A broken windshield or other windows in your car can be frustrating, but dealing with the repair is not difficult, many auto glass repair shops can help you with replacing the glass and get you back on the road quickly.
Windshield Damage
The majority of the time, a broken or cracked window in a car involves the windshield. Road debris can fly up and hit the glass, causing it to chip and while the glass is laminated and is not going to shatter, even a small chip in the glass can start to crack and block the drivers view through the glass.
If the chip or crack is small, most auto glass repair services can fix the glass for you. Resin is injected into the chip or the crack to stabilize the glass and fill in the cracks, but the crack needs to be small enough to repair. In most cases, if you can place a dollar bill over the crack and cover all of it, filling the crack is acceptable.
If the windshield has too large a crack or has multiple cracks, the auto glass company will likely advise you to replace the glass. If the glass is in stock, the windshield replacement will only take about an hour, and you can drive the car right after the new glass is in place.
Leaking Glass
If you have a window that is leaking, taking your car into an auto glass repair shop is a good option. The technician at the shop can check the glass and find the leak for you, but it can take some time to find it.
Modern cars use a urethane sealer on the glass, so often, the technician will need to remove the glass from the vehicle to remove the old sealer and replace it to fix the leak. If there is rust on the car body, the sealer may not adhere correctly and cause the seal to leak.
The solution is to remove the rust and paint the area with some rust converter. Once the area is dry, the tech can install the new seal and reinstall the glass. The repair is not complicated, but it can take some time to complete, so you may have to drop your car off for the day.
If the window that is leaking is one of the moving windows on the car, the technician will need to replace the rubber seal around the glass. Repairing the moving glass windows often involves removing the door panels or trim to access the seals. For more information, contact an auto glass professional, such as those at Glass Co.