The windshield also referred to as windscreen is the front window of an automobile; it can be of car, airplane, motorbike or bus. Windshields are made up of laminated safety glass which generally has three layers. Two layers of tempered glass and in between a layer of poly-vinyl-butyral.
General features and basic requirements of windshields or windscreen
Any modern day car windscreen must satisfy certain necessary features in order to be useful and safe for the occupant of the car.
- Protects the vehicle’s inhabitants from dust, insects, wind, small debris or rocks
- Strong enough to resist damages in case of minor collisions
- Scratch resistant such that the clarity is maintained
- Shatterproof to protect its resident
- UV coated windshield to screen out harmful radiation
- Glued- in windshields such that grass fragments do not get broken in case of an accident
How to know- Repair or Replacement?
Generally depends on the condition of the glass and has few methods to make sure what your vehicle actually needs.
- Size and Depth of the Damage Incurred; Say a chip or crack is within 2 inches, it can be repaired effectively by technicians. Anything above that needs a replacement
- The type of damage is to be taken into consideration; linear cracks, small circular bull eyes, star-shaped breaks if not large enough can be repaired without the removal of glass
- Location: If the damage is on the inside and the crack is long enough, it is hard to repair. Similarly, complex multiple cracks and deep damage needs to be replaced. If the damage is in the driver’s line of sight, it’s better to get it replaced.
Usually, people do query whether insurance covers Auto glass repair or replacement or not; though it depends on the plan, in general claims are recovered. Take notice of your windscreen, may be you need some work. Same day windshield replacement st.Louis can be very helful.