Today’s automotive windshields are not simple composed of glass as the name might suggest. Modern windshields are made from laminated safety glass that include two layers of glass sandwiched around a layer of PVB (polyvinyl butyrate). This is for safety reasons. During a crash or other occasion when the windshield is damaged, sharp pieces of glass will tend to stick to the PVB layer. This decreases the potential danger from flying glass, to passengers in the cabin of the vehicle. The PVB layer in laminated glass also serves to protect passengers and keep them inside the vehicle during collisions by exerting a cushioning effect.
Heat strengthened, alson known as tempered, glass is considered to be a form of safety glass as well. This type of glass is commonly used in vehicle side and back windows as opposed to windshields. Tempered glass crumbles into rounded glass pebbles which are relatively harmless, when broken.
Tempered glass cannot be repaired, but laminated safety glass can. This is why it is very common to see windshield repair services, but nobody typically offers to repair side or rear windows in the same fashion.
Modern windshields are no longer simple panes of properly-fitting glass. They are now complex, engineered glass systems with such elements as: heating mechanisms to melt ice; coatings to repel harmful ultra-violet radiation from the sun; shade bands to help the driver fight glare; high performance radio and telephone antennas; satellite uplinks; heads-up holographic instrument displays; and sensors to activate windshield wipers or close convertible tops. Because of dramatically increased performance expectations, the cost of the modern windshield has increased quite a bit as a result.
With windshields costing more than ever, it only makes sense to repair them, in incidences of damage, rather than replace them. There are many companies offering such a service, but NOVUS windshield repair [http://lasertargeted.com/glassrepair/windshield-repair.html] is one worth investigating further. NOVUS is the dominant automotive franchisor in the United States, and NOVUS actually invented windshield repair, back in 1972 (and has repaired over 20 million windshields since then), and started franchising windshield repair in 1985. NOVUS has also made windshield and auto glass replacement [http://lasertargeted.com/glassrepair/auto-glass-repair-replacement.html] service available since 1995.
Windshield repair is achieved by injecting a specially formulated resin into the damaged area. The resin is cured and polished, restoring structural strength and clarity to the auto glass. Most insurance companies will waive the deductible and pay the whole cost of a NOVUS repair. NOVUS can repair about 70% of the windshields it inspects. A general rule is if the damaged surface area on your windshield can be covered by a credit card, the odds are very good that it can be repaired. If you want more clarification or confirmation of this, call 1-800-77-NOVUS and your windshield will be examined by a skilled NOVUS technician at no charge to you. Once your windshield is repaired, the damage should be barely noticeable (no bigger than a sharp pencil point mark).
NOVUS guarantees their work. They guarantee that a NOVUS windshield repair will restore strength and clarity to the glass; will stop the spread of further damage, and will pass vehicle inspection in all states for as long as the customer owns their vehicle, or NOVUS will refund the cost of the repair. NOVUS repairs are also environmentally friendly and will extend the useful life of the glass, and will save you money over windshield replacement.
