An automobile windshield is made from laminated safety glass. Laminated windshields incorporate two layers of glass with a strong vinyl layer between the layers. In the event the windshield shatters upon impact from flying debris or as the result of an accident, the glass does not break into thousands of shards, it stays in one piece.
The windshield is constantly exposed to potential damage, not only a total failure but small chips and cracks. In the event the windshield is totally shattered it must be replaced in its entirety, however an auto glass repair in Maryland is possible if the damage is moderate.
A windshield can be repaired with a liquid resin material which is used to repair the chip or crack. Once the resin is applied it is hardened using an ultra violet light. When the job is completed the windshield shows no evidence of having been damaged and the repair stops the damage from spreading.
When a windshield is damaged the first step is to have an expert look at it to determine the severity of the chip. Moderate chips can be repaired quite quickly and at minimal cost to either the owner or the insurance company.
Resin is fed into the chip, it is then allowed to harden, in most cases this process is accelerated through the use of UV light. Due the laminations, the chip may still be adhered to the vinyl layer, if this is the case a small hole will be drilled into the chipped area and resin will be introduced.
Once the resin has cured the next phase is for the technician to polish the area. The resin material soon matches the surrounding glass, so much so that small chips and cracks will disappears; the windshield will look as if it has never been damaged. Larger areas may have a minor imperfection such as a wave but even this is hardly noticeable.
When your windshield is chipped it is important to have a technician schooled in auto glass repair in Maryland do the inspection. Although the damage may look minor to you, to a trained eye the damage may be such that it will spread, causing further damage. If the strength of a windshield is compromised it will not deflect the air bag towards the driver or passenger in the event of a collision, the windshield may fail completely.
In the event the technician finds cracks or chips which are beyond effective repair the solution is to replace the entire windshield. Visit the website for more information.
