Your car is literally composed of hundreds of parts. In your engine alone, there are hundreds of moving parts that require engine oil in order to function efficiently. With all of these parts working together in unison, something has to give from time to time. With that said, it is often the large parts of the vehicle that give out first. The windshield is a prime example. Most cars will need to have their windshields either repaired or replace at some point within their first decade of regular use.

This is because the windshield is always exposed to the elements. It is basically a shield against the wind as its name implies as well as all sorts of debris.

The Modern Windshield

Modern windshields are made of laminated glass. Thus, they do not break or shatter at all. Even in a high impact car crash, youll find that your windshield may be splintered into many little pieces, but these pieces still stay together.

This is because laminated glass is made up of two layers of tempered glass that sandwich a thin layer of flexible vinyl. Tempered glass is designed to shatter into powder upon impact, but since the tempered glass layers are stuck to the vinyl layer, they safely hold together even in their shattered state.

Fixing A Windshield

Windshield crack repair is pretty straightforward. For small cracks on your windshield, repairs are viable, but only if you act quickly. As soon as you notice a crack on the windshield, you need to decide on whether you want to drive on over to an auto body shop or buy a windshield repair kit and try fixing it yourself. It is advisable for you to go straight to an auto body shop unless you have some prior experience with fixing windshields or you are an experienced DIYer. At the auto body shop, their windshield repair technicians can quickly assess the damage to your windshield and determine the proper course of action to be taken.

Factors That Determine Repair-ability

The size, depth, type and most importantly, the location of the damage is taken into account in determining whether repair or replacement is the proper action. Repairs are generally viable for small chips or cracks that can be covered with a quarter and do not directly obscure the drivers line of sight.

Small chips and tiny cracks are usually eligible for windshield repairs. Do take note that you have to act immediately. The more you drive, the more vibrations that you send to the windshield and if it is already cracked, the vibrations will just worsen over time. In fact, even if you leave a small chip on your windshield overnight, you might be surprised at how it develops into a larger hairline crack by morning.

How Much Does It Cost To Repair A Windshield?

If you try to DIY it, you can buy a windshield repair kit for as low as $10. There are even how-to videos that you can watch on how to do this yourself. For professional windshield repairs, expect to pay anywhere between $50 and $80. Remember, you get what you pay for.