Car Articles

The windshield is an extremely important part of your car. Unfortunately, it is also an area which is prone to damage. Today's car windshields are technically quite sturdy and sound. These are made from dual layer laminated glass which is glued into position and aids in the rigidity of the whole structure of the car. Car windshields do not tend to fragment thanks to an inner layer, aiding safety in the event of a rollover. A windshield check is part of a Ministry of Transportation (MOT).

Glass is of course by nature a fragile material, even with the processes with which modern windshields go through in order to protect them and us from taking any damage. However, there are a number of factors that can result in damage such as wiper blade scratches, flying debris, stone chips and many more. By far the most common form of incidental damage, when you're out and about, remains the classic stone chip. There are a variety of factors that govern this type of damage, such as road surface driven on, number of miles, size and shape of windshield, rake angle and type of car. Some cars seem to be more prone to this type of damage than others.

Stone chipping is a generic term really, but could mean just about anything causing impact damage - in this case with particular regard to your windshield, though you may find your bonnet pot-holed too. There are a number of different types of impact that may be visible should your car suffer this, such as rounded ‘bulls eye’ damage or a ‘star break’ where the damage blooms outwards in all directions.

Of course, a chip is just that - and quite often does start off very minor at first. Real problems set in through the chip becoming much bigger. This can be caused by shock or vibration, extremes of temperature or further impact damage.

By getting a windshield chip repaired by a suitably guaranteed company you are potentially saving yourself the cost of a new screen. If you have glass cover on your insurance policy as most people do, a repair is usually free in most cases. If your windshield chip cracks and you have glass cover on your insurance then you will have to pay your glass excess.

It is always better to have any damage rectified sooner rather than later, as once the damage goes beyond a certain point; you have no option but to replace the whole windshield. Without glass cover on insurance, prices do vary so check with a number of suppliers before agreeing to have a repair completed.