…thwank…
Yup, the guy in front of you on the road tosses a small
stone/rock into your windshield and the rest is history. Your mom may call it a
‘boo boo’ but in the auto glass world, we call it a stone chip (because we are so darn creative?). It
may not bother you at all, and since you didn’t cause it to happen you might be
tempted to just pretend it isn’t there. A stone chip is very small and may look
like a star and possibly is not obstructed your vision at all. But…like a crack
in the foundation of your home, if you leave it unattended, it can become a
much larger problem. An unattended chip will become a crack which is not only
unsafe, but will then need to be replaced instead of simply repaired.
General
Information: The more you know about chip repair, the quicker you’ll
pick up the phone and call in an expert. The first question you’ll be asked
when you call is: where is the chip located? If the chip is in the driver’s
line of vision it cannot be repaired, so know the chip location before you
call. The best way to describe the line of vision is to visualize the
windshield in three horizontal slices, and then one vertical slice right in the
middle. This is hard to explain, but you’ll end up with six sections of
windshield and the middle section on the driver’s side is the driver’s direct
line of vision (sometimes referred to as the ‘critical area’). Second question
is about the size of the chip; if the chip is larger than five inches, the
windshield should be replaced instead of repaired. You don’t have to take out a
tape measure, but know the approximate size. (click the map on the right for a full list of locations - there IS a location near you!)
Insurance:
Some insurance companies will cover 100% for a chip repair since it is much
less than the hundreds of dollars it would cost for a replacement. Check the
details of your plan, but this may not even count against you as a claim. Most
auto glass companies have a general idea of how insurance companies in your
area view these claims, and they’ll be happy to point you in the right
direction or file the claim for you.
Repair Process: A tiny drill is used to drill out the
area that needs repair. Then a vacuum process is used to inject resin into the
damaged area. Then the resin is cured with an ultra violet light. After the
resin cures, it is difficult to find the once damaged area and the area is no
longer in danger of cracking. A reputable auto glass company will provide a
guarantee or at least credit toward a new windshield if the repair process does
not work. For example, if you pay $65 to repair a chip and a new windshield
costs $385 and the chip cracks within a reasonable time you would pay just $320
for the windshield.
Common Concerns: We are all busy, and sometimes we know
we should do something, but we don’t do it because we don’t have time. Many
auto glass repairs and replacements can be done on site at your home or place
of business. This means no time lost for you. You go to work with a damaged
windshield and you drive home with a repaired windshield or a brand new one.
Don’t let the time factor stop you from making your vehicle safe for you and
your family.
Find us on the phone: 1-800-559-4527
At a social media course, we recently learned that Wednesday is the best day of the week to interact and build relationships on Facebook. So, we came up with a fun game that can get us "chatting" on Wednesdays. It's a nice way to break up the week. This started a few weeks ago with a trivia question that the Accurate Auto Glass team came up with. The first person with the right answer was the winner and she was 'on deck' for coming up with the following week's question. Once her question was posted, we sent her a Starbucks gift card and a thank you note. The trend has continued for a month now and we've had some great questions, answers, and support from the Facebook community of Accurate Auto Glass fans.
