The Chip Repair vs. Windshield Replacement
All Chips Are Not Created (or Repaired) Equally.
A misconception regarding chips is that they will disappear once repair has been done on the chip. The sole purpose of a repair is to maintain the structural integrity of the windshield. Any aesthetic improvements are considered a bonus. A windshield is considered broken once it has a rock chip in it. This is understood throughout our industry. There are many different types of chips and environmental factors that make for a whole array of varied repair results. Some chips can get worse during the repair depending on the type of damage that has occurred.
The repair does not guarantee that it will disappear.
You may see a water mark or a scar after the repair. This is a normal phenomenon. Again, aesthetic vs. structural. The rule of thumb is if a technician has repaired a chip and it hasn’t grown, the objective was met.
If chip is in your line of vision, your insurance company may tell you that the windshield should be eligible for replacement, because, even if you have it repaired, it could obstruct your vision.
There are many different types of chips, therefore, if your chip can be covered, in its entirety (crack included) by a coin, it should be repairable. If it is larger than a quarter, it might be time to consider a windshield replacement.
If our techs see any of these things from the list below, they may recommend a replacement:
- The impact point interferes with the driver’s direct line of vision
- There are three or more chips in one windshield
- The impact point extends through more than one layer of the laminated glass
- The inside layer of glass is chipped or cracked
- Point of impact is pulverized
- The chip is larger than a quarter
Adventure Auto Glass does both auto glass repair and windshield replacement. We encourage our customers to communicate with us their expectation of the services to be performed.
Dave fixing a chip repair
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