2 Ways Damage Can Expand In A Windshield

If you were driving down the road and all of a sudden you get a small chip in your windshield because a rock flipped up and hit it, you might think that you really don't have to do anything about it. After all, a little chip never caused any problems, right? Well, that's not true when it comes to your windshield. One little chip can be a problem when it is on your windshield. The reason for this is that it doesn't take a whole lot of work to turn that little chip into a big crack.

Freeze & Thaw

The damaged area can expand on your windshield in a few different ways. One of them is to go through a freeze-thaw cycle. The way that one of these cycles works is that a little bit of water gets down into the chip. When the weather is cold enough for the water to freeze, it will expand. Water is the only liquid that expands when it freezes. Because the ice now takes up more space than the chip's original size, the ice pushes the chip open more. When the water melts, it spreads into the new space and allows more water in. When it freezes again, the cycle starts all over.

Temperature Differential

Another way the damaged area of your windshield can get worse is through the temperature differential the windshield experiences from the inside and the outside. Windshields are made of laminated glass. Laminated glass is two pieces of glass that have resin or epoxy in between them. The pieces of glass are placed together with the resin and then pressed together, so it becomes one whole unit. Generally, temperature differences between the two pieces of glass don't really cause a problem. However, if there is damage to the windshield, that can affect how well the windshield can stand up to the temperature differences. This isn't a problem in all places, it is more likely to be seen in areas that have very hot or very cold weather. For example, the outside of the windshield can be exposed to bitter cold temperatures, while the inside is exposed to the warmth of the heater. If there is a chip on your windshield, that temperature differential can add stress to the chip and make it grow.

If you have a damaged windshield, you should get it replaced or repaired immediately. Find an auto glass repair shop that can fit you in as soon as possible so that you can get your windshield fixed before more damage happens.