Repairing Small Stone Chips In Your Windshield To Prevent Cracking Or Other Damage

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Stone chip repair can be an excellent option if your windshield has been hit by debris while driving. Often stone chips occur when a small rock is kicked up by a vehicle in front of you, and the debris impacts your windshield while you are moving. While chips can be common, new methods of stone chip repair make it possible to fix the glass more often than not and avoid costly windshield replacement.

Small Chips

Stone chips can come in many sizes, but most are small, and the auto glass shop in your area can make a stone chip repair to reverse the damage and save the glass. The size of the stone chip makes a difference in the ability to make a repair, but if the chip is small and only on one side of the glass, it is typically a good candidate. 

When you take your car in, the auto glass technician can look at the chip and tell you immediately if they can repair the glass effectively. If the chip has cracks spreading around the impact area, the repair must be done right away to bond the windshield glass and stop the damage from spreading. However, if the area is too large and the crack is growing quickly, you may be looking at a windshield replacement to remedy the problem. 

Crack Repairs

Once the glass technician determines the damage is repairable, they will clean the outside of the glass and ensure the pebble or other debris is not still in the windshield glass. The tech will then use an epoxy material for the stone chip repair that is injected into the crack and gaps, then hardens to bond the glass together and great a smooth repair.

Once the epoxy is in the glass, it will harden, and the material will be clear and almost impossible to see. It forms a stone chip repair that is as strong as the glass was when it was new. A correctly done repair will often outlast the vehicle, and the cost is much lower than replacing the windshield completely. 

If you have a chip in the glass on your car and suspect it is a good candidate for repair, have an auto glass shop inspect it. They will let you know if they can fix it, and the inspection is often free when you take the car to them.  

Contact a local stone chip repair service to learn more. 


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