When you drive a vehicle in Minnesota, there are a lot of factors that can cause damage to your windshield. Debris kicked up on the highway and car accidents tend to be the most common causes of windshield damage. But extreme weather, especially hailstorms, and vandalism may also result in a cracked or shattered windshield. When this happens, every car owner asks the same question: “Do I need a new windshield?”
The answer is dependent on the extent of the damage, among other variables. Keep reading to learn when you’ll need a new windshield and when it’s okay to just bring your car into a local auto glass shop for repairs.
Windshield Repair vs. Windshield Replacement: Which Do I Need?
Whether your windshield needs to be repaired or fully replaced is dependent on a few different things. The main determining factors are:
- Size – The bigger the crack, the likelier a windshield replacement is needed. For chips in your windshield that are smaller than a quarter, a windshield repair will probably suffice. But if the chip is bigger than that or if there are cracks running longer than three inches, you’re going to need a windshield replacement to keep your car safe to drive.
- Location – Where the crack is located in the windshield is almost as important as the size. If the crack is located on the passenger side of the windshield, then a windshield repair is probably a safe option. But if that crack is right in front of the driver’s face, you’ll need to have the windshield replaced to ensure your visibility won’t be hindered. Also, if the chip is too close to the edge of the windshield, a repair unfortunately won’t be possible.
- Spread – Does your windshield have a single crack or multiple? Just one crack or chip can be repaired, but many of them will compromise the integrity of the entire windshield. If this is the case, then a windshield replacement will be the only way to keep your automobile in safe driving shape.
- Depth – Something you might not know is that your car’s windshield is composed of two layers of laminated glass separated by plastic. If a chip penetrated the outer layer but not the inner layer, you might be fine with a windshield repair. But if a rock went straight through both layers, you’re going to need a windshield replacement.
The Best Windshield Replacement Shop in Minnesota
Whether you have a small rock chip in your windshield that needs to be repaired or the whole windshield needs to be replaced after an accident, bring your vehicle into an auto glass shop you can trust to perform stellar work. Contact Glass Masters today for the finest windshield repair and replacement services in the Twin Cities metro!