each year this way. By repairing instead of replacing an auto windshield, the original windshield retains the integrity of its factory seal. In short, everyone wins. Windshield repair is a high margin specialty service, making it a major industry.

New auto windshield repair solutions include the revolutionary PRISM (pre-resin injection suspension method) technology and various techniques that involve injecting resins into the cracks with or without vacuum. This process can take a few minutes or last as long an hour, depending upon the size of the crack.

Manufacturers make toughened auto windshield glass under intense pressure. The glass has very high density, and this causes even minor cracks to widen progressively. Repair is not feasible for bigger sized cracks. In such cases, the car owner has no alternative but to replace the windshield. Auto safety norms demand that a motor vehicle has a proper windshield which does not affect the driver’s ability to navigate effectively.

It is possible to undertake car windshield replacement and repair without involving professionals in the process. There are many kinds of kits available on the market today. Windshield repair kits usually feature the resin compound that acts as a filler, injectors that fill this resin into the crack, holding structures to stabilize the affected area, and curing lamps to speed up the setting process. Such do-it-yourself solutions include instructional videos that guide the car owner in the proper use of the kit.

Source:http://www.buzzle.com/articles/auto-windshield-replacement-repair/