Windshield Repair Houston

It's no secret that a damaged windshield is a safety hazard when it impedes the driver's vision. With that caution in mind, it's astounding how many people leave windshield damage untreated, even allowing it to worsen rather than engaging the services of an expert of windshield repair Houston.

The Hazards of Disregarded Windshield Damage

When you stop to consider the facts, windshield repair is inexpensive (and often covered by car insurance), quick to get done, and can even save you money if it is undertaken before the damaged area deteriorates further.

In short, there is no good reason why a person should put off taking care of windshield damage.

So why is it that people do neglect to get a windshield fixed? There are several factors at play:

1. 1. Many drivers don't realize the extent of the damage that can ensue after their windshield gets chipped. The original ding doesn't look like much, and not every car owner understands the extent of the damage.
2. 2. In fact, sometimes the driver doesn't even realize the windshield has been chipped. Depending on which area of the windshield sustained the damage, a small ding may not be visible, and if the driver didn't hear the debris hit the windshield, he or she may not realize they should be looking for a chip. If a windshield has a tinted sun shade across the upper edge, it can be even harder to see a chip in that area, and the blemish can go entirely unnoticed if the driver doesn't periodically make a conscious effort to inspect for damage.
3. 3. Even if the car owner does realize the hazards posed by the chip, some people don't make a sufficient effort to get the car in to the repair shop. People's schedules are packed and they don't believe they have the time to visit the repair shop. This belief can be compounded by the apparent harmlessness of a small chip, imparting a false sense of security and non-urgency.

Some people drive around for extended periods with severely cracked windshields, but this is a safety hazard on several levels. First of all, the integrity of the windshield is severely compromised, and it may not be able to fulfill its primary function (shield) if there is any stress on the glass. It might be as small a thing as another pebble hitting the weakened windshield, ice and cold temperatures, or extreme heat could finish it off.

If the driver is involved in an accident (even a fender bender or slow moving run-in) while the glass is in such a fragile state, the windshield could shatter entirely. The driver and passenger would be showered in broken glass, and the windshield would not be in place to protect the automobil's occupants from any other objects that might be acting as projectiles in such a situation.

These dire descriptions might sound melodramatic, but they can be all too real when a chipped windshield isn't attended to in a timely manner. Even if the windshield remains intact, serious cracks can pose another risk in the form of visual impairment to the driver. This is particularly true in low-light situations, or when the sun is low in the sky and shining in the driver's eyes, or at night with oncoming headlights. In any of these cases, the cracks can catch and refract light, creating even larger blind spots than the cracks alone already do.

Basic Restoration: Windshield Chip Repair Houston

One of the most common forms of windshield damage is the simple rock chip. Any flying piece of gravel or debris, usually flung up by the wheels of another vehicle, can strike the windshield and cause a tiny gouge in the glass.

The appearance of a chip can be deceptive, usually flung up by the wheels of another vehicle, sometimes seeming almost entirely invisible. Other times the missing glass chip will look like a small dark blemish on the glass, which may be surrounded by concentric rings of cracks. Whatever the details of its appearance, the rock chip doesn't strike most people as a serious problem that calls for windshield repair.

Contrary to its harmless appearance, however, a rock chip can actually pose a substantial danger to the integrity of a windshield. Tiny, almost invisible hairline cracks can creep covertly from the chip's center and spread out across the entire windshield. If the car's owner doesn't spring for early windshield chip repair Houston , those cracks can end up destroying the windshield entirely. All it takes is a small amount of stress (even a high wind or high speed on the highway) for those miniscule cracks to suddenly metamorphose into full-blown fractures.

If a windshield gets to this point, it has passed the stage where windshield repair Houston TX would solve the problem. At this point, the entire windshield will probably need to be replaced a significantly pricier procedure than the windshield repair cost would have been if it had been addressed in time.

Some car owners attempt to repair a windshield ding themselves, picking up a windshield repair kit from an auto parts store and trying to seal up the chip with whatever resin or sealant is included in the kit. Sometimes this works perfectly well, sometimes it holds just for a while, and sometimes it's an utter waste of good money.

The real reason why a DIY fix is not the best plan is the simple fact that car insurance usually provides a professional fix for free, while the kit (not covered by insurance) costs ten or twenty dollars out of pocket. And the good news is you have those professionals right here in Houston TX.

Costs and Coverage: Windshield Ding Repair Houston

Most automobile insurance companies recognize the fact that it costs far more to spring for windshield replacement than for simple car glass repair. With that in mind, insurance companies will often offer complete coverage of the costs for windshield crack repair Houston. This great deal is intended as an incentive for car owners to get small chips and dings taken care of before the damage erupts into a whole network of cracks.

The insurance company also considers a windshield crack or chip a "no fault" condition, meaning that drivers do not have to prove themselves innocent of causing the damage in order to have the repair paid for by insurance. This policy reduces the amount of paperwork and legal mess that a person has to deal with in other situations like a fender bender.

Because insurance company offer such comprehensive coverage on these repairs, you can take your car into n auto glass shop and have the chip or ding repaired entirely for free when the driver shows proof of car insurance. The service representatives will take down the insurance number and handle all of the billing and paperwork. All these will be done without even involving the car owner in these hassles.

Every party comes out ahead in this scenario:

1. 1. The insurance company avoids having to pay for an entire windshield replacement because the problem is nipped in the bud and the small blemish corrected before it has the chance to destroy the windshield entirely.
2. 2.The experts in windshield repair Houston TX benefit from the extra business, and since the insurance they don't have to worry about chasing down a creditor to get the bill paid.
3. 3. The car owner ends up with a windshield that's as good as new, without paying a penny out of pocket or even filling out an insurance form.

On the other hand, if a neglected chip ends up spreading into a network of cracks and the windshield needs to be replaced, some insurance companies will not cover this expense. Essentially, neglect of the original damage can terminate the "no fault" designation that was initially applied to the small chip or ding. The first mishap could not be prevented, but the progression from a simple chip to a destroyed windshield could be prevented, so the insurance company may hold the car owner accountable.

If you find yourself in the situation of needing an entirely new windshield, do take care to transfer any parking stickers or entrance passes that are affixed to the glass. If you forget to salvage these items before the technician carts away the old glass, your totaled windshield could inadvertently end up costing a far higher total than you anticipated. Very few car insurance policies cover the loss of National Park passes or paid parking permits.

Mobile Windshield Crack Repair Houston

If you are having trouble making time to get the vehicle in to a shop for crack repair, the best idea might be to have the repair come to you!

Calling a mobile windshield repair service has a number of advantages: acquired wheels.

1. 1.You don't have to spend the time or the gas to drive your car to another location for the repair job.
2. 2. You don't have to set aside a block of time from your busy day to sit in a repair shop waiting room. (Alternatively, you don't have to arrange for alternate transportation, or pick-up and drop-off, if you choose to leave the car behind while it gets repaired.)
3. 3. You can arrange to have the mobile service meet you at whatever location is most convenient for you, whether that be your driveway at home or the parking lot of your work building. Many people find that a visit from the repair van during the weekday is an optimal arrangement; it doesn't matter that the car will be unavailable because they wouldn't be using it during office hours anyway. A repair during this time frame also doesn't cut into their leisure time when they might want to have the vehicle available.
4. 4. In many cases, a mobile service offers increased availability and more flexible hours than a stationary repair shop, so you might have more choices regarding the timing of your repair job.

If you have extensive damage that requires immediate attention (like when an accident results in broken glass, or vandals break the windows, or a thief breaks into your car) you will probably want to call on a twenty-four hour emergency service. A mobile repair service can be your second call, immediately after phoning the police to report the accident or the crime. With this sort of scenario in mind, it's a good idea to store the phone number among your emergency contacts.

Proper maintenance has always been an important element of automobile ownership, and this observation is just as accurate with regard to the windshield as it is to the engine.

There are parts of a car that are less important - nobody's life will be endangered if your cup holder breaks - but auto glass is not on that list of dispensable components. Pay close attention to the state of your windshield, check for dings and chips every time you clean the windows, and don't delay calling for windshield repair Houston TX the minute you identify any damage.