Sooner or later, every motorist is going to suffer damage to the glass on their vehicle, and If you need window glass repair or window glass replacement in Chicago, Frank’s Auto Glass is the place to go.
Repair or replace?
The question is, when damage occurs to your vehicle’s glass, should you repair it or replace it? The answer is, it depends. When it comes to windshield damage, whether the damage can be repaired depends on three things: size, depth and location.
- Size – Windshield repair technology is rapidly advancing, and at present, if a chip is smaller than a quarter and cracks are no longer than three inches, repair should be possible.
- Depth – Remember that your windshield is basically a glass sandwich made up of an outer layer of glass, a plastic inner layer and an inside layer of glass. If the damage has reached that third, inside layer of glass, it’s too deep to repair.
- Location – The location of the damage is crucial. If the damage has reached an outer edge of the windshield, the chances are the integrity of the windshield has been so badly compromised that replacement is required.
Other vehicle glass
Keep in mind that what we’ve said refers to your windshield, made of laminated glass. Your side windows and rear glass are made of tempered glass that can’t be repaired.
Summing up
You want to replace your auto glass if:
- The damaged glass is tempered glass, not laminated.
- The crack is longer than a dollar bill or reached the outside edge of the windshield.
- The chip or crack has reached the inner level of the windshield.
Finally, whether it’s repair or auto glass replacement in Chicago, always contact Frank’s Auto Glass Repair!