Keep Your Auto Glass Safe During the Summer

We’re in the middle of summer here in Arizona which means good warm weather, sunny skies, high temperatures, and a chance to damage your auto glass. Even though many car owners don’t think that there’s a connection between summer and auto glass damage, they are closely related.

Luckily, there are plenty of ways you can protect your auto glass during this time of year so that it performs optimally and lasts a long time.

Be Mindful of Your Parking

In the summer, you focus on getting as much of the good weather as possible, soaking up the sun, playing with your kids, and so on. Kids do spend a lot of time outdoors, playing catch and basketball. This, unfortunately, is not good news for your vehicle and it can often lead to auto glass damage. Unless you are mindful of where you park.

Balls and children’s toys are a real enemy when it comes to auto glass, especially if your car is parked at the curb or near playgrounds or ball fields. These are all placements that are full of potential hazards to your auto glass, so whenever you can avoid parking there, do it.

Parking in direct sunlight is also something we at Auto Glass Express advise against. Repeated exposure to sunlight can further weaken your auto glass and you might end up paying frequent visits to an auto glass repair shop.

So in order to avoid all this, make sure that you part at least in shade or in covered areas like garage.

Sudden Temperature Changes

We all know that summer in Arizona can get pretty hot (90°F to 120°F) and if you spend a lot of time outside, you probably can’t want to get inside your car, crank up the AC and cool down. Well, try and resist the urge of doing that.

You might not know, but sudden changes in temperature (from hot to really cold and vice versa) can play a big part in damaging your auto glass. But why? Well, it’s simple physics. When something heats up, it expands. That’s the case with most materials and auto glass is no exception. So if your car stood in the sun for a long time, the windshield gets hot and expands a bit.

When you enter your car and turn the AC all the way up, the sudden cold air that hits your windshield can cause it to rapidly contract (stuff contracts on cold temperature) and crack. Pretty sure you saw this already. When you put a cube of ice into warm water, the ice cube will crack. It’s the same principle.

This is especially dangerous if your car already has existing cracks. You risk those cracks becoming bigger and bigger until such a moment you can no longer repair them but have the entire auto glass replaced. A bit more expensive option than just repairs.

So in order to avoid this, when you get into your car, don’t turn the AC all the way up. Instead, turn it up gradually. This way, the auto glass will have enough time to cool down, gradually contract and it will remain intact.

Promptly Repair Any Auto Glass Damage You Have

No matter if your car windows, windshield, or rear windshield have only small cracks or damage – make sure to have them repaired as soon as possible. Cracks and chips that seem insignificantly small, can easily spread across the entire auto glass e.g. windshield, and will be impossible to repair. Then, you will have to opt-in for a windshield replacement. Furthermore, a cracked windshield or auto glass, in general, can seriously hinder your view of the open road which is extremely dangerous.

If your auto glass has minor damage (or even bigger ones) make sure to contact Auto Glass Express and schedule an appointment so we can take a look and recommend the best course for repair or replacement.