Your windscreen can get
damaged in just a few seconds. Sometimes you may not be in the car at the time
or may not notice until closer inspection. Often you will think that because it
is so small and out of your line of vision, that it’s not necessary to attend
to it straight away and you may not feel like auto glass replacement is
necessary. However, the truth is that
the auto glass is vital for your safety and that of the passengers in your car,
so an expert should look after any damage, no matter how big or small, as soon
as possible.
A spider crack is one
of the most common kinds of damage that happens to a windscreen. It happens
simply from a chip of rock from the road, and it happens so often that many
glass installers carry out more chipped windscreen repairs than anything else! It
can also happen in the winter from hail or ice hitting the windscreen. There is
usually an impact point (where you may see a tiny hole) in the centre with
small cracks leading from it, and it has the appearance of a spider web, which
is why it is named that way.
Why is it important to get
windscreen chip repair?
If you leave the spider crack and drive regularly to work, you are
compromising the structure of the car. If you are driving and involved in a
collision, the airbags activate to protect you, but a weakened windscreen could
completely disintegrate on impact and then they render your airbags pretty much
useless as the windscreen would implode directly onto you and could cause fatal
injury. If your windscreen is undamaged, then anything from outside the car
would likely bounce off the glass (i.e. you see sometimes when people are hit
by cars that they are injured, but the glass might not be!)
Precautions to take if you have a
spider crack
If you have a spider
crack in your windscreen it is very important that you get it seen to by an auto
glass replacement expert as soon as possible. Spider cracks can be tiny or huge
but the depth, size and location of the crack will determine what type of auto
glass repair will be necessary to restore your windscreen and the integrity of
your car.
You will need glass repair if:
- the crack is less than 12 inches long
- there is no large hole present in the glass
- your view is not compromised because of it
You will need auto glass replacement if:
- The spider crack is more than 12 inches long
- you need to strain to see out of the car due to the crack
- You’re feeling a nice breeze as you drive, due to the hole in your windscreen
The first place you
should consider taking your car is We Replace Any Car Glass.com
If the spider crack is
small, it’s still important to have it attended to, but if you need a few days
for whatever reason, there are ways that you can prevent the spider crack from
spreading and becoming more dangerous.
If the spider crack is small and it can wait, a few days there are a few things
you can do to prevent the crack from getting larger.
Prevent the crack from growing
Avoid direct sunlight. This is mainly for when you park as you can still drive
the car in the sun, but park it in the shade or leave it in the garage. Sun
beating down on your windscreen will weaken the glass and can cause the crack
to grow.
Keep dirt out of the
crack.
Use a clear tape to
cover the crack but don’t compromise your view.
Don’t wash your car!
Don’t use your air
conditioning if at all possible, open your windows instead. The cool air from
the air con can enlarge the crack.
Don’t ignore the
crack, as it may be a simple repair job and it’s better to fork out for a
repair than for windscreen replacement.
Cheap
Car Glass Replacement
We at We Replace Any Car Glass.Com are
experts at chipped windscreen repairs so you know that your car is in safe
hands when you leave it with us. Call us on 07931 795 565 for a free quote or
visit our website www.wereplaceanycarglass.com
for more details.
