What exactly is a windshield chip, rock chip and a windshield crack? Windshield chips (aka “rock chips”) are very small cracks or chips (under .5 inches) on a windshield created by a number of flying debris including pieces of wood, gravel from trucks and loose pavement from the road. Even bad weather such as hail and falling tree limbs can crack windshields. There is no real prevention of rock chips, except keep a reasonable distance behind other vehicles and keep an eye out for severe weather. Unfortunately, sometimes even with taking precautions, rock chips still occur. Luckily there is a fairly easy procedure at a low price that can patch up a cracked windshield.
Windshield Chip Repair
video showing the process
Rock Chip Repair
Rock chip repair involves the injection of special adhesives into the damaged area of the glass. This process varies in success due to the size of the damaged area, moisture, dirt in the area, and the recent discovery of the crack. The repair is designed to permanently fix the windshield; it’s a patch job on a broken part that will help extend the life of the windshield. A repair, however, isn’t magic and will not be a flawless restoration. Since there are many different factors that go into a successful chip repair, there is not a 100% guarantee that it will work every time. Although repairing a chip is less expensive than completely replacing the glass, it is not an equal alternative to getting a whole new windshield. In rare occasions, the rock chip repair can actually make the crack larger. It is very important for the customer to keep the damaged area free of dirt and moisture. Contaminants are often the reason the repair does not work correctly. So a shaded or covered parking spot is very crucial to the repair. Rock chip repair is a very convenient way to fix or repair your damaged windshield.
Windshield Crack Repair (Too Large To Be A Chip)
Simply put, windshield cracks are just chips that extend over one-inch in length. However, to qualify for windshield crack repair, a chip must extend beyond three-inches in length. Mobile Glass has extensive information on these repairs on our crack repair page. If you’ve considered performing the crack repair yourself, you may want to think again. Cracks are much more difficult to repair than chips and can cost much more than its worth to purchase the proper tools and materials. This is job best left to the pros.