(ARA) - Windshield dings love to travel. Driving means extra vibration. And vibration helps little dings grow into big cracks. Extended driving also means running the heater or air conditioner, which causes radically different temperatures on the inside and outside of the windshield. Engineers call this temperature stress "thermal shock." Dings call it "growth food."
Fixing a small ding costs as little as $50 to $60. Replacing a cracked windshield can cost hundreds of dollars; on some cars, the cost is much more. Dings that have a cone shape, a circle deep in the glass, or a star shape with points spreading out are the most likely to expand into a cracked windshield.
"Once a ding or star expands, windshield replacement is often the only option," said Leo Cyr, Vice President for Marketing at NOVUS Windshield Repair.
NOVUS, with more than 2,600 specially trained windshield repair technicians worldwide, was founded 28 years ago. The company has repaired or replaced nearly 20 million windshields in cars, vans, pickups and sport-utility vehicles.
"We repair whenever possible. If necessary, we also do replacement, but that is a last resort. We prefer to fix, not replace," said Cyr.
NOVUS repairs windshields without removing the glass from the car. This benefit of repair work means the job is done faster and the factory installed seal between the windshield and the vehicle body remains intact. Since passenger side air bags deploy off the windshield, preserving the factory seal is an important safety consideration.
Often, a NOVUS repair can be done at no cost to the vehicle owner. Many insurance companies pay the full cost of the NOVUS repair by waiving the policyholder's deductible. Even so, some consumers prefer to pay the reasonable cost of repair directly and avoid filing an insurance claim.
"Windshield repair appeals to cost conscious insurance companies," said Cyr, "because repair is the most economical solution to windshield damage. The savings generated by windshield repair help insurance companies keep their premium rates affordable and competitive. That means the policyholder benefits twice. Strength and clarity is restored to the windshield, and, repair contributes to the stability of auto insurance rates. Everybody wins."
The key to assuring an effective windshield ding repair is to act quickly. Do not attempt any repair yourself, without special equipment and training, all you will do is contaminate the ding, making repairs more difficult if not impossible. You can "band-aid" patch by putting a piece of clear packing tape over the ding. Make sure the tape doesn't obstruct your vision. The tape won't prevent the ding from spreading, but will protect it from contamination.
Until the ding is fixed, avoid washing the vehicle, the soap and water can contaminate the ding. Also, don't run the defroster, heater or air conditioning on high settings and don't park the vehicle in the sun. Rapid changes in interior temperature or prolonged exposure to sunlight can stress and weaken the windshield, causing the ding to expand.
If you get a ding while driving on vacation, don't wait until you get home to have it repaired. The longer you drive with a ding, the more likely it is to expand into a cracked windshield.
NOVUS has a free "800" number for more information or to locate the nearest NOVUS technician. Call 800/77-NOVUS (800/776-6887).
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