Why A Spider Crack May Lead to Windscreen Replacement

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.