Does Cold Weather Affect Chipped Windshields / Windscreens?

Does Cold Weather Affect Chipped Windscreens?

 

A chipped windscreen is at its most fragile in cold weather, when freezing temperatures cause the glass to contract and become more brittle. When the windscreen freezes overnight, frost will get into the chip and could cause it to spread – especially if it’s a ‘star’ break with small cracks leading away from the impact mark.

Chips can spread rapidly in cold weather, especially if they’re freezing and then thawing out every day. This is due to the moisture inside the chip freezing – something that’s almost impossible to avoid in wintry conditions if you have nowhere warm and frost-free to store your car overnight.

Another thing to watch out for in the winter months is snow-build-up on the windscreen. An inch or more of the white stuff weighs more than you might think, and this weight can cause small chips to spread and crack, helped along by the fact that the windscreen will be frozen.

Here are a few tips on reducing the impact cold weather has on a windscreen chip:

Where possible, park your car in a garage overnight to prevent the windscreen from freezing.

If you don’t have a garage, invest in a good quality windscreen cover that’s tailored for your car. If it’s the right fit, it should stop the windscreen freezing. Keep in mind though that it won’t stop other parts of the car freezing, so you’ll still need to de-ice your other windows.

Use de-icer on the windscreen to remove ice, rather than relying on a scraper. This is by far the safest way to de-ice a chipped windscreen, with no sudden temperature change or anything to agitate the chip. And never use warm water to try to melt away a covering of ice.

Be wary of potholes or uneven road surfaces which might be full of water or covered in snow, masking how deep they are. Sudden jolts like these are exactly the kind of thing that can turn a small chip into a nasty crack.

When you’re parking your car during the day, try to find a spot out of the shade. Even a little weak winter sun will be enough to prevent the windscreen from re-freezing, so avoid shady spots where temperatures struggle to climb above freezing.

 

Remember the rule of thumb is as follows:

A windscreen / windshield chip less than 3mm (smaller than a matchstick head) does not usually need to be repaired.

A windscreen / windshield chip less than 25mm (smaller than a £2 coin) is repairable.

A windscreen / windshield chip over 25mm is usually non-repairable.

 

Call Us Today

We offer repairs that are fast and convenient. If your windscreen / windshield has a chip we’re here to help. We cover the whole of the midlands – Birmingham, Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Stoke on Trent, Sheffield, Solihull, Coventry, Mansfield, Chesterfield, Lichfield, Cannock, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Redditch, Newark on Trent, Uttoxeter, Stafford, Burton Upon Trent, Dudley, Nuneaton, Melton Mowbray, Bromsgrove.

For a repair that you know will be done right, call Centre Glass today. Call or WhatsApp on 07923 449354 email centreglass@mail.com visit www.centreglass.org