The extreme weather conditions of Winter can be damaging to a chipped windshield. Winter and Summer can be the worst time of the year for those chipped and cracked windshields. The winter weather can be brutal on windows with cracks, most of us do not realize how the structural integrity of the windshield may be jeopardized. You may have a small nick or chip and put off repairing your windshield then time goes on and winter brings rain and freezing temperatures frosting up your windshield. Using hot water or the defroster to get rid of the frost on the window can cause the crack to expand and promote further cracking that may cause expensive replacement of your windshield. Water entering a crack through a chipped, cracked or nicked windshield can be a real problem, and the compaction of getting the water and moisture out is a very challenging task if not done properly, but is very essential in able to repair the windshield correctly.
After water enters a cracked windshield it is very difficult to remove and almost impossible to repair properly if not removed before repair. To remove the moisture from the cracked windshield a vacuum must be applied to the chipped or cracked area of the windshield. Sometimes drilling the chipped or cracked area is necessary to remove air and moisture. The windshield must be heated in the chipped or cracked area usually by using a heat lamp allowing the water to be vaporized and the water vapor can be removed under a vacuum before repair.
We all know what happens to water when it freezes. What happens to the water that entered your cracked windshield when it’s below 32 degrees or colder? It freezes and expands, now what do you think is going to happen to that small chip and or crack? Most cracked out windshields started as small rock chip or crack and ignored until it’s to late to repair. Do you now need a new windshield because that small chip has a crack that spread across the windshield?
This is what can happen when winter rains allow water to enter your cracked windshield, and winters cold temperatures freeze the water that is now inside your windshield, which can and will lead to costly replacement of the windshield. The constant temperature changes also cause the windshield glass to expand and contract helping small cracks or star breaks to expand, when this happens it can cause the windshield to crack all the way to the edge, if not promptly and properly repaired by a windshield repair technician.
So in conclusion it comes to our attention that winter is the time to have your windshield repaired right away before moisture penetrates the windshield and winters freezing temperatures cause expansion, further damage and cause the windshield to crack out.
