Keep Rock Chips From Getting You Down

Don’t Let A Rock Chip Ruin Your Day

Imagine today is a good day. A great day in fact. Life is good. Bills are paid. Weather is nice. And you decide to go for a drive. Because it has been a while since you have done this. You jump on the freeway, crank up your favorite music and roll down the windows.

Then you remember the I-5 in south Orange County absolutely sucks. Pavement resembles an off-road trail instead of a freeway. And you begin to think that this might not have been the best idea. Then your suspicion is confirmed when a pebble jumps up and creates a rock chip in your front windshield.

After the swearing has subsided, you start thinking what’s next. Do I need to replace the windshield? Is there a way to repair it without changing the glass?

Rock Chip Repairs Are A Great Alternative Vs. Replacement

If this situation has ever happened to you, be thankful for the way this piece of glass is manufactured. All windshields are constructed with 2 layers of glass sandwiched around a plastic laminate in the middle. Like the meat of a sandwich. This is a requirement by the United Stated Department of Transportation (DOT).

This structure is incredibly strong. It supports the car’s roof structure during a rollover accident. Without this piece of glass properly installed, the front metal pieces (called A-pillars) would fold and the passenger compartment would be crushed the vehicle chassis. A properly installed front windshield also acts as a backstop for the passenger side air bag when it deploys.

When the damage caused by the road debris can be covered by a quarter, the rock chip can almost always be repaired. Like 99% of the time. And just to be clear, the damage is the physical impact point and anything spreading out from the impact point.

Fixing Rock Chips Saves You Money

So, you may think to yourself, “Self, it’s no big deal. I can live with this tiny amount of damage.” If you are thinking this way, smack yourself across your face a couple of times to snap yourself out of this delusion. OK. Maybe that is a little harsh. But sooner or later, that small rock chip can turn into a long crack. Once this happens, your only option is replacement.

Maybe you can roll the dice with an older vehicle where the difference of rock chip repair vs replacement may not be a huge difference. However, if you have a late model vehicle with lane departure or forward collision alert systems, replacing the front windshield will more than likely be a 4-figure expense.

In this case, it is a no-brainer to have that rock chip repaired. And to have it done as soon as possible. Bad roads (cough, I-5, cough), extreme temperatures or just pulling in and out of your driveway can cause that small ding on your windshield to become a huge crack.

Moral of the story: If you get a small rock chip, get it repaired right away. Look no further for mobile rock chip repair in south Orange County area. First Choice Windshield Repair can help you with this. We specialize in rock chip repairs, performing well over 10,000 of them since opening in 2008.

The post Keep Rock Chips From Getting You Down first appeared on First Choice Windshield Repair.

from First Choice Windshield Repair https://www.firstchoicewindshieldrepair.com/dont-let-a-rock-chip-ruin-your-day/ via First Choice Windshield Repair

What You Never Wanted To Know About Auto Glass Repair

All About Auto Glass Repair

Lousy drivers, crummy weather or perhaps some good old road construction can become the cause of damage to your car's front windscreen. These factors might even damage the other auto glass parts on your car too. Anyone who has driven the I-5 thru south Orange County lately knows what I am talking about. Even with brand new shocks on all 4 wheels, I wonder at times if I am still on a paved road. Mr. Toads Wild Ride anyone?

Anyway, the very first thought that pops into our mind is what is going to be the cost for auto glass repair. And hoping that you can avoid replacing the windscreen. As you can probably gather, auto glass repair is always less money than replacement. Sometimes ALOT less. Cars and trucks with ADAS fit this description. So what do you do?

Auto Glass Repair vs. Replacement?

To the outside world, repair and replace mean pretty much the same thing. Within the auto glass industry, they are vastly different terms. A few decades ago, some very clever people came up with the idea of filling small holes and cracks in the front windshield with a special resin. This process is now known as windshield repair. Or auto glass repair. And most commonly as rock chip repair.

This process put an end to the days of an automatic windshield replacement on really small dings. It also ended the automatic removal of large chunks of cash from your wallet. Due to the constant improvements in resin quality, injector tools and curing lamps, the auto glass repair end result is excellent. Not only in terms of preventing the crack from further expansion, but also the clarity of the damaged area.

In the case of major glass damage, your windshield must be replaced. And in the case with ADAS equipped vehicles, the cost can easily run into the 4-figure range. Lane departure warning and forward collision alert systems are all part of ADAS. Cameras allow for these systems to work. And the software must be re-calibrated anytime a windshield is replaced on vehicles with these systems. Current fees for this service seem to range from $300-500 range. Bear in mind this does NOT include the cost of glass, labor and materials. Isn't technology wonderful?

The Auto Glass Repair Process

While windshield replacement requires the removal of the entire glass and installation of a new one, the repair process keeps the current windshield in place. And in the case of the factory installed glass, the original seal, the adhesive bond between glass and car, is kept intact too.

Auto glass repair entails completely filling the damaged area of the windshield with our high-quality resin, curing the resin with our high-powered LED curing lamp and then patching and polishing the surface damage. When done correctly by a trained and experienced profession (such as yours truly), the structural integrity of the windshield is restored to pre rock chip condition PLUS the damaged area looks almost like new.

I said almost. It will never be perfect. If you need perfect, break out your wallet and spring for a whole new windshield. This is your trade off. And ultimately your decision. But if you can live with some very minor flaws, the repair process will definitely save you money. And in the case of the newer ADAS equipped cars, ALOT of money.

Moral of the story: Get a small chip, get it repaired right away. If you are looking for auto glass repair in the south Orange County area, First Choice Windshield Repair can help. We specialize in rock chip repairs, performing well over 10,000 of them since opening in 2008.

The post What You Never Wanted To Know About Auto Glass Repair first appeared on First Choice Windshield Repair.

from First Choice Windshield Repair https://www.firstchoicewindshieldrepair.com/what-you-never-wanted-to-know-about-auto-glass-repair/ via First Choice Windshield Repair