(1888PressRelease)
April 10, 2009 - WACO, Texas – Fixing a damaged windshield is not an option. A damaged windshield can mean the difference between life and death in a rollover crash.
In today’s vehicles made of lighter materials, windshields help support the roof and keep the airbag inside the vehicle. Windshields not only keep insects and rain out, they are vital for passenger airbags to properly function to protect occupants. If a vehicle with a cracked windshield is in a crash, the force of the passenger airbag deployment could break the windshield instead of protecting the passenger, who may hit the dashboard. During a rollover the roof would crush the driver and occupants.
Most drivers ignore a chip in the windshield because a chip is not necessarily an immediate problem. A windshield chip becomes a problem when it runs into a crack. A windshield chip can crack when the air conditioning or heating is activated and thermal shock occurs. Thermal shock is the stress on glass caused by drastic differences in outdoor and indoor temperatures. Windshields are made from two pieces of glass that sandwich a PVC laminate film, which is why the windshield does not completely break.
There should be no question about whether or not to fix a damaged windshield. At the least a cracked windshield can impair a driver’s vision, putting other drivers at risk. The question is whether or not to fix a chip or wait until a crack appears. Glass Doctor is offering free in-shop windshield diagnosis during Car Care Month, the month of April, to help determine if the windshield should be repaired or replaced.
• Most chips less than the size of a dollar bill can be fixed. Repairing the windshield restores the structural integrity of the windshield without touching the original windshield bonding area to the vehicle. There is no possibility of leaks, which can happen with a bad windshield replacement.
• Repairing a windshield costs less than replacing a windshield. Most windshield chips can be repaired for under $100 and most insurance companies will waive the deductible and pay the entire cost of the repair. Replacing a windshield can cost hundreds of dollars, depending upon how much the auto insurance will pay and the policy deductible.
• Relatively minor windshield chips can be repaired in less than an hour, thanks to advanced resin technology. Once the windshield repair is done the vehicle is ready to drive. Most windshield replacements take three hours or more if safe drive-away time is included for the adhesive to properly cure.
• Windshield repair is good for the environment. A repaired windshield is one less windshield in a landfill, since the glass with PVB laminate cannot be recycled easily.
Glass Doctor can both repair and replace windshields, so we know whether or not the windshield can be repaired to safe standards. Glass Doctor will try to repair the windshield first. If it cannot be repaired to a safe standard it will be replaced with an original equivalent manufactured windshield and the manufacturer’s equivalent adhesive, instead of aftermarket materials. That means it will be as good as new.
Glass Doctor offers free in-shop appointments for windshield damage estimates this month, which is National Car Care Month. To schedule an appointment call Glass Doctor at 1-866-318-9304 or go to www.glassdoctor.com.
About Glass Doctor®:
Glass Doctor is the largest chain of full-service glass franchises in the nation. From windows to windshields to storefronts, Glass Doctor can handle any glass need. Glass Doctor also offers custom glass services, such as tub and shower enclosures, entry door glass and mirrors. Established in 1962 with one shop in Seattle, Wash., today Glass Doctor offers complete glass repair, replacement and services to the residential, automotive, and commercial markets at more than 375 locations in the United States. There are more than 165 Glass Doctor franchise owners across the United States and Canada. For further information or to find the location nearest you, visit www.glassdoctor.com.
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