Windshield Repair and Replacement: How Long Does It Take

It’s important not to let a chipped or cracked windshield go for too long. A chip can become much larger meaning replacement instead of a simple repair. A large crack can even impair your view of the road and surroundings. While it may be an inconvenience to schedule these repairs, your windshield plays a vital role in keeping you and your passengers safe in the event of a collision.

With so much riding on your windshield, this is one fix you shouldn’t put off. But how long will a windshield repair or replacement take? Let’s take a look…

Replacing Your Windshield

There are several factors that go into the decision to replace your windshield rather than repair it. If any of the following are true, a full replacement will be advised:

  • The chip or crack is old and can’t be repaired
  • There are more than three chips or cracks
  • The chip or crack is at the edge of the windshield where it can reduce vehicle safety
  • The chip is bigger than a quarter, or the crack is longer than a dollar bill

If you need a windshield replacement, the technician can let you know ahead of time that it is required and why. They will also help to determine the time it will take to go through the whole process from prep work to finish.

What kind of vehicle do you have?

It used to be that a windshield was a windshield and the year, make, and model of your vehicle didn’t have much to do with it other than making sure you had to right one. Newer cars, however, often have sensors and other features. This can lengthen the time it will take to replace the windshield since all of these features need to be connected or calibrated to the new windshield. Some windshield replacements also need more prep work. The technician will let you know what needs to be done.

What are the environmental factors?

Both the temperature and the humidity will impact how long it takes to go from chipped or cracked windshield back to the driver’s seat. This is because the urethane adhesive used to keep the glass in place is highly sensitive to environmental changes. Most often, the replacement itself won’t be the longest part of the job. The technician will let you know how long you should wait before driving the vehicle again.

Do you have to wait at the shop?

If you bring your vehicle into the shop, you don’t need to wait there for the replacement to be completed. While you won’t be able to take your car, you can have someone else drive with you so you can head out in their car, avoiding a lengthy wait at the shop. Some shops will even come to you, however. If you are at work, at the park, or even at home, mobile windshield repair can make this inconvenience more convenient. Then you can relax wherever you happen to be while a technician gets to work on the replacement.

Repairing Your Windshield

If the chip or crack in your windshield can be repaired instead of the whole windshield needing replacement, it not only saves money but also time. Chip repairs don’t take long at all compared to a replacement so this is a much more convenient for those who are short on time.

What are the environmental factors?

The resin that is used to fill in small chips or cracks in your windshield is impacted by the temperature. This means that a repair during summer won’t take as long as a repair during the winter. This is because the heat helps the resin to flow more smoothly into all the jagged edges. The sun is used to cure the resin through UV rays. However, to complete the repair faster, the technician may use a UV light to cure it.

How complex is the repair?

There are several factors that go into a repair of your auto glass, determining how long it will take. If the repair is small, with very few jagged edges that need to be prepped and filled, it may take as little as 10 or 15 minutes. If the chip or crack is larger, but not large enough to warrant a windshield replacement, the repair can take up to an hour, with all factors taken into consideration. The prep work includes cleaning the inside and outside of the windshield and this must be factored in as well.

What will the technician do during the repair?

You will most likely see your windshield repair technician using both a drill and the resin he will use to fill it. The drill is used to clean up the area inside and around the chip or crack. This allows the resin to bond more solidly with the auto glass. Based on the weather and the repair to be made, the technician can give you an estimate of how long it will take to complete.

Do You Need Your Windshield Replaced or Repaired?

You most likely still have questions about windshield repair or replacement and speaking to a technician may be your best bet. If you don’t know whether you need a repair or a replacement, give All Star Glass a call. After determining which is necessary, you can make an appointment to come in to the shop or have a mobile technician come to your location. That technician can give you more information on just how long it will take and what will make it take that long. Don’t put off repairing or replacing your windshield any longer, now that you know what will go into the job and you know it won’t take very long to make your vehicle safe again.

The Dangers of DIY Windshield Repair Kits

When your windshield is cracked by rocks, pebbles, or debris, you have a few different options to repair the damage. You can take on the job yourself, or you can hand your car over to the professionals.

One of the more popular methods for repairing a cracked windshield is to buy a DIY windshield repair kit and do the job yourself. A DIY repair kit seems to be the happy medium of all the options; crazy glue seems like a desperate attempt, and taking your windshield to get professionally repaired sounds like a chore. Unfortunately, windshield repair kits aren’t the miracle solution that they may appear to be. Even if you claim to be the world’s best DIY windshield repairman, store-bought kits can end up costing you more money than you expect.

Before you visit a shop for a windshield repair kit, know what you’re getting into.

Confusing Directions

Let’s start with the hard truth; if you buy a windshield repair kit, you are not guaranteed to correctly use the repair kit as intended. Whether the directions are confusing or car owners incorrectly apply the epoxy in the kit, DIY repair kits don’t always do the job.

What Happens When DIY Kits Fail?

If the epoxy is not applied as directed, you might not be able to see out of your windshield. One of the more common problems with DIY kits is that car owners apply too much epoxy or it drips out of the crack and onto the windshield, obscuring the driver’s vision and compromising the safety of the car.

It’s Only a Temporary Fix

Even if you follow the directions and fill the crack in your windshield, your problems aren’t over. Windshield cracks eventually spread to the point where they need to be replaced. Damage can spread further when your windshield comes into contact with rocks, pebbles, and other debris. Changes in the weather can also cause cracks to spread. Don’t neglect your windshield after you’ve repaired it with a kit, and do not expect for your problems to end completely after a DIY repair job.

You May Waste Money

DIY kits are not as convenient or cheap as they may seem; if they are applied incorrectly, a DIY kit can end up costing you a lot of money in the long run. When chips spread to be larger than a quarter or cracks spread longer than four inches, the windshield will need to be replaced.

Auto glass repair shops can repair a cracked windshield for a lower price than you might think, and the process will take a manner of minutes. If you don’t have time to go out of your way and visit and auto glass repair shop, Allstar Glass has mobile repair services that bring high-quality glass repair to wherever you are parked.

Take Your Windshield to Allstar Glass

If you are a car owner in the Houston area with a cracked or chipped windshield, you don’t have to worry about the dangers of a windshield repair kit. The auto glass experts at Allstar Glass can repair your windshield in minutes and get you back on the road before you know it. Reach out to one of our experts today.

COVID 19

These are unprecedented times for America and the world. At All Star Glass, we recognize the global impact of COVID-19 and we are closely monitoring reports from the World Health Organization; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; along with federal, state, and local agencies to make sure our guidelines adhere to relevant health authority recommendations.
 
As an “Essential Business” our number one priority is the health and safety of our employees, customers, and families. We want all of our customers to know that we are maintaining our ability to serve our customers and operate without disruption.
 
We are monitoring developments and taking protective steps as the COVID-19 outbreak progresses. Below is a summary of the significant protocols and actions we have implemented at All Star Glass: • Maintaining regular deep cleaning of all sites and employing various on-premises virus prevention and mitigation strategies including social distancing, sanitization and other techniques; • Reviewing our policies and processes to allow our employees to make practical decisions for themselves and their families. Thank you for your continued trust in All Star Glass. As a leader in auto glass replacement and repair, we have the means to sustain our operations and support our customers as we collectively confront the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
 

Posts navigation

Translate »

Pin It on Pinterest