Driving your automobile is statistically very safe, even though those same statistics suggest that most people will be involved in an accident. Fortunately, the majority of accidents are just fender benders, like someone accidentally hitting your car in a parking lot or getting rear-ended by someone who didn’t brake in time on a residential street. Even still, it can be scary for a lot of people out there driving, always thinking that a crash may be imminent. The best we can do is to control what we can. One part of this ultimate control is to ensure that our vehicles are safe, and this includes having an intact windshield.
Windshields that are cracked or chipped can easily break, and this can happen while you’re driving at high speeds on the interstate, and it’s hard to tell what could happen then. You could lose control, or debris could come through and strike someone. The bottom line is that it’s best to ensure that your windshield is in tip-top shape. This means fixing those chips as soon as they happen. Is this something you can do by yourself, or will you have to go in for a total windshield replacement with the pros? Let’s speak some more about this topic.
A Step by Step Guide for Repairing Windshield Chips
Contacting the guys at Super Auto Glass who can be visited at: superautoglasscalgary.ca, is the fastest and easiest way to fix those windshield chips and cracks; though if you really wanted to do this as a DIY project, then you can. You will have to follow these steps to ensure it’s done correctly, however. The last thing you want is a bad fix that fails while you’re driving.
1: Purchase a Repair Kit
The first step is to purchase a windshield repair kit. You can get these online, at big-box stores, or at auto shops that you can find in most towns and cities. You want to get a complete kit that contains patches, epoxy resin and a syringe that you can use to fill in the chips and cracks. These kits aren’t really that expensive, but you should still get a good, name-brand product here and not some generic kit. This is your windshield we’re talking about, so you want to ensure it’s fixed properly.
2: Clean The Glass
The glass has to be completely clean for the patch and resin to properly set. If there’s any dirt or debris, the fix might not take. It’s advised to go ahead and clean the entire windshield. It’s not that big of a job. Just use some good glass cleaner and make sure that the glass is completely dry before you begin. It’s also best to wait for a day where the wind isn’t blowing leaves and other debris, or it will just get dirty again.
3: Apply Your Patch
Next up, apply your patch. Because you don’t need a full windshield replacement here and likely just have to cover a spot, the patch should more than suffice. If not, you can use multiple patches. Just make sure that you flatten them out well so that there aren’t any big air pockets there. The patch is going to hold the epoxy in the chips and holes so that it sets level and smooth.
4: Inject the Epoxy Resin
Follow the instructions of the kit for every step, of course, but also be extra careful in injecting your epoxy. You don’t want to go overboard and create bulges and lumps, and you don’t want to under-fill the cracks or chips, or else they might still get worse. You should be able to look at the patch and tell when it’s full. It will pump up level. Take your time here.
5: Allow Epoxy to Set
Go sit down and have yourself a drink or something while the epoxy does its work. Far too many people want to act too quickly and rip the patch off and buff things out level. They end up digging out the epoxy. Read the instructions to see how long it takes to set. Some brands will set up a lot faster than others will.
6: Clean the Excess Epoxy
If you remove the patch and there’s excess epoxy, you should be able to easily scrape it off. After which, you can get a damp rag and wipe things down so that everything blends and melds. You will likely still be able to tell it’s a patch since this is a DIY job and not a professional one, but the windshield should hold up just fine now.
Should You Hire Professionals Instead?
Although this is a job you can do yourself, it’s still best to allow the pros to do it for you. Here are some benefits to allowing the pros to handle it.
3 Benefits of Hiring the Pros
1: Saves You a Lot of Time
The first benefit is that it’s a huge time-saver. When you include shopping for the patch, cleaning things off, carefully filling and then waiting for it to set, you could be looking at an entire day’s job here. Allowing the pros to handle this for you means it’s going to be more convenient on your end.
2: They Get the Job Done Right
There’s also the fact that you could mess something up, and it’s hard to start again if you have resin down in the chips. The best way to ensure that the job is done correctly is to hire out and just have the professionals come in to quickly fix your windshield.
3: They Come to You
The best services offer a mobile service, which means you don’t even have to drive your car to them. They will show up where you’re at and fix your windshield quickly and permanently. Whether you just need to repair some damage or get an outright replacement, the pros come to you and make quick work of this.
Just remember to hire the best in your area when it comes to fixing your windshield. You definitely want it to be done right the first time.
