Windshield Repair and Replacement

If gravel or other debris caused damage to your windshield, a repair or replacement is necessary. Knowing when to repair or replace your windshield is an integral part of your vehicle and takes expertise and experience. Glass Doctor® of Portland provides both in abundance. Trust our auto glass specialists to give you the right advice and recommendations about your vehicle’s glass. 

Windshield Assesment

windsheild repair

Our auto glass specialists will examine your windshield and use several different factors to determine whether the windshield can be repaired.

  • Size of the Damage: With few exceptions, any chip larger than 3/8” across or a crack longer than three inches means that the architectural strength of the windshield has been compromised. It is always advisable to do a replacement in this case.
  • Physical Location: If any damage is in your direct line of sight, it can be distracting to the driver and your windshield should be replaced. In addition, any cracks that have occurred near the edges of the windshield - where the stress is the greatest - will usually spread fairly quickly and replacement is warranted.
  • The Time Frame: The longer you allow a crack or chip in your windshield to go unrepaired, the more dirt and grime will infiltrate the damage. This build up can permanently mar the clearness of the windshield and will eventually lead to the need for replacement.

Windshield Repair

Windshield repair is far more affordable than a complete replacement, but it has a few other benfits as well. In particular, a windshield repair can usually be accomplished while you wait at our location or even at your home or office. In addition, insurance companies are interested in having windshields repaired ASAP so that they will not have to bear the burden of replacing the whole thing.

Insurers will often waive the deductible as well as pay for the rest of the repair. The specialists at Glass Doctor of Portland will even do the insurance paperwork for you. Finally, repairing a windshield is the environmentally responsible thing to do as it keeps a lot of non-biodegradeable glass out of our Portland landfills.

A windshield repair is a fairly straightforward process. First, dirt and debris are thoroughly cleared out of the damaged area. A special resin is then injected into the space. Once the resin cures, it is polished down to the level of the original glass for a virtually unnoticeable repair.

Windshield Replacement

Windshield replacement is a more expensive option and must be done at our glass shop. The damaged windshield is carefully removed and the bonding area is cleaned. An Auto Glass Safety Council (AGSC) approved adhesive is then applied. The new glass - matching the original equipment equivalent (OEE) specifications - is lifted into place and secured. After the high-tech adhesive is allowed to dry for an hour, your vehicle is road-worthy.

For any new windshield installed by us, Glass Doctor of Portland offers our G12® Road Hazard Guarantee. For the next 12 months, we will repair any cracks or chips for free and even replace the windshield at no cost except for labor, materials, molding and clips.

The experienced staff and specialists at Glass Doctor of Portland will walk you through the windshield repair or replacement process. For more information about windshield repair or replacement, please call us directly at 971-252-6738.