Safety: Why Windshield Replacement Is So Important

While many individuals consider windshield repair or windshield replacement an insignificant or cosmetic issue, there are serious implications for driving around with a fractured piece of glass separating you from the road. Due to the fact that your automobile will still drive and function just the same, many people wait months or even years before making the necessary auto glass repair. This is fine for those who do not care about their safety or the safety of their family, but for anyone who believes that a car should be as safe as possible, car window repair or car window replacement is a necessary part of vehicle maintenance if the piece of glass is structurally compromised.

Driving with Chips

In the vast majority of cases, damaged windshields start out as tiny, seemingly insignificant problems. Maybe you were driving down the freeway and a pebble – recently dislodged from a passing truck – suddenly finds itself in your way and in contact with your windshield. Depending on the original quality of the glass, its age and how large and fast the damaging object came into contact with the windshield, it may take weeks or months for the chip or blemish to spread. However, there are plenty of instances in which auto glass replacement has to be done after only days of driving with a damaged windshield, making windshield repair impossible due to large cracks that form from driving over bumps.

Driving with Large Cracks

If you have been driving your vehicle with a damaged windshield and now have large cracks running vertically or horizontally throughout the windshield, windshield replacement is the only option. The entire structural integrity of the windshield has been compromised and this causes a number of safety issues. In the event of a rollover, the windshield – depending on the vehicle – can provide up to 50% of the total support of the frame of the vehicle; without auto glass replacement, your life is in danger. Windshields are known to be shatter-proof but if your windshield is weakened, you are far more likely to be thrown from the vehicle during an accident or collision. In order to have a safe driving experience, car window replacement and auto glass repair is the only option.

More Safety Reasons to Replace

In many states, having damage to your windshield is not only dangerous, but also a violation and can lead to tickets and fines. While instances where the chips can be corrected by auto glass repair methods typically are not penalized, cracks in the center of the windshield can cost you big bucks with the local police department before having to take it in anyways for auto glass replacement. When car window repair and car window replacement is avoided, cracks that form can also lead to impaired driving – especially at night – as light refracts and creates distractions.

How to find an Auto Glass company online

When searching online for the very best auto glass repair shop or specialists, it is important to know what methods to use in order to find a business that specializes in your needs: whether it be car window replacement or car window repair. By using appropriate search terminology, comparison shopping and local results, you can get an idea of which particular auto glass replacement outlet is best-suited to help you with your specific windshield repair or windshield replacement dilemma. The following pieces of advice will guide you in the right direction and help you locate an auto glass repair shop that is equipped to help.

Determine The Damage

In many instances, it is easy to tell whether you will need a total windshield replacement or a simple windshield repair. If you have large cracks or the damaged area is bigger than 2-3 inches in any one direction, chances are that you will need to replace the entire windshield. If the damage is smaller and more localized, the windshield may be eligible for a simple repair that is inexpensive and fast. Knowing this, you can customize your search to get more relevant results; for example, searching for ‘auto glass replacement’ will help you locate technicians and shops that provide replacement services exclusively, while a search for ‘car window repair’ may bring results for companies that cater to small repairs only.

Search for Local Results

If you are looking for a local company that caters exclusively to individuals in your area, then consider adding the general location of where you live to get more relevant results. For those living in Atlanta that need a window replaced, searching for ‘windshield replacement Marietta‘ gives more relevant results than it would with the location omitted. While some people in rural areas may have to search for the nearest larger city, there are many different repair shops and establishments throughout the country that can be found by searching locally.

Read Available Reviews

Before considering any company for windshield replacement or auto glass repair, it is a good idea to locate any available reviews from other customers of the shop in question to see if they are satisfied with the quality of work performed. This is always your first line of defense against sub par auto glass replacement and windshield repair shops that prey on the uninformed.

Car Window Repair

Atlanta is notorious for car break-ins. An ipod left on the seat, a phone or something electronic that looks like a few dollars and your car window gets smashed out by a thief. You can’t have your car left unsecured for a length of time, most people want a car window replaced before a windshield. The best thing to do is call Auto Glass Atlanta. We can dispatch a technician to come to your home or work location and replace your car window on-site.

Sometimes the problem is more than just a broken car window, often people have issues with the window going up or “coming off track”, which usually means a car window regulator issue. We also provide window regulator replacement, so call for a quote today.

Sometimes car window regulators can be expensive, so we can also shim your car window so that is in the fixed upright position to prevent rain from getting in your car. There is only a small service fee for this service.

Windshield Repair

The Rock Chip

sometimes called a star, this rock chip is dangerous and can cause cracks.

Windshield repair is sometimes needed when a rock bounces up and causes a star break in your windshield. The windshield repair must be done as soon as possible to prevent it from cracking further and requiring a full windshield replacement.

The windshield is repaired by creating a vacuum in the damaged area and then injecting a resin that seals the damaged area and fills the cracks and crevices. This bonding process prevents the cracks from spreading and improves the visible appearance of the damaged area. It does not completely erase the damage, but it can save you $100-$200 versus a windshield replacement.

We can come to your home or work location and repair your windshield on-site. But if the damaged area has been attempted to be repaired before, we can not re-repair it, once resin has been present, the area has been compromised and can no longer be repaired.

Cracks longer than 3″ will require a full windshield replacement.

A windshield repair is best when the damage is the size of a quarter or smaller. When looking for a windshield replacement or auto glass company many times people use the city they are in and the service they are looking for, like, auto glass marietta, this would be what someone would type when looking for an auto glass replacement in Marietta, Georgia.

Call us or schedule your windshield repair online.

Windshields

Most windshields today include black ceramic bands and dot matrix designs around them to trim out the edges. Many also include tinting and shading along the top. Windshields can also include options such as antennas for the radio, cell phone, gps or keyless entry. These can keep you from having to have an antennas sticking up on the vehicle of your car. Some windshields also have a Heads Up Display (HUD) to show your instrument panel on the windshield so you don’t have to look away from the road to check your speed and other gauges. Some newer windshields also come equipped with Night Vision display so you can see a greater distance down the road for improved safety. Rain Sensors are probably the most common addition to the windshield in the last 10 years or so, it is a sensor that automatically activate the windshield wipers to immediately clear your view if something splashes up on it. 

Auto Glass Atlanta can and will get you the correct replacement glass for your vehicle so you don’t lose any of these value added features when you get your windshield replacement.

What makes front windshields different?

First windshields are 2 pieces of glass laminated together with a PVB plastic lamination between them. When windshields are struck with something and break the PVB in the middle is designed to hold the broken glass together as well as keeping the striking object from penetrating though and injuring you inside the car. This PVB also serves as a safety barrier in a collision since it will help keep the vehicle occupants from being ejected as well as helping the windshield support the roof integrity to keep it from collapsing.

Most of the windshields that Auto Glass Atlanta installs have the rear view mirror brackets already made on the glass from the factory. In addition they have the cut outs in the black band so your VIN number will still be properly displayed after you get your new windshield.

Please leave us a note if you have any questions about your windshield, or the installation process.