Windscreens are a safety guard and protect us as we drive, so it’s wise to get it fixed straight away when a crack occurs. But how do you determine when your windscreen can be repaired by a professional or DIY, or if it needs to be replaced entirely?
Here are a few helpful tips on how you can check whether your windscreen is repairable or not.
Overview of Windscreen Repairs
There are many different types of windscreen cracks requiring repairs. You may have heard of a crack or chip, but have you heard of a Bullseye break or Pitting? Here is an overview of the different windscreen repairs to help you determine what type of windscreen crack you have.
Windscreen Repairs: Bullseye Break
A bullseye break is the most common type of windscreen chip caused by the impact of rocks hitting the windscreen. Shaped precisely as its name suggests, a bullseye break appears as a small circle surrounded by a slightly larger circle. Luckily this is one of the most straightforward glass windscreen repairs, and once fixed, you can’t tell there was even a crack.
Windscreen Repairs: Star-Break Crack
Similar to a bullseye break, a star-break crack is an indentation left by a heavy impact. But instead of a circular crack, it is a star-shaped crack, which results in more time-consuming repair. If you are repairing a star-break crack yourself, you will need to use special tools to fill the legs of a star-break with resin.
Windscreen Repairs: Pitting
Windscreen pitting occurs naturally over time from sand, dust or debris on the road. Pitting is the windscreen glass wearing down in patches; when these parches catch the light, they cause temporary blindness or sunspots.
Unfortunately, the only way to fix a pitted windscreen is to replace it.
Windscreen Repairs: Long crack
A long windscreen crack can be easily be identified as it will always appear as one straight line. There are two types: an edge crack extends from the edge of the windscreen, and a floater crack does not. If an edge rack is 18 inches long or less, it is easy to repair with the correct tools and resins. However, floater cracks take longer to repair and repair different tools than those used to repair an edge crack.
Windscreen Repairs: Combination Crack
A combination crack is a circular bullseye break with a star break inside it and will most likely have smashed glass around the impact point. Combination cracks can be repaired easily. However, because they are the most visible even after repair, your
windscreen will need to be replaced entirely if your combination crack is located in the driver’s vision.
Windscreen Repairs: Halfmoon crack
Halfmoon cracks are less common chips that are caused by a loose stone hitting the windscreen. Halfmoon cracks are shaped like half of a bullseye crack.
Why Might I Need Windscreen Repair?
There are a few crucial factors that determine whether your windscreen needs to be repaired.
Location
The location of the crack plays a vital part in determining whether your windscreen needs to be legally repaired or completely replaced. Any crack, even a small one located in front of the driver’s vision, needs to be repaired properly.
Prevent the chip getting worse
Temperature fluctuations and significant vibrations as you drive down the road can cause your windscreen to crack, break, or chip to grow larger.
Safety
It is illegal to drive with a cracked windscreen in WA.
Checklist: How To Check Whether Your Windscreen Is Repairable Or Not
- Is your crack smaller than a $1 coin?
- Is your crack located more than 7cm from the edge of your windscreen?
- Is your crack located outside the driver’s view? Meaning your crack does not impede the driver’s vision at all.
- Does your chip penetrate only one layer of glass in a laminated windscreen?
- Is there only one crack or chip in your windscreen?
- Does your windscreen look bejewelled on a bright, sunny day? If so, it’s most likely pitted and will need to be replaced entirely.
Did you answer yes to any of the questions from 1 – 5?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions from 1- 5 your windscreen is repairable and may not need to be completely removed. If you want to complete the windscreen repair yourself there are tools and resins you can purchase from your local hardware store. But for an efficient, accurate and safe windscreen repair, we do recommend hiring a windscreen repair specialist.
Pros And Cons To Windscreen Repairs
PRO
- Cheaper than replacing the whole windscreen
- Faster solution
CON
- Some cracks can still be visible even after repair
- It may only be temporary, which means the crack may return, costing you more money later.
- A lack of experience, an incorrect amount of pressure or the wrong resins can cause the repair to be a short-term fix.
- A repair has to be nearly invisible to the driver, so it doesn’t distract as they drive. So if it isn’t possible to repair your windscreen to the point where the repair is invisible, you’ll have to replace it.
Need Professional Windscreen Repair Today? Safety is essential, so when fixing an issue with your windscreen, don’t opt for the cheapest solution without adequately assessing whether windscreen repair or replacement is necessary. If a windshield has minor cracks, holes or scratches, smaller than a $1 coin, an accurate repair solution may fix the problem for good, whilst the only way to correct a badly pitted windshield, or significant breaks obstructing your view, is to replace the windscreen entirely.
For efficient, high-quality windscreen repair or replacement, contact deans Autoglass in Western Australia. With workshops in Perth, Kalgoorlie and Newman, you can have your damaged windscreen fixed by professionals and be back on the road risk-free in no time.
For a windscreen replacement quote, click here.