Even with the best preparation possible before a hail storm, part of your car might still get damaged. Depending on the part of your car that’s dented or damaged, you might decide to put off repairs or fix the most serious immediately. If you’re thinking about whether or not a ding in your windshield needs to get fixed, here are a few reasons why you should get it looked at before the weather changes:
Chips can quickly turn into long cracks in the cold.
The temperature affects how your windshield responds to impact. Once the temperature reaches below freezing, bumps and jolts are more likely to jostle the brittle, contracting material and start a crack.
Even attempts to avoid cold impact can stress your windshield. The abrupt temperature change from turning on your car’s heater or defroster makes the glass expand, and that readjustment can widen a growing split.
Once a chip turns into a crack, it’s harder (and more expensive) to fix.
There are a lot of factors that go into whether a chip can be fixed or if it’s time for your windshield to be replaced, and one of the most important is the size. Once a chip expands beyond one or two inches, or maybe the length of a credit card if it’s not too close to the edge or the driver’s primary viewing area, it starts to impact the structural integrity of the window.
The depth also matters: if the crack penetrates the window’s middle plastic layer or, even worse, the interior layer, your window is too dangerous. Every bump and temperature shift can make the chip change, so take it in for a quick estimate. Our experts at Top Notch Image can tell you more about the type and risk of windshield damage, and we can remove the damage quickly to get you back on the road.