It happens all the time, a rock or other small object flies at windshield and chips it; in some cases you can leave it alone, while other times the chip or crack can continually get bigger until the whole windshield needs to be replaced. Luckily there are a few ways you can determine if you need to fix the crack or replace the windshield.
A general rule that first determines if a crack in your windshield needs to be fixed or if the entire windshield needs to be replaced, has to do with the length of the crack. Cracks or chips that are less than 12 inches in length can almost always be repaired, and you can usually even do these repairs at home. Cracks that are around 12 to 20 inches can also usually be repaired, but should be done by a professional windshield repair tech. Any cracks that are longer than 24 inches can generally not be repaired and the entire windshield will have to be replaced. These length limits are not strict however. A crack could be less than 24 inches but have the potential to spread quickly, so it might be recommended to replace the windshield to prevent any further damage.
As for chips or circular dings in the windshield, anything the size of a quarter or smaller can generally be repaired quickly and easily at home or by a professional windshield repair tech. However some windshield repair companies will not fix any chips or dings that are in the driver's direct line of vision, as the repair could leave some distortions in the glass. In these cases it is much safer to just replace the whole windshield.
Two other factors that can help determine if a crack in your windshield can be fixed are the location of the crack and how long it has been there. If a long, or short crack reaches the edge of the glass, the windshield will more than likely need to be replaced. This is because the edge of the glass is the thinnest and more brittle part of the windshield. Cracks often form after an object makes a chip in the glass in the topmost portion of the windshield that is often black or tinted very dark. Because you never saw the chip, you might not have realized the crack was forming. Cracks that reach within two inches of the edge of the glass can decrease the structural integrity of the entire windshield, even if they are repaired. If there are two or more cracks in close proximity or that intersect, the windshield will also need to be replaced.
This brings us to the issue of how long the crack has been in the windshield. If a crack has been in a windshield, getting bigger or not, for longer than 30 days most windshield repair techs will not repair the crack, but will suggest you have the windshield replaced. The reasoning behind this is that the longer the crack has been in the windshield the more dirt and debris has built up in the crack, which will obstruct the repair process. If a crack that has been in the windshield a long time is repaired, it is highly likely that the repair will be obvious and it might not hold for very long.
It is important to keep in mind that if you have used a water beading product, such as Rain-X, on your windshield, any cracks that the product was rubbed over will also be very hard to correct using traditional resin crack filler. In this case, it would probably be best have the windshield replaced.
Chips and cracks in the windshield aren't always going to get worse, in fact all the might do is be annoying to the driver or passengers looking out the windshield. While you could repair them yourself, there is a chance the repair might not come out the way you planned. After you have injected resin into the crack it cannot be removed and this would mean you'd have to have the windshield replaced anyway. If you have comprehensive insurance coverage on your vehicle, it might be best just to put in a claim. Some insurance companies do not even require that you pay a deductible for windshield replacement.
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