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EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CHIP REPAIRS
IS MY CHIP REPAIRABLE?
No two chips are created equal. Every chip is unique and have their own characteristics, making some repairable and some not. And the ones that are clearly not repairable should not be attempted in the best interest of the customer and their finances. However, chain companies and big and smaller mobile companies that show up to a job site for a chip repair and the chip 'isn't' repairable, will usually attempt the repair anyways just to secure the money for their time and travels. This is a very unfair way to do business as the customer usually doesn't know if the chip is repairable or not, and that is a game that Lee's Expert Auto Glass will have no part of whatsoever.
What should I do if my windshield is chipped by a rock?
It is imperative to cover the chip as soon as possible to protect it from rain and becoming contaminated, then schedule a chip repair right away. By applying a piece of clear scotch tape directly over the chip, the tape will keep the chip dry and clean and free from contamination, especially if it's in the wiper path, and will allow the chip repair process to produce the highest quality repair possible, if it is in fact a repairable chip.
PRECAUTIONS TO TAKE IF YOU EXPERIENCE A ROCK CHIP...
Several factors play a role in a chip turning into a crack. Heat, whether it's from the vehicle's heater during the winter, or temperature build up inside the vehicle from baking in the sun, can be a significant factor. Clearly put, heat expands, and will apply unwanted internal pressure against the windshield, placing any chip in a state of elevated danger of cracking out from the impact point. Listed below are ways to help prolong the chip from cracking until your chip repair appointment.
IMPORTANT PRECAUTIONS TO FOLLOW!!
AVOID HEAT BUILD UP
AVOID USING DEFROSTERS
AVOID HEAT BUILD UP
To avoid heat build up in your vehicle in warmer temperatures, leave your car windows rolled down at least a quarter to half inch if there is no threat of rain. This will allow the pressure build up generated by the heat to escape the vehicle through the slightly opened windows, greatly reducing pressure against the windshield and help keep the chip at bay. It's always a bonus if you can park in a shaded area or if your vehicle has vent visors/rain guards as you can keep the windows slightly rolled down, even with the threat of rain looming.
AVOID CARWASHES
AVOID USING DEFROSTERS
AVOID HEAT BUILD UP
Avoid car washes!! The rapid temperature change from the warm or hot water from the carwash against a cold windshield during the wintertime can cause a rock chip to crack or spread almost immediately, and the same applies when a windshield is hot from summertime temperatures when the cold water hits the windshield, and the results will more than likely have you scheduling a full windshield replacement rather than a possible more cost effective chip repair.
AVOID USING DEFROSTERS
AVOID USING DEFROSTERS
AVOID USING DEFROSTERS
During the colder winter months, as much as it's needed, avoid using your defroster. Rapid temperature change on a windshield with a chip becomes a recipe for a more costly repair. Start your vehicle earlier than normal and use your floor or vent heat only as the vehicle is warming up as this will naturally de-thaw your vehicles windows in the process. We also highly recommend rolling the door windows down no more than a quarter inch (yes it's cold out) as this will aid in keep expanding heat pressure off the windshield and threatening the chip as the interior is warming up.
If your chip isn't repairable, we will be upfront and honest and explain why it isn't. Some people may question if we are saying it isn't repairable just to make a windshield sale, and that is simply the farthest thing from the truth. We would much rather see the customer apply the money that would have been spent on a failed chip repair and apply the chip repair savings directly towards the over all replacement cost or applied towards the customers insurance deductible. This approach is simply the best and most honest way to do business, keeping the customer and their finances in mind at all times.