To repair or to replace?

Windshield chips and cracks are usually not as scary as they appear. If you are looking to repair a chip, remember that they may or may not disappear after the repair.

Apart from providing a clear view of the road, windshields act as a failsafe for the roof, in case of an impact or collision. So repairing a chip will definitely maintain the integrity of the glass, but may not be aesthetically pleasing. A windshield is considered broken when it has a rock chip.

Due to various factors, such as extreme temperature, some chips can actually get worse upon repair. The spread of damage may also depend on how the damage occurred and what type of damage it was.

As a rule of thumb, remember this – if the chip can be completely covered by a coin and it doesn’t obstruct your line of vision, it can be repaired.

Here are the situations where replacing the windshield is the better option than repair

• If the chip cracks further when the technician is repairing
• If the crack extends into more than one layer of glass
• If the chip is larger than a quarter
• If there are three or more chips
• If the inside layer of glass is cracked