Glass damage is capable of ruining your ability to see out of a pane of glass as well as creating potential safety hazards. This is particularly true of auto glass as these panes will be under intense stress during the vehicle's operation. There are several types of glass damage that can be very common.
Deep Chips
Impacts from rocks and other items can lead to fairly small but deep chips forming in the glass. This problem may not seem like it would lead to the entire windshield needing to be replaced. However, a deep chip can create extreme weakness in your windshield. Over time, it may grow deeper or might even lead to the windshield being more likely to shatter during an accident. Replacing the windshield at the first sign of severe damage can help prevent further accidents and avoid safety hazards that come with a compromised windshield.
Running Cracks
Large cracks that extend across the glass of your windshield can reduce your ability to see, and it can also increase the risk of the glass shattering. These cracks can often start as small chips, but they can also form due to thermal shocks to the glass or impacts from larger pieces of debris. If these cracks are small and isolated, you may be able to patch them, but this is not always an option. Once the crack spreads and becomes too deep for patching to still be an option, the windshield will need to be replaced.
Extensive Scuffing
Your windshield is the most important pane of glass in your car due to the visibility that it will provide. Extensive scuffing of the glass can be highly detrimental to your ability to see. While it may seem like scuffing is an unlikely problem for your windshield to experience, it is often the result of failing to change the windshield wipers when they become sufficiently worn. This can lead to the rough edge of the wipers scraping against the glass, leaving deep cuts behind that will make it hard for you to see while you are driving. It can also lead to the weakening of the glass. Making sure to replace your windshield wipers at the first sign of extensive wear can be the best option for avoiding these potential damages to the windshield as they will typically be too widespread to make patching them an option.
For more information about glass replacement for your vehicle, contact a glass replacement service near you.
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