Auto glass repair is both a science and an art. It requires the ability to assess what the damage to a windshield is and what must be done to rectify the situation. Often times identify what needs to be corrected is not difficult. Everyone can look at a windshield and see the superficial damage caused by a rock or through impact. What is more difficult to identify is the damage that cannot be seen.
When a windshield is chipped it begins a process that unless treated will lead to further damage to the windshield requiring to be replaced. However there are a lot of misinformed facts concerning the nature of windshield cracks and chips. To begin with, there is no threat to the integrity of the windshield and there is little probability that any object will puncture through it. That is because windshields are made out of safety glass.
Safety glass is when a sheet of specialized resin or vinyl is baked between two planes of glass. The resin acts as a sealant that affixes the glass along the plane to the other sheet of glass. This resin is the glue that holds glass together and protects the cab of the automobile from damage. Most windshield safety glass is able to withstand PSI in the hundreds. That means that it takes either an extremely large amount of force, or as seen in the case of a rock chip, a very focused and localized impact for an object to pierce the windshield. What is most likely to occur is that the integrity of the glass will fail before the composite of the glass-resin-glass is completely punctured.
However, knowing that the windshield is safe from being punctured does not mean that the windshield is not in need of auto glass repair. To begin with if the windshield doesn’t undergo auto glass repair the chip will spread which can cause obstruction problems for the driver. Another problem is that if the glass breaks completely, the weight of the laminated shards of glass might pull the windshield in different directions breaking the protective second sheet of glass. Just because the windshield is most likely not going to be pierced does not mean that the windshield will buckle and fold under its own weight.
When a windshield is chipped it begins a process that unless treated will lead to further damage to the windshield requiring to be replaced. However there are a lot of misinformed facts concerning the nature of windshield cracks and chips. To begin with, there is no threat to the integrity of the windshield and there is little probability that any object will puncture through it. That is because windshields are made out of safety glass.
Safety glass is when a sheet of specialized resin or vinyl is baked between two planes of glass. The resin acts as a sealant that affixes the glass along the plane to the other sheet of glass. This resin is the glue that holds glass together and protects the cab of the automobile from damage. Most windshield safety glass is able to withstand PSI in the hundreds. That means that it takes either an extremely large amount of force, or as seen in the case of a rock chip, a very focused and localized impact for an object to pierce the windshield. What is most likely to occur is that the integrity of the glass will fail before the composite of the glass-resin-glass is completely punctured.
However, knowing that the windshield is safe from being punctured does not mean that the windshield is not in need of auto glass repair. To begin with if the windshield doesn’t undergo auto glass repair the chip will spread which can cause obstruction problems for the driver. Another problem is that if the glass breaks completely, the weight of the laminated shards of glass might pull the windshield in different directions breaking the protective second sheet of glass. Just because the windshield is most likely not going to be pierced does not mean that the windshield will buckle and fold under its own weight.