Replacing A Broken Window In Your Car
The windows in your car are made from engineered safety glass, so they break in a specific way. The idea is to ensure there are no large shards of glass left behind after a window breaks. Auto safety glass replacement is not something most people can do at home, but if you have a window that breaks in your car, there are many glass replacement companies that will come to you and replace the glass for you.
Broken Glass
The safety glass used in your car's windows is designed to be durable and is made from tempered glass that will shatter into tiny beads when it breaks. The impact required to break the glass can vary but typically needs to be significant.
Installing the correct replacement glass is essential. Because some cars share the same glass across several models, it is a good idea to have an auto safety glass replacement service order the window for you. The glass may have some options like gradient tinting or an antenna embedded in it, so getting the correct replacement is critical.
Removing The Glass
Removing the damaged glass from the car can come with some challenges. In most modern cars and trucks, the window glass uses a urethane seal that often requires heating to remove it from the window opening. It is critical that the auto safety glass replacement service gets all of the old sealing material off the vehicle or the new seal could leak.
Overheating the paint around the window opening while removing the seal could cause damage or blistering, requiring repainting to repair. As such, the tech needs to work carefully as they remove the material. It is also vital that the paint is not scratched as the exposed metal could rust under the seal and cause the glass to leak over time.
Installing New Glass
Once the tech removes the old glass, they will clean the area around the window to ensure a good seal. The new urethane seal is carefully installed around the opening, making sure it sits flat and does not overlap anywhere.
Once the seal is in place, the tech can set the new glass into the seal, pressing in slightly to make sure the entire glass window bonds to the seal. If there is a gap anywhere around the glass, water will find its way into the vehicle, so it is crucial that the tech checks the seal all the way around the glass.
Once the urethane cures, the seal should last as long as you own the car, but if you see any water inside the glass after auto safety glass replacement, take the vehicle back to the shop and have them check the window for leaks. For more information regarding auto safety glass replacement, contact an auto service.
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