Got A Cracked Windshield? How To Get It Repaired Fast

Here are tips for quick windshield replacement.

A crack in your car’s windshield is a vulnerability that can spread and present a risk to your safety if you continue to drive your car without attending to it. Based on the size and location of your crack, you may have options as to how you go about fixing it.

Small Cracks or Chips

In general, cracks shorter than three inches in length or coin-sized cracks are repairable. Repairing a crack or chip can stop it from spreading and perhaps even hide it altogether without needing to replace the auto glass. However, this is a fix you should attend to now, not later. You have what amounts to a laminated glass sandwich as a windshield. Although this is effective in keeping structural damage to a minimum in the event of a collision and reduces injury as it does not shatter, a vulnerability presents a weak spot. Plan to repair it as soon as possible.

DIY Crack Repair

There are numerous kits available in the mercantile arena. Auto parts stores will have knowledgeable personnel who can impart how best to use them. They work on the premise that filling the veins protects the structural integrity of the glass. This is achieved through the application of plastic adapters, sticky film and syringes to create a vacuum seal. The goal is to prevent dirt and moisture from seeping through the open crack. The ultimate DIY fix is to use either clear nail polish or super glue to fill the voids created by the rupture in the glass. These are easy, quick fixes that are not meant to be permanent.

Auto Glass Replacement Claims

Auto glass claims are some of the easiest ones to file. If you have comprehensive coverage, you may find you do not even have a deductible for this fix, depending on your policy. You can contact your insurer and may find they have a mobile auto glass repair technician available through their connections that can come right out to you whether you are at home or at work. Certain companies, like Affordable Automotive Glass LLC, realize that This replacement can sometimes take as little as 30 minutes. Remember though, you’ll need to allow the urethane bond to cure before driving the car again.

Risks You May Run

Aside from the off-chance that a police officer can give you a fix-it ticket upon seeing you have a weakness in your auto glass, there are unscrupulous glass repair technicians that can take advantage of you. Their routine involves acquiring the legal right to your auto glass claim by getting you to sign an Assignment of Benefits (AOB) form. This level of authority leaves them charging your insurance company whatever amount they want to. You face increased insurance rates in addition to exposing your private information and the potential for identity theft.

While your use of DIY repair kits or hacks are not permanent solutions to a cracked windshield, they can buy you some time. Some repair venues will keep your car for a day or two to replace the auto glass while mobile repair is the fastest answer. Whatever you decide, nothing quells the anxiety of driving with a cracked auto glass like a full replacement. With a fix this easy, it only makes sense to go for the safest option.

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Tags: auto cars