Windshield Repair and Replacement
When your windshield has been chipped, cracked or otherwise damaged, you may not know if it's worth it to replace the pane. The Auto Glass Safety Council™ (AGSC), a national nonprofit dedicated to safe auto glass care, recommends cracks and chips are repaired as soon as possible to protect the structural integrity of your vehicle. Glass Doctor® of Kalispell provides windshield chip repair and other automotive glass services, so you can rest assured you and your family will be safe in your vehicle.
Repairing Your Windshield
When weighing whether to schedule a windshield chip repair service or a complete windshield replacement, we usually advise you take the following factors into account:
Size: Generally speaking, auto glass with chips larger than 3/8 inch or cracks larger than three inches need a windshield replacement service to restore the full function of the pane.
Location: Any cracks that have spread to the windshield's edge usually require replacement because they can spread further. While this damage may be corrected, any windshield chip repair or crack elimination may leave slight outlines. So, we advise if the chip or crack is in the driver's line of sight, the windshield should be completely replaced.
Timespan: Chips and cracks accumulate dust and dirt over time, making it more difficult to perform windshield repair service. If the damage has been there for a long time, we'll usually opt for replacement.
We work with all major insurance carriers and file all paperwork for our customers. Be sure to call your carrier in advance to verify coverage.
Windshield Repair
Windshield chip repair is much less expensive than windshield replacement, and it can prevent minor damage from spreading across the windshield. We typically opt for repair over replacement, for the following reasons:
Convenience: Our glass specialists will perform most windshield repairs within an hour.
Inexpensive: Windshield chip repair is far less expensive than a complete replacement.
Insurance Advantages: Because repair is less expensive than replacement many insurance carriers will waive your deductible and pay for the entire repair.
Environmentally responsible: When you replace your windshield entirely the glass goes into a landfill forever. There's no such waste with windshield chip repair.
Windshield Replacement
The AGSC states that a windshield constitutes up to 60% of your vehicle's structural integrity in a rollover accident. Because your windshield is so vital to the safety of you and your family we carefully follow all best practices when replacing a windshield.
First, we carefully remove the windshield to avoid damaging the paint or bonding surface and causing corrosion or leaks in the future. Next, we select a windshield matching the quality of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). When applying the new windshield, we only use AGSC-approved adhesives and follow all their best practices. This includes the one-hour drive-away time to make sure that the adhesive has cured and the windshield is firmly affixed.
While waiting for your windshield to bond, we will review our G12® Road Hazard Guarantee, which is included with the purchase of your need windshield. Our guarantee gives 12 months of protection against normal road wear.
Exceptional Auto Glass Care
Your windshield is vital to the safety of you and your passengers. Contact Glass Doctor of Kalispell today to explore our windshield repair and replacement options. We will find a solution that works best for your budget and your vehicle!