It’s happened to almost every driver. You’re driving along, minding your own business, when, all of a sudden, a rock flies up and thwacks sharply into your windshield. Your good mood slips away as it becomes immediately obvious that the impact has inflicted some damage.  

If you’re looking at a long, jagged crack, chances are high that there’s a total windshield replacement in your future. But what if that errant rock leaves behind just a dot, or a small, spider-web like impression? Will it stay like that or eventually spread? Can it be repaired or do you need a whole new piece of glass? How long can you safely continue to drive before getting it fixed?

So many questions! And this blog has all the answers …

Chips vs. Cracks

Chips refer to small, localized areas of damage that usually take the shape of a dot or a bullseye. When an impact causes a fragment of glass to break clean away from the surface, this is what is usually left behind. A crack, on the other hand, is an uninterrupted line that, if it’s long enough, can separate your windshield into two larger sections.  

Windshield chips are more likely to stay put, while windshield cracks are more likely to spread with time, vibration and temperature changes. An unrepaired chip can progress into a crack, but it doesn’t usually work the other way around as a general rule.

Size Matters (But Location Does Too)

Depending on size and placement, a chip that looks a little like a bullseye can often be successfully repaired. In contrast, a windshield crack is quite likely to grow, eventually affecting the integrity and stability of the whole windshield.

If your windshield chip is about the size of a Loonie coin (about 25mm across) or smaller, chances are it can be fixed. If it’s any bigger than that, or if it has cracks radiating out from the centre, a full replacement might be your recommended course of action.

But the location of the damage plays a factor as well. Although it may be just a small chip, your windshield repair technician might still recommend a full replacement if it’s sitting directly in the driver’s line of site. That’s because the chip repair process can result in visual distortion of the surrounding area—an effect that may be amplified in certain light and weather conditions.  

Can Windshield Cracks Ever Be Repaired?

While it is technically possible for some cracks to be repaired, it’s not the most common course of action. If a crack measures more than 15 cm across and/or branches off in multiple directions, it’s not a good candidate for repair. And whenever a windshield crack extends to the edge of the glass, the structural bond between frame and glass has likely been compromised, so it’s best not to take any chances.

There’s no way to tell for sure if a windshield chip will grow into a crack, although most of them eventually do. While you can choose to take a wait-and-see approach, it’s a bit of a gamble, since fixing a crack is going to cost more than fixing a chip. For that reason alone, many drivers choose to err on the side of caution and pay the piper right away.

How Do They Repair Windshield Damage? And How Much Will It Cost??

In a nutshell, a clear resin is injected, under pressure, into the damaged area, after which the void left by the broken glass is almost completely filled. Next, the area is exposed to UV light, which causes it to bond with the surrounding glass, thereby restoring structural strength. Since the resin has similar qualities to the glass, UV light exposure also minimizes the likelihood that the repaired area will be visually distorted, as described above.

Fixing a chip or crack is a lot faster than replacing a whole windshield—often requiring less than an hour—and many auto body shops can do it while you wait. Windshield chip repair will cost you around $50-150, but you’re looking at $300-$1000 (or much more if you want OEM glass) to replace a whole windshield. Windshield replacements in vehicles with advanced driver assistance systems cost the most of all, because it takes extra time and special equipment to recalibrate the cameras and sensors mounted near the windshield.

Comprehensive auto insurance often covers windshield damage, and many insurance companies will waive the deductible for a windshield repair (they’d rather pay a lesser amount now for repair than much more for replacement down the line). Coverage and deductible terms vary by policy, so be sure to confirm your coverage before you make any decisions. And as always, be sure to request a detailed estimate from your repair facility up front.

Focus on Safety, Not Cosmetics

Strength and stability, not invisibility, are the factors you should consider in assessing a quality windshield repair. Especially in certain light conditions or at certain angles, you may still be able to see a mark or detect a visual difference from the surrounding glass, and this is completely normal.

Just make sure your repair results check all the right boxes: As long as …

• the initial damage will not be able to spread,
• sufficient clarity has been restored to the glass,
• and the windshield is structurally sound enough to protect you in case of another impact or collision …

then you can safely assume that your windshield repair has been a complete success!