Learn How To Use A Windshield Repair Kit To Fix A Chip In Your Glass

When you are driving down the road, rocks can sometimes fly up and hit your windshield. When this happens, it can cause a chip to come out of your windshield and leave a small divot in the glass. You need to repair the damage right away to ensure that it does not turn into a crack that spreads across your windshield. There are windshield repair kits available in automotive supply stores. The following guide walks you through the process of properly using one of the kits to repair a chip in your windshield.

Clean the Chip

The first thing you need to do is use tweezers to carefully remove any small pieces of glass located in the chip on the windshield. You want to be sure that there is nothing loose near the damaged area, as it can interfere with the repair. Clean the glass around the chip with rubbing alcohol to make sure that there is no dirt, dust, or residue near the area that you are trying to treat.

Position the Repair Tool

The next thing you need to do is take out the four legged repair tool. The tool has four suction cups attached to it that are positioned diagonally from the center of the tool. The small circle at the center needs to be positioned directly over the chip so that it can be properly prepared. Secure the tool into place by wetting the cups lightly and then pressing them against the outside of the glass.

Place the Repair Tube

There will be a small tube that comes with the kit. The tube has threads at the bottom of it that allows it to screw into the center of the repair tool that you suction cupped to the glass. Place the tube in the center and tighten it until it cannot tighten anymore.

Add the Resin

Next, you need to open the bottle of liquid resin and carefully pour it down the tube. Be sure to use an ample amount of resin because you want to be sure that it fills the chip fully.

Plunge the Surface

There is a small plunger that is included in the kit. Immediately place it in the center of the tube and apply pressure to the resin that you just poured into the chip by turning it to the right until you cannot turn it anymore. It will thread into the center of the tube and apply the right amount of pressure to the resin to ensure that chip is filled. Unscrew the plunger a little bit and the screw it back into place again to ensure that there are no air bubbles in the resin.

Finish the Repair

Remove the entire repair kit from the windshield by peeling up the suction cups from the glass. There is a film that comes with the kit that needs to be placed over the resin to ensure that nothing settles on it while it is hardening. Leave the film in place for thirty minutes before removing it.  

If you feel that this is too complicated of a process or the chip is larger than a quarter in size, you can hire a professional auto glass repair company like A.O.K Auto Body & Glass to do the work for you. They can repair the chip or replace the windshield altogether if the chip is too large. Your insurance policy may even cover the cost of a windshield replacement so that you can get it replaced quickly and easily without having to spend a ton of money out of pocket.