Windshield Glass Repair
Service Comparison
Today, windshield glass repair technicians or the quick fix repair people are everywhere; at the car wash, oil change shop, tire shop, gas station, and even at the local mall, but over 90% of the time the repair was incomplete, or the damage was minor and should not have been repaired. See our chip repair guide that shows what damage does not need to be repaired.
Turning to an auto glass shop doesn't necessarily help since there is an inherent conflict between windshield repair and windshield replacement services. For an example, Lets say hypothetically, I am a windshield chip repair technician and decided to offer windshield replacement, I immediately have the opportunity to make more money by installing a new windshield, which is fine because it takes more time, effort, expertise, overhead and cost of materials. However, if I started getting alot of calls to replace windshields I now don't have much incentive to keep providing great repairs because I would make more in windshield replacements. For the same reason many autoglass shops don’t investment in tools and provide the training to provide you the best repair possible? Most of them still use outdated chip and crack repair technology. The reason is simple, they are in the windshield glass replacement business – and nothing wrong with that, as long as you don't expect their repair to turn out the same as a windshield glass repair specialist.
It has been noted that a national auto glass company will come out on location and if you don’t like the quality of the repair they have a new windshield ready and waiting. One might say they are being prepared and is saving the customer the time to re-schedule. Then again…all the shop had to do was ... not research, not invest and not train their technicians in the more recent technologies in windshield repair for the customer to get sub-par results or the technician to “accidentally” apply to much pressure on the repair tool that caused the crack to spread due to the technician not having the training. So it is not like they must tell their technicians to purposefully do a poor chip repair, they just withhold it and the poor results naturally happen.
Having said all that, I promise you that their are some good auto glass shops that have taken the time to invest in and train their technicians to provide the best service in both repair and replacement. However, as a rule most technicians in an auto glass shop will have more experience in replacement that in windshield glass repair and the one with the most experience in their craft usually has the best results. It is unusual to see a great replacement tech provide great windshield glass repairs. Here is a chart that helps place it in perspective.
Compare: Replace tech vs Repair only tech
Focus: Replace Repair
Visual: 10- 40% 75 to 95%
Strength: Low High
Experience: 3 mo 5 Years
Warranty 1yr Lifetime
Avg Cost $350+ $0.00 *
* Upon insurance approval: Most insurance carriers will waive high deductibles up to $1,000
** We recommended local auto glass replacement specialist that meet or exceed crash safety standards.
Crackmedic.net associates are experienced repair only technicians and do not work for replacement shops.
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Benefits of Professional Windshield Glass Repair:
Save Money: The most obvious benefit is the savings, and if using your insurance, there is no out of pocket expense.. The average replacement cost $375. Today, at least 23 vehicles now have windshields with a list price of over $1000, but the average repair cost in Michigan is between $50 and $125; money you probably will not have to pay because your insurance company will typically waive your deductible and pay for the repair. Our windshield chip repair guide can help determine if your windshield damage can be repaired.
Save Time: The average repair time to properly complete a windshield glass repair is 15 – 20 minutes and your vehicle is ready to go! However, when a full replacement is done the manufacturer recommends that in most situations the vehicle should remain unmoved during the curing time. Depending on the type of urethane used it could be from a few hours to 24 hours after the windshield has been installed which does not include the time it took to remove the old windshield, prep for the new one, inspect, clean, and prime. Save more time and avoid a long wait in a shop schedule a mobile service repair appointment.
Improves appearance: Depending on the severity, the appearance of the broken area improves 70% to 90%. With all repairs, there is always some scarring (a blemish that is still visible after the repair is completed), less with smaller damage and more with larger damage.
Clarity depends on the size, age, and the amount of glass missing from the break, and how much glass has crushed inside of the break. The longer a stone chip is delayed in having it repaired the more likely dirt, soap, wax and other chemicals will get in the break which can lessen the visual quality of the repair.
Retains Factory Seal: The ideal scenario calls for saving the original windshield installed by the factory. The conditions inside the factory for installing a windshield are maintain to be ideal, plus it is the first contact of adhesive to the vehicle’s frame, so the confidence level of the factory seal that is between windshield and its frame is the highest. If the original windshield is damaged there are two choices. Either repair the original windshield or replace it. The advantage of repair is the factory’s safety seal is not broken, since the windshield is not removed from the car. That saves both the very expensive windshield and the irreplaceable factory seal. In addition it prevents the possibility of air leaks or water leaks that are commonly associated with replacement.
Our Written Guarantee: For the period you own your car, if the repaired area cracks further resulting in a necessary replacement. We will refund the funds from whom they were received. Just retain your receipt.
Ecology: Windshields are seldom recycled. Millions of broken windshields find our way into land fills. A windshield glass repair only leaves behind less than one drop of resin - that is a huge difference.