How to stop a crack on the windshield? Repair of cracks on the windshield

Repair of automobile glasses is, perhaps, one of the most popular services in the service station. And this is not surprising, because this part of the machine is the most vulnerable to damage. Most often, it is exposed to various small stones that fly out from under the wheels of an oncoming car. Also chips, cracks in the windshield can appear due to high temperature changes. For example, if on the street -30, and you turned on the heater for all power. In any of these cases, you urgently need to go to the service station for repairs. In today's article, we'll tell you how to stop a crack on the windshield and why repair is more profitable than a complete replacement.

Characteristics of the structure

To begin with, note that the wind element is very different from its lateral "brethren". The fact is that the side and rear glasses are of the single-layer type (stalinite), and therefore, when struck instantly, they scatter into many fragments. The front glass is a triplex. It consists of several layers of coatings (most often three). In the middle there is a plastic element, and on the sides - from the outer and inner sides - is covered with glass. This is done to give the element a higher strength. The main function of this design is protective, since when it hits a stone or other object on its surface, it does not crumble into many particles, but simply crackes.

Cracks and the law

According to Russian legislation, such deformations as cracks and chips are allowed only by the passenger. If the defect is located in the area of the driver's janitor's work, it must be repaired or the frontal change entirely. Of course, for such a malfunction you can not be fined, but you will not be able to pass a technical check-up with it.

But on this trouble from the cracks do not end. The fact is that this deformation has a property to blink, especially on a bright sunny day. And in the dark, it refracts the headlights of the oncoming car, thereby distracting you from the path and obstructing the normal view.

Also note that in the countries of Western Europe it is strictly forbidden to leave with chips and cracks, even if they are on the side of the passenger seat.

Repair or replacement?

Replacing the cracked glass is not cheap. This is especially true for ashermal elements and heating parts. It is worth noting that when buying this item it is very easy to confuse the original with a fake. Replacing the original cracked glass with a Chinese analog is dangerous in that it is less protected from damage and is more vulnerable to scratches that may occur at the first wash.

But it all depends on the degree of damage. Replacement is only meaningful if the area of damage is too great. If it is chips, cracks on the windshield, then it is most reasonable to repair it. First, it is cheaper, and secondly, you retain the original wind.

By the way, in the US, the main indicator of repair is the length of the crack. If it is more than 6 centimeters, this glass is to be replaced.

How to stop a crack on the windshield? Technology of repair

This process is very long and time consuming, so it is not recommended to do it yourself. Below we will describe the details of the technology of repairing and repairing the damaged windshield.

So, initially its surface is cleared of dust, dirt and grease stains. Then a special piece of adhesive tape is glued to the damaged area of the glass. Thanks to it, the dust will not be packed in the crack.

The simplest repair is the restoration of the glass with chips. For this purpose, the SRT is cleaned of the surface from the deposits by means of an injector and a liquid polymer is introduced into it. The latter with its composition under pressure fills the chip. Then the injector is removed, and a piece of film is glued to the damaged area of the glass. This is done so that the polymer does not leak out. Further, the surface is subjected to drying, which is carried out using an ultraviolet lamp. At the end of the repair and recovery process, all the excess film and polymer are removed with the help of a sharp blade. After that, the specialists polish the restored area. On this all ends.

As for cracks, with them things are different. It is very difficult to remove this type of damage. This requires a lot of experience, skill and special tools. The essence of the restoration work is the use of a special diamond drill. With this tool, you can drill a crack on the windshield by making small depressions on its end. This is done to reduce stresses at the current point of the surface of the element.

Repair Price

How much does repair of cracks on the windshield cost? The price of recovery operations directly depends on the type and size of the damage. The cheapest is the removal of chips (from 600 rubles). Repair of the crack is more expensive. For every centimeter you have to pay 50 rubles each. At first glance, the amount is small. However, if this "strip" is stretched all around the perimeter of the glass, and this is more than half a meter, repair of cracks on the windshield can amount to 2.5 thousand rubles. Stop the development of this deformation can be for 400 rubles. Cutting the crack from the edge of the windshield costs about 200 rubles.

How to stop a crack on the windshield with your own hands? Instruments

If you have experience in conducting similar works, you can try to eliminate deformation yourself. Fixing cracks on the windshield begins with the preparation of tools. To do this, you will need an electric drill, drills, polishing nozzles with a special composition, as well as a special glue for cracking the windshield.

Getting Started

Where to drill glass? You need to do this immediately under the fissure, having previously determined the layer that was hooked. Depending on whether it is external or internal, we drill a crack from the side of the street or salon. When all the layers are affected, we make a hole through and through.

Next, glue the glass, covering the defects with polymer composition. Note that there are two types of glue. It is a liquid polymer (for microcracks) and thick. The latter is suitable for sealing holes from drilling. The next step is surface polishing. To begin with, it is thoroughly washed out, then treated with a special composition (this can be quartz sand and fine-grained emery). Then the glass is polished with the help of nozzles. The latter must have a different degree of abrasiveness. Thanks to this method, it is possible to restore up to 95 percent of the initial transparency of the glass. On this the question "how to stop a crack on the windshield with your own hands" can be considered closed. However, remember that this method can only be used if you have special experience and tools. Otherwise, the result will disappoint you.

Conclusion

So, we figured out how to stop the crack on the windshield. Finally, we note that any deformation on this part of the body needs urgent repair. If you ignore this requirement, soon the sealing of cracks on the windshield will be impossible, since with constant loads this strip can stretch over the entire width of the cabin. Therefore, repair is best performed immediately after the discovery of such "surprises".