Think about a champagne flute. The glass it is made from is so fine and dainty. Now, think about the front window of a store. That glass is incredibly thick and durable in order to resist wind and weather. It's amazing how different these two types of glass are.
Do you know what else is amazing? The fact that glass has been made in the United States since the Colonial era. That's right — there was a glass factory in the colony of Jamestown in the 1600s! We won't claim to be as awesome as these early glass artisans, but we are good at supplying you with information about glass. You can find that information here, on this blog.
Auto glass damage can be a common problem for any automobile, but there are generally a handful of repairs that will be especially common for car owners to need to have done to their vehicles.
Patching
When a pane of auto glass suffers chips and cracks, the first repair option may be to apply a patch to the damaged portion of the glass. In most cases, this will be able to provide a near-seamless repair to these damages. This is done by applying a specially designed resin that will harden. In addition to providing lasting results, this repair option can also be completed in a couple of hours for most vehicles, and insurance will often cover part or all of the costs.
Replacing Panes
There are limits to the type of damages that can be repaired with a patching kit, and this can lead to needing to have the entire pane of glass replaced. While you might think this is only needed when the pane of glass has completely broken, significant cracks can also be another common need to have this done. Eventually, large and deep cracks will be able to cause the glass to significantly weaken.
Replacing a damaged pane of auto glass is easily among the most important repairs that you can have done, but it can be easy to delay due to the assumption that it will be as disruptive as most other auto repairs. In reality, replacing a windshield or side window can be done using a mobile auto glass repair service. These services can save you from the need to take your vehicle to a repair facility to undergo this type of work. If the use of a mobile repair service is not an option, replacing a pane of auto glass can be a quick procedure, which can avoid you needing to be without your vehicle for more than a couple of hours.
Repairing Faulty Seals
To keep water from entering through the edges of the window, there will be thick seals in place that will be able to prevent this. Unfortunately, these seals can fail over time due to them becoming brittle or damaged. This can contribute to sizable water damage on the interior of the car, and it may even impact electrical systems due to the windshield's proximity to the dashboard. Replacing these seals when they start to allow water into the vehicle should be a top priority if you are to avoid the potential for far more expensive repairs being needed.
For more information on auto glass repair, reach out to an auto glass company near you.