A small crack in your vehicle’s windshield or window doesn’t just look bad, it’s also a safety hazard. A cracked or broken window or windshield attracts thieves, allows road pollution to get into your lungs and can cause a serious road mishap, say experts at Primetime Autosport, a reputed auto glass replacement and repair center in Houston. So, getting it repaired or replaced immediately should be a top priority.
Why Should You Not Delay Repairing or Replacing Auto Glass?
Windshield glass damage in almost all cases is attributable to stones or pebbles that hit windscreen surface at a high speed and in the process break the glass surface at the point of impact. The most common breaks in a windshield are in the shape of bullseye, round shape or cracks and combination breaks, according to a study published in IJTSRD (International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development). These breaks or cracks, if left unattended can lead to several other problems and temporary methods to fix the glass yourself are of no use. So, it is best to visit a trained auto glass repair specialist in Houston, TX, which will inspect the damage and its extent and then do the needful.
Repairing of windshield glass or any other glass of your vehicle will be carried out after cleaning out all the dust and debris followed by some drilling to prepare the area. Once the surface is smoothened, a resin with the same refractive index is used to fill it up. Windshield replacement is recommended when the cracks are too many and cannot be repaired.
Types of Damage to Windshield and Auto Glass
Most vehicles have tempered glass in their side and rear windows; but are fitted with dual plate laminated safety glass in the front windshield. This is because the laminated glass can prevent the penetration of a heavy object into the occupant compartment, which can shatter tempered glass, says a report published by the NCBI.
The windshield glass is manufactured by inserting a layer of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) between two layers of glass and then bonding it chemically and mechanically through heating and rolling. This ensures that when your vehicle’s windshield is hit due to a collision or a flying object, the PVB layer stays intact thus preventing the laminated glass to shatter. What you see is a chip or a crack in the glass.
The most common types of damage to your vehicle’s auto glass are in the form of:
- Bullseye-a dark colored circle with an impact eye.
- Starbreak: A damage that exhibit a series of short radial crack or legs.
- Combination Breaks: Combination of the first two types.
- Crack: A simple line of separation in the outer or the inner layer of the windshield.
- Stress Crack: Any crack that extends from an edge and lacks an impact point
- Surface Pit-A nick in the glass due to normal wear and tear.
When you go for your auto glass replacement in Houston, ensure that the center you choose offers good service at reasonable prices. Also important is the expertise of their technicians replacing auto glass and windshield glass.
