Not all windshield damage requires replacement. A small chip from a stone can be healed, but it has to be done quickly. windshield chips don’t shrink; they don’t stay small. They GROW! And theygrow QUICKLY
Your windshield does far more than block wind and debris — it’s a critical structural component of your vehicle. In the event of a collision or rollover, the windshield can provide up to 30% of the cabin’s structural strength, helping support the roof and protect occupants. When your windshield is damaged, the safety and integrity of your entire vehicle can be compromised.
What many drivers don’t realize is that a rock chip creates a weak spot in the glass where moisture, dirt, and air can seep in. During colder weather, that moisture can freeze and expand, causing the crack to spread. In warmer temperatures, heat causes the glass to expand as well, which can make the damage grow even larger. No matter the season, an unrepaired chip can quickly turn into a much bigger problem.
Pennsylvania and New Jersey laws apply to what level of tint is allowed on windshields, back glass and door glass. We can help you choose the best tint for your vehicle.
The repair process fills the damaged area with a specialized optical resin that bonds to the glass and hardens under UV light. This resin stops the damage from spreading and restores the strength of the glass to near-original levels. The chip will still be visible — you’ll see a slight mark where the damage was — but the windshield will be structurally sound again.
Our technician carefully inspects the chip to evaluate its size, depth, type, and location. They determine whether the damage affects only the outer layer of the laminated glass or extends deeper, and whether the chip is located in an area that may make repair unsafe or ineffective — such as directly in the driver’s line of sight or along the edge of the windshield.
The damaged area is thoroughly cleaned to remove loose glass particles, dirt, moisture, and other debris. This is a crucial step, as any contamination trapped inside the chip can become permanently sealed beneath the resin, affecting the appearance and overall quality of the repair.
A specialized bridge tool is secured to the windshield over the damaged area using suction cups, keeping the resin injector perfectly aligned with the chip. The injector first creates a vacuum to remove trapped air from the damaged cavity before the resin is applied, helping the resin bond more effectively to the glass for a stronger, cleaner repair.
A specially engineered optical resin, designed to closely match the clarity and refractive properties of your windshield glass, is carefully injected under controlled pressure into the chip and surrounding fracture lines. As the resin spreads through the damaged area, it pushes out any remaining trapped air. For more complex damage, the process may be repeated several times to ensure the chip is completely filled.
Once the resin has completely filled the damaged area, a UV curing lamp is placed over the repair to harden the material. The ultraviolet light activates a chemical process that permanently bonds the resin to the surrounding glass, creating a strong, durable repair with hardness similar to the original windshield glass.
Any remaining excess resin is carefully scraped away, and the repaired area is polished smooth for a clean finish. The technician then performs a final inspection to ensure the repair is structurally secure, the fracture lines have been properly filled, and no air pockets remain. Once complete, your vehicle is ready to drive immediately.
Overall, the glass chip repair process typical takes about 30 minutes from beginning to end and AC Auto Glass Works can perform this repair at our shop in Washington NJ, or at your home, workplace or jobsite. This repair is not designed to make you website ‘pretty’, it’s designed to keep you safe — and saving you from a costly full replacement.
EVERY HOUR COUNTS! Every mile driven with an unrepaired rock chip gives heat, vibration, and road stress more opportunity to turn minor damage into a major crack. A quick repair today — often completed in about 30 minutes and frequently covered by insurance — can help you avoid a costly windshield replacement and unnecessary downtime later.
