Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Should Your Windshield Be Replaced or Repaired?

The other day I was driving down the road, minding my own business, when suddenly, out of nowhere, a rock flew up and chipped my windshield. Boy was I mad but thankfully I live close to a guy that does a great job repairing windshields (visit his site here) and again, he did a great job for me.

I got to asking him at what point repairing a windshield is a no-go and you have to get it replaced. He told me that the majority of chips and 'star breaks' can easily be fixed. The only time he is hesitant to fix it is if the windshield damage is right in the drivers line of vision.

But once the chip turns into a crack and gets beyond 6 inches or so, you might be out of luck with a repair and need a full replacement. It's a safety thing and I appreciate his honesty. I also really appreciate the fact that he ONLY does windshield repairs and NOT replacements. Most companies that also do replacements seem to be out for the "upsell" and try and talk you into replacing your windshield when it's not totally necessary. In fact, that can be really dangerous if not done properly.

Point of all this is to ask if your windshield can be repaired and beware of companies that try and "upsell" you to a new windshield. Also, watch out for the scams...there are plenty. Get many quotes if you need to. Good guys, like my guy, are still out there.