There is never a good time to get a crack or chip in your windshield. But summer can be an especially bad time due to the warm weather. When you hear this, you may find yourself wondering why warm weather is bad for a crack. Here are a few questions you may have and the answers to these questions.
How Can Heat Be Damaging to a Windshield Crack?
Hot outside temperatures heat up your windshield. When glass is heated, it naturally expands. If you have a crack or chip on your windshield and the glass begins to expand, the flaw can grow. This means a small chip can quickly turn into a crack and a small crack can grow into a larger chip.
How Can I Prevent Heat From Damaging a Windshield Crack?
Having the crack or chip sealed with a resin or acrylic filler can help ensure that it doesn't crack further in warm weather. Unfortunately, not all cracks can be repaired. If yours gets too large, impedes on your line of vision in the car, or starts to branch out in other directions, your windshield may need to be replaced, rather than repaired. Having the chip of crack sealed as soon as possible after happening is the best way to ensure you don't need a windshield replacement instead of a repair.
Can Anything Else Cause the Crack to Grow?
Heat is not the only thing that can cause a windshield crack to grow. As you are driving, your windshield may vibrate. This is more common on rough roads, when you hit a pothole or as you drive over bumps in the road. The vibration caused by this can cause your chips and cracks to spread as well. This just reinforces the importance of getting a crack of chip filled quickly, so that it doesn't grow larger simply because you were driving.
Does your car have a windshield crack? By now you know that heat doesn't mix well with a windshield crack, so you will want to get it repaired. Centennial Auto Glass in Minneapolis, MN is here to help. Visit our website at http://www.centennialglass.biz/ to learn more about us, get a full list of our services or to schedule an appointment to get that cracked windshield fixed.