Why Windshield Chips Spread in the Winter

As cold temperatures set in, we remind ourselves of the wonderful problem that plagues our windshields, the chip. If you’re a frequent reader of our blogs, you may be familiar with what a chip repair is and why it can turn into a crack. If not, buckle up and get ready to learn!

A windshield chip is a small breakage in the glass as a result of a rock, or other debris, striking your windshield. The resulting damage is typically small and can resemble an asterisk or even a bubble/circle.

Unfortunately, a chip is not static damage to your windshield, meaning it can and most likely will grow beyond repairability. The typical measure of whether a chip can be repaired or if the windshield needs replacing is if the chip fits under the size of a U.S. quarter.

With that, you might understand why the colder temperatures cause such a problem for chips. In a word: spreading.

Since the temperatures outside are so cold, you along with everyone else turns the heater on full blast when you get in your car. This causes quite the temperature difference from the inside to the outside of the windshield.

As expected, that little chip is battling against itself to both expand and contract with the temperatures, until it eventually begins to spread or fully cracks out. When this happens, the problem is, unfortunately, unrepairable, the windshield must be replaced.

So, as winter weather sets in, temps drop and heaters blast, remember that chip in your windshield. Get it fixed before it cracks out!! Have a great week and happy adventures!

Author: B. Delamater