Cracked Windshield? Don't Wait To Get That Repaired
If you live in an area that's supposed to get heavy rains in the next few months, and your car's windshield is cracked, listen up. With the threat of El Niño and its heavy rains still around, don't delay getting those cracks fixed. Even warmer locations can see overnight temperatures in winter dip below the freezing mark, and if you end up with even a drop of water in that windshield crack, freezing temperatures could see your windshield suddenly need much more repair work than before.
Expanding Ice
The problem is the same one faced by people with cracked driveways and patios -- water gets into the crack, the temperatures drop, the water freezes, and the ice then expands, making the crack worse. With a windshield, the problem is worse because the crack can become bad enough to interfere with your view out the windshield.
An additional problem is that if the glass around the crack weakens, the crack can continue to spread even without the ice. Waiting to repair the crack can only make things worse.
Crack Size
If the crack is small -- less than the size of a dollar bill, according to Allstate -- repair is possible instead of replacement. In many cases auto insurance will pay for the whole cost of a repair, though this can differ between companies. If this is the case for you, get the work done now and get it over with.
But if the crack is larger, or it's a smaller crack that can't be repaired for whatever reason, replacement is the way to go. If that cost, or the cost of your deductible, is too much for you to handle at this point, there are a couple of things you can do to temporarily protect the glass when rain and freezing temperatures are possibilities:
- Cover the windshield on nights that the temperatures are forecast to drop to near freezing. That way, if the forecast is off and temperatures drop further, the windshield is protected.
- Cover the windshield when rain is expected. If the glass is already wet, dry it off as best you can before placing the cover on because any water under the cover can freeze (and make the cover stick) if the temperatures drop below freezing.
To find out if your policy covers windshield repair, or to find out how much you'd owe if you had to get the windshield replaced, talk to both your insurance company and any windshield repair companies that your insurance recommends.
To learn more, contact a company like Mr Go-Glass.
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