Fixing a Windshield Crack: DIY or Professional Help?
Can you fix a windshield crack yourself?
While it might be tempting to fix a windshield crack yourself to save money, it’s essential to understand the risks and proper methods involved. This article explores whether you can fix a windshield crack yourself and provides a step-by-step guide on how to do it effectively.
Factors to Consider Before You Attempt A DIY Repair
• You only get one shot at chip or crack repair— Professionals use vacuum injectors to force the resin into a chip or crack, and they use pro-quality UV lights to cure the resin. DIY kits don’t have either of those tools. If you attempt a chip or crack repair and it doesn’t turn out well, it can’t be redone by a professional shop because the resin has already cured.
• Effectiveness— Most DIY windshield repair kits are made with lower-cost resins, so the repairs may not be as durable or aesthetically pleasing as professional fixes. The crack might still be visible, albeit less noticeable.
• Size and Location of the Crack— Windshield cracks shorter than 12 inches and chips smaller than a quarter can be repaired. However, if the damage is directly in the driver’s line of sight or extends to the edges of the windshield, professional repair or replacement is recommended.
• Depth of the Crack— If the crack penetrates both layers of glass, it is beyond repair. Only surface cracks can be effectively addressed with DIY methods.
Before you buy a kit, make sure it’s right for the damage you have
There’s no such thing as a “universal” windshield repair kit that works with chips and cracks. The resin required to fill a chip, won’t be thin enough to wick into a crack. If you see a kit listed as able to repair both, don’t buy it.
Next, make sure the crack repair kit will work with the length of crack you have. Some kits have a limit of 3″, while others will work with up to a 6″ crack.
Windshield crack and chip repair instructions
I’m not going to post a step-by-step windshield chip or crack repair procedures here because they vary by the kit manufacturer, but I can give you some general guidelines:
Repair cracks and chips as soon as possible— Windshield chips can spread quickly, so it’s critical to get them repaired before they grow beyond the repairable stage. Plus, every state has different regulations regarding driving with a cracked or chipped windshield.
Clean the glass particles out of the crack or chip— If you’ve got a crack or chip, you’ve got small glass particles stuck in the damage. If you don’t clean it out, they’ll be visible in the repair resin. Use a pin to poke at the particles to loosen them, and use a vacuum to suck them out.
Follow the kit manufacturer’s directions to the letter. Preparation and the application and cure time instructions are critical. If you can’t do it right, don’t start the repair.
Windshield chip repair on a star Break
This is an example of a star break. Notice the short radial cracks/legs radiating off the impact point. If you don’t fix this early, those legs will spread and turn into long cracks that can’t be fixed. You can try fixing this yourself, but really, this type of windshield crack is best left to the pros.
Car windshield Bullseye Break
A bullseye chip is more like a divot, where there’s a dark-colored circle right at the impact point without extending cracks. This can be filled with UV cure epoxy resin much easier than the other types of windshield cracks.
Windshield crack half-moon break
Just like the bullseye chip above, this one doesn’t have extending cracks. It looks like a half-circle has been scooped out of the glass and can be repaired using a windshield chip repair kit.
Windshield crack combination break
A combination break has multiple types of breaks within the impact area and is slightly harder to fix yourself because you have to force the resin into the cracks. Like the star break, this windshield crack is best left to the pros.
Windshield daisy break
The daisy windshield break has a series of small radial breaks. You can sometimes fix this with a windshield repair kit.
©, 2017 Rick Muscoplat
Posted on by Rick Muscoplat