How To Repair A Cracked Or Chipped Windshield?

When can you do it yourself? 

Chips and cracks greater than a quarter and more than three inches in length cannot be repaired with a DIY kit and must be resolved quickly by a qualified windshield repair specialists. 

Windshield chip repair is a do-it-yourself project if the chip is smaller than a quarter. To stop the chip from spreading, follow the procedures below.

How to repair your windshield 

To begin, go to your local auto parts store and get a windshield repair kit. The epoxy resin in the kit has a shelf life, so make sure to check it for an expiration date if it has one. If not, check with the workers to see if it's been on the rack for any more than six months.

Clean the exterior of the windshield thoroughly where the fix will take place to ensure adequate adherence during the repair. However, you should never spray glass cleaner right on a crack or chip. Rather, use a microfiber cloth to wipe the surface with a small amount of rubbing alcohol. 

Clean any loose glass shards from the chip or crack with a pin or thumbtack. 

Pull your automobile out of the carport or the shade into the broad daylight if the epoxy glue in your repair kit needs UV light to cure. Schedule windshield repair on a warm, sunny day if at all feasible. 

If it has been raining, use a hairdryer to dry up the moisture within the chip or crack prior to actually applying the epoxy.

Read your kit's instructions to the letter. Together with the kit's directions, use this guideline as a reference.

Steps to follow:

1. Remove the adhesive patch's paper covering to reveal one side of the adhesive. The chip can't be bigger than the circular hole in the patch's middle. Place the patch to the clean, dry outside-facing side of the windshield glass, centered over the chip. 
2. Remove the other side of the paper wrapping and press the pedestal — a molded piece of plastic with a tube angled upward – against the glue. To make it easier to remove the tabs, line them up in a row.
3. If required, mix your resin. Pour the liquid resin into the pedestal until it's completely full. Insert your syringe securely into the pedestal after compressing it all the way down.
4. Hold the pedestal with one hand while slowly pulling up on the syringe pusher — this will not bring up the resin. Continue to draw up the syringe plunger until it reaches the end of its useful length. Some syringes contain a clip to keep you from pulling the syringe from the pedestal by mistake.

Drawing the plunger up produces a vacuum in the syringe, which draws trapped air out of the resin and off from your chip or crack. You ought to see air bubbles gradually leaving the chip from inside the car.

Check the directions to see how long the syringe should be left to sit. Some kits can take up to 10 minutes to complete, while others can be completed in under a minute. However, don't go any further until you've seen no more bubbles.

1. With one hand, hold the pedestal as the other removes the syringe from the pedestal. Replenish the syringe. Carefully lower the syringe plunger into the chip or crack to press the resin into the crack. Generally, you should stop pressing around halfway down, or where the syringe clip stops the syringe, whichever comes first.
2. To release any remaining air bubbles in the chip, gently tap the window with your knuckles. Push the syringe down a little more if there's a little portion of the chip that isn't filled. If you go further than half an inch, you take the chance of blowing away the adhesive seal and having to start all over again.
3. Check the directions to see how long you should leave the syringe in this place. Start removing the adhesive patch and pedestal once the epoxy glue has dried.
4. Don't touch anything just yet. Take a drop or two of resin from your tube and place it directly on top of the chip or crack.
5. Take your curing strip and set it on top of the resin drops on the chip or crack. Prevent trapping air bubbles by laying it down at an angle. Leave the strip to cure for the time specified while gently holding it with your fingers and squeegeeing out any trapped air bubbles with a razor blade.
6. Scratch the curing strip away with a sharp razor blade. Don’t just take it off. To break the binding between the strip and the glass from around the border of the chip or crack, put your finger on top of it and utilize a razor blade to split the tie between the strip and the glass. Next, twist the strip off carefully to avoid pulling any resin from the crack.
7. Remove any remaining glue with a razor blade scraped perpendicular to the glass.

Omni Auto Glass 

If you're looking for high-quality services and premium-quality glass, Omni Auto Glass is the place to go.

We'll give you the best deal on your windshield replacement or repair, and you'll be pleased with the work our skilled technicians do on both your car and your wallet. Our expertise has stood the test of time with over 25 years of excellent service.

Not only are our services dependable, but our team is also quite personable, so you can rest assured that this project is in good hands.

We service San Antonio, Texas, and the surrounding areas. In San Antonio, we offer mobile services as well as a retail location where customers can visit.

Visit us today and request a quote.