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Is It Possible to Stop a Windshield Crack From Spreading?

27 January 2021

Luke Foster

Windshield cracks are quite common, especially if you drive on gravel roads or drive on the highway often. When your windshield becomes cracked while you're driving, you'll need to do something about it as quickly as possible. Windshield cracks can easily spread, and they can't be repaired when they become too large.

Additionally, a windshield crack that spreads to the driver's side of your windshield can obstruct your view while you're driving. This is a safety hazard, and you can potentially be pulled over by the police and ticketed for it. To learn more about what causes windshield cracks to spread and how you can stop it, read on.

What Causes a Windshield Crack to Spread?

Windshield cracks commonly spread due to rapid changes in temperature. The glass in your car's windshield will undergo thermal expansion and contraction as its temperature changes. If you turn on your windshield defrosters in the morning to remove ice that has collected on your windshield overnight, the sudden rise in temperature will cause the glass to expand. This often results in windshield cracks spreading.

Differences in temperature between the outdoors and the interior of your car can cause cracks to spread as well. Car windshields are made out of tempered laminated glass, which means that it consists of two pieces of tempered glass that are attached to a vinyl sheet between them. If it's hot outside and you keep your air conditioner very cold, the outside windshield glass will expand more than the cooler inside windshield glass. This causes tension on the windshield, which can lead to cracks spreading.

Finally, cracks can spread if you close your car door too hard or if you drive over a bumpy road. Your car's windshield is solidly secured to the car's frame, so vibrations travel through it very easily. Excessive vibration from driving on a bumpy road or slamming your car door places stress on the windshield, causing cracks to spread.

Can You Stop a Windshield Crack From Spreading?

You can often stop a windshield crack from spreading by filling it with resin. You can purchase windshield crack repair kits at most automotive stores, which contain everything you need to fill a crack with resin.

However, you need to take care while using these repair kits. You'll need to use the applicator that comes with the kit to force the resin into the crack in order to stop the crack from spreading. Forcing resin into the crack carries a risk that you'll cause the crack to worsen since your windshield glass in that area is very weak. This can make professional repairs more difficult.

Another method that you can use to stop a windshield crack from spreading is to drill a very shallow hole on both ends of the crack. The crack won't be able to spread beyond the holes. This method also carries risks, as you can easily cause damage to your windshield while trying to drill holes in it. In addition, this method of stopping a crack from spreading can sometimes cause the crack to spider out in multiple directions, making it worse.

If your windshield is cracked and you don't have the time or money for professional windshield crack repair, carefully filling the crack with resin is a good method of preventing the crack from becoming worse. You risk causing greater damage to your windshield by applying resin to the crack, but it can sometimes be worth it in order to prevent a crack from spreading into an area where it obscures your vision while driving. If you don't want to risk causing further damage to your windshield, call a windshield crack repair service in your area and have the crack inspected and filled by a professional.

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