How much does a windscreen chip repair cost?

What is a windscreen chip?

A chip is created when an object under force comes in contact with the windscreen and removes or shatters a small section of glass.

There may be small offshoot cracks that extend from the contact point.

Windscreen chips come in various forms and even come with their own names.

You can get a combination, half moon, star break or, if you get a lucky break, you could score a bull’s eye.

A windscreen is typically made of laminated glass, consisting of two sheets of glass with vinyl between them.

As laminated glass holds up better under impact, this offers the driver and passengers a high level of safety in the event of a crash.

A chip will generally penetrate the top layer of the windscreen, leaving the bottom layer intact.

A chip allows air to enter your windscreen which creates that darker shade you may see around or within the chip area.

The object in repairing the windscreen is to remove any air pockets by replacing it with resin.

Large windscreen chips can’t be repaired but most of the small ones can.

A chip in the driver’s view needs to be smaller than a 5-cent coin and a chip outside of the driver’s view needs to be smaller than a gold coin to be deemed repairable.

Symptoms of a windscreen chip

• Visually seeing a chip or small cracks in your windscreen
• Light deflection or diffraction from the windscreen
• A distracting mark in your field of view

How do you repair a windscreen chip?

It is recommended to get an expert to repair a windscreen chip.

However, if you feel like having a go yourself, there are Windscreen Repair Kits available that range in price from $8 to $70.

Here’s how the professionals go about it:

• They will Inspect the impact area
  
  
• Remove loose glass fragments from the chip with a probe or drill into the impact area. Only drilling into the top layer of glass and not into the laminate or bottom glass layers. This allows easy access to the air pocket and for applying the resin.
  
  
• Clean the site or blow away any fragments with compressed air
  
  
• Place a mirror or white piece of paper on the inside of the windscreen, to aid in the viewing of the chip
  
  
• Fix a positioning tool to the windscreen to hold the resin injector in place. The injector creates a vacuum, allowing resin to enter the void while air is being removed. The more effective this vacuum is makes for better results
  
  
• Resin is placed into the injector then held in place onto the windscreen creating a seal directly over the area to be repaired
  
  
• Resin is then forced through the injector into the windscreen numerous times, in cycles, for around 10 minutes.
  
  
• The vacuum forces the resin in while the air is sucked out of the windscreen. You will see bubbles of air escaping through the resin as the two switch places.
  
  
• A UV lamp is then placed at the site to cure the resin. This takes around a minute
  
  
• The injector and positioning tool is removed
  
  
• More resin is then used to fill in the dent/pit that remains on the surface of the windscreen
  
  
• A clear plastic or curing film is then placed over the resin, stopping the resin from creating a bulbous bubble on the windscreen
  
  
• The UV lamp is used again on the site for 30 seconds to cure the resin
  
  
• They carefully remove the film and use a razor blade to remove any excess adhesive from the windscreen
  
  
• Then finish with a polish and a clean

Tips to remember

• Get a chip fixed as soon as possible
• If you have some clear tape, place it over the chip to keep the site clean until it is repaired
• Use an expert windscreen repairer if you’re unsure what to do
• Make sure the windscreen is clean before you start repairs
• Do not clean your windscreen immediately after you have repaired a chip - let it cure

How important is it to repair a windscreen chip?

Don’t put off a windscreen chip repair - get it looked at as soon as possible.

AutoGuru can connect you with mobile windscreen repairers quickly.

If left too long, dirt and moisture will get into the glass and that chip will grow into a crack, potentially obscuring your field of vision and making it impossible to drive your car.

If that happens, you’ll be up for a windscreen replacement – a more expensive proposition to a simple repair.

It’s worth noting that even though you may have repaired a windscreen chip, if it is within the driver’s field of vision the vehicle may not pass a roadworthy inspection and the windscreen may need to be replaced.

As with many issues, if you ignore the little things they usually turn into much bigger problems later, so save yourself the cash and get that chip fixed pronto.