The cracks on the windshield are practically inevitable as they are caused due to flying debris, change in temperature and so on. As the vehicles travel on bumpy and uneven roads in cities like Gurgaon, cracks can be formed on the car glass, which needs to be taken care and change, in case it expands. The damage can be repaired without having to replace the windshield only if the crack is less than 12 inches long, or if the chip is smaller than a quarter.
Most people are unaware about the fact that there are 14 different types of cracks and chips that can occur on a windshield. We can define the major types of cracks on windshield in following ways:-
1) The Bulls-Eye: As the name suggests it is like bulls eye on a dart board. Expectedly, it is round in shape and there is an obvious purpose of contact with concentric circles around it. Conceding the repair of a bullseye crack will allow soil and oils to progress into the break and ruin it.
2) Star: They have a star like appearance, they are very troublesome as they often spread across the windshield. It happens when an element strikes the windshield and leaves small (now and then long) cracks that branch off from the impact point.
3) The Half Moon: It is very similarto bulls eye crack. Semi- circles caused by blunt impact of small debris. It is easier to get in and clean this crack as it is not a complete circle. There are very slim chances of crack forming half-moon.
4) Combination: It is a mixture of bullseye and star breaks. Even in today’s time combination breaks cannot be completely repaired, it can only be diminished. It is very hard to fix as it often results in missing glass.
5) Edge crack- This crack starts within two inches of edges of windshield. This is one of the most common type of crack.
6) Stress Crack- It is a factor based crack rather than object based like dramatic and sudden temperature change.
7) Floater Crack: These types of cracks occur away from the edges, i.e. in the middle of your windshield.
Fixing the crack early will make it easier to clean and if the crack is fresh the chances of a quality seal will be higher. Failure to fix cracks will lead to expansion from the point of impact and it will eventually fill your windshield, replacing the entire windshield would be the only option. In Chennai, car glass change is very common as minor damages occur every day as the roads are covered in gravel or other debris.
One needs to be careful while driving behind construction vehicles as they often have dirt, rocks, tools, and other materials that could fall off them and onto your car. Precautions should be taken while driving, like to keep a safe distance if you see any construction vehicles ahead, and to protect the windshield from developing cracks.
