{"id":79,"date":"2017-01-05T13:56:00","date_gmt":"2017-01-05T18:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/info.glass.com\/can-my-windshield-chip-be-fixed\/"},"modified":"2024-04-29T10:54:45","modified_gmt":"2024-04-29T14:54:45","slug":"can-my-windshield-chip-be-repaired","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/can-my-windshield-chip-be-repaired\/","title":{"rendered":"What Type of Windshield Chips Can be Repaired?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Windshield Rock Chip Repair or Full Windshield Replacement?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Not all windshield chips and cracks are created equal; they come in many shapes and sizes. Assessing the type of windshield damage incurred is essential to determine if your chipped windshield can be repaired<\/a>. And size and location will be the two most important factors that a technician will examine<\/a> before advising a windshield chip repair or a replacement.<\/p>\n

Windshield Rock Chip Repair – Location<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Location, location, location. You hear it all the time when it comes to purchasing a home, but did you know the location of a windshield chip is important when determining if you can repair your windshield chip or crack?<\/p>\n

If the damage from the chip in your car windshield<\/a> extends to the outer edge of the windshield, it’s more likely you’ll need a replacement since the structure of the glass may have been compromised. The same holds true if the windshield chip<\/a> is within the Driver’s Primary Viewing Area (DPVA) since some amount of distortion is unavoidable, even after a repair. The DPVA is usually defined as the area in the windshield wipers’ sweep on the driver’s side.<\/p>\n

Windshield Rock Chip Repair – Damage Types<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This is where it gets a little technical. There are many forms of windshield damage though you’ll most often hear “chip” or “crack.” A windshield chip is a general term that refers to small damage on a windshield, whereas a crack of damage is a distinct line that runs across the windshield. According to the Repair of Laminated Automotive Glass Standard<\/a> (ROLAGS), there are six basic types of damages with different repair standards. Some repair standards are beneficial for small chips in your windshield.<\/p>\n

1.<\/strong> Bullseye Windshield Chip Repair:<\/strong> Damage that is marked by a separated cone in the outer layer of glass that results in a dark circle with an impact point.<\/p>\n

Can the rock chip be repaired?<\/strong> Usually, if the diameter is an inch or smaller and there’s no dirt in the head and it’s not in the driver’s field of vision.<\/p>\n

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2.<\/strong> Combination Windshield Break:<\/strong> Damage with multiple characteristics, i.e., star within a bullseye, short or long crack(s) stemming from the damage.<\/p>\n

Can the rock chip be repaired? <\/strong>Usually, if the diameter of the body (excluding legs, or subsurface breaks), does not exceed two inches.<\/p>\n

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3.<\/strong> Windshield Crack:<\/strong> Single line of separation that may start from an impact point.<\/p>\n

Can the windshield crack be repaired?<\/strong> Sometimes if it’s 14 inches or less and not in the driver’s field of vision.<\/p>\n

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4.<\/strong> Half Moon Rock Chip Repair: <\/strong>Partial bullseye<\/p>\n

Can the rock chip be repaired? <\/strong>Usually, if the diameter is an inch or smaller.<\/p>\n

5.<\/strong> Star Break Chip Repair: <\/strong>Damage that has a series of legs stemming from the break.<\/p>\n

Can the rock chip be repaired? <\/strong>Sometimes, if the diameter of the break doesn’t exceed three inches and it’s not in the driver’s field of vision.<\/p>\n

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6.<\/strong> Windshield Surface Pit Repair: <\/strong>A nick in the glass associated with normal wear and tear that does not penetrate to the plastic interlayer (middle layer of the glass sandwich).<\/p>\n

Can the windshield pit be repaired?<\/strong> If the damage has a diameter of not less than 1\/8 inch. Be cautious however, many small pits do not require a repair if the damage is too extensive.<\/p>\n

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When it’s Time to Replace Your Windshield<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There are a few rock chips that can’t be repaired, and therefore will likely require a replacement. Here are some of those exceptions:<\/p>\n

\u2022<\/strong> Damage that penetrates both the outside and inside layer of the laminated glass (remember, your windshield is like a sandwich: outside lite, plastic interlayer, inside lite).<\/p>\n

\u2022<\/strong> If the damage has three or more long cracks (longer than 6 inches) from a single point of impact.<\/p>\n

\u2022<\/strong> The windshield rock chip is on the inside of the glass (in the passenger cabin) as opposed to on the outside of the windshield.<\/p>\n

\u2022<\/strong> The damage has visible impurities that cannot be removed through cleaning.<\/p>\n

\u2022<\/strong> There’s damage or discoloration to the plastic interlayer.<\/p>\n

\u2022<\/strong> The windshield rock chip has a pit-size greater than 3\/8-inch.<\/p>\n

\u2022<\/strong> The windshield rock chip is in the DPVA and has a diameter larger than one inch; the finished pit will be greater than 3\/16-inch; or the repair will be within 4 inches of another repair.<\/p>\n

Note:<\/span> a trained repair technician will be able to judge if a repair will affect the vehicle’s proper operation. In that case, he or she will a recommend a windshield replacement<\/a>.<\/p>\n Get an Estimate<\/a>\n\n

Leave Windshield Chip Repair to the Experts<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Remember, it’s best to have a certified technician examine any chip on your windshield. Since technicians have a trained eye to assess damage, they’re best to consult with when it’s time for a windshield repair<\/a>. You may even learn you need a replacement if the damage is extensive. <\/u><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A rock has nicked your windshield. Can the glass be repaired? Let’s look at a couple of key factors that play into repairing, as opposed to replacing, a damaged windshield. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":59489,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,1352],"tags":[114,12],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":70377,"href":"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79\/revisions\/70377"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}