Protect Your Auto Glass While Waiting on Windshield Repair

If you have a cracked or chipped windshield, it’s important that you schedule a repair as soon as possible. Cracks or chips can not only impede your vision of the road, but they can also expand and become much bigger, especially during high temperatures.

In case the minor cracks or chips grow too large, a repair will no longer be an option and you will have to opt in for a full windshield replacement which is far more expensive than a repair. In order to avoid going from repair to replacement, we have decided to share with you some tips on how to prevent cracks from further spreading across your windshield during hot summer days.

Park in The Shade

High (and low) temperatures put stress even on fully intact windshields. That’s why it’s never a good idea to turn on the AC (or heating during winter) all the way up during hot days. So you can imagine what kind of stress is a cracked windshield under.

Under high temperatures, the windshield will expand and could make the cracks grow more. So that’s why it is best to keep your car parked in shaded areas. Back home, park the car in your garage if you have one and when you’re not home, find a garage or other shaded areas that will protect your windshield from the sun.

Some drivers might pick to park under a tree. Trees are also good choices since they can provide protection from the sun to some degree, however, we recommend that you avoid this. Even a bit heavier branch, if it falls on your already cracked windshield, can to serious and irreparable damage to it.

Caution with The Ac

Assuming that your AC can’t do further damage to your windshield, could be a pretty expensive mistake. When you put an ice cube into tepid water, it will crack. Auto glass reacts the same way to drastic temperature fluctuations.

When the windshield is hot and you turn the AC all the way up, the existing crack could expand further. This is because the hot glass rapidly contracts as a reaction to sudden temperature change. So until you fully repair your windshield, adjust the AC in your car slowly.

Driving

We’ve all heard about the three-second rule. It is mostly related to driving safety, because it provides enough space between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you so you can stop safely in case the one in front suddenly hits the brakes. Furthermore, the three-second rule is also good to protect your windshield.

When you’re too close to the vehicle in front, the dirt, debris, pebbles that the vehicle kicks back with its tires can hit your windshield and damage it. It can be extremely dangerous when you have an intact windshield and even more so when you have a cracked one.

In addition to keeping a safe distance while driving, you should also practice extra caution when closing car doors. Slamming them forcefully generates vibrations that can enlarge that crack. The same goes for driving too fast. You may not notice a pothole somewhere on the road and that can also create an even bigger crack. It’s best to take it easy and drive carefully until you visit an auto glass repair shop.

If you noticed a small chip or crack on your windshield, you should have it repaired as soon as possible. It might seem insignificant in the beginning, but over time, it can grow, compromising the integrity of the windshield, the safety of you and passengers and obstruct your visibility.