Calgary’s changeable weather and constant road construction can make it a challenge to keep your car in top condition and windshield chips are very common. What should you do about them?
It’s important to recognize that a chipped or cracked windshield can be a safety issue that should be addressed as soon as possible.
Your car’s windshield serves an important safety function, keeping you and your passengers inside the car in the event of an accident, supporting air bag deployment, and providing reinforcement to the car’s roof in a rollover. Any chips or cracks in the windshield will compromise its structural integrity and increase the likelihood that the windshield will break in a major collision.
Calgary’s auto and residential glass experts, Diamond Glass offers fast, affordable windshield repair, including windshield chip repair and windshield replacement. We can even come to you for on-site repair, as we know how important it is to fix a damaged windshield as soon as possible.
If you notice a chip or crack in your car’s windshield, book a windshield chip repair service right away. Once you’ve booked your windshield repair appointment, there are a few additional steps you can take in the meantime to keep the windshield chip or crack from getting worse:
- Keep water off: Moisture can seep into the safety film layer between the panels of glass in the windshield and cause further damage, so it’s essential to keep your car’s windshield dry. If you’re able to keep your car in a garage, do so, as this will avoid any problems if there’s a snowstorm, rain, or hail before you can get into the repair shop.
- Clean with a dry cloth, and avoid soap: Detergent can interfere with the resin that your windshield repair technician will use to seal the chip or crack, so avoid using any type of soap to clean your windshield. Simply use a clean, dry cloth to gently remove any dirt and debris from the surface.
- Apply clear packing tape: Clear packing tape, not duct tape or masking tape, can help keep the area around the damage clean and dry. Carefully apply a layer of packing tape over the windshield chip to protect the surface.
- Avoid or limit driving: A chipped or cracked windshield is a safety hazard, creating a blind spot in the driver’s vision and failing to provide adequate protection in the event of an accident. Driving a car with a damaged windshield not only puts you and your passengers at risk, it also increases the chances of exacerbating the damage, as a hard bump or jarring movement can actually trigger the windshield crack to spread. Avoid these issues by taking alternate transportation until you can get the windshield repaired.
A damaged windshield has the risk of being a serious safety issue, but it is also something that can be quickly and easily repaired.
Diamond Glass technicians can complete windshield repairs and replacements within an hour or even do an on-site repair service where we come to you.
We are glass experts and offer auto glass repair, residential glass, and commercial glass services. Call our Calgary store today at 403‐568‐7086 and we would be happy to help you.
