Can Front & Rear Windshields Spontaneously Shatter?
You may have heard a friend in the bar or your child making an excuse that the windshields or other auto glass developed a crack out of nowhere or entirely shattered for no reason. Yes, it happens; but in reality, the breakage might not be as spontaneous as you’d think.
Spontaneously breaking or cracked glass doesn’t happen overnight but has weeks, if not months, of work on it. From drastic temperature fluctuations to car door closing, hitting a pothole, or parking in the sun, all these elements reduce the integrity of your windshield over some time. Then, all it takes to break the camel’s back is a straw!
Here are the reasons mentioned above in a bit more detail;
- Temperature. Cold temperatures can cause a windshield to shrink slightly. When this happens, if there are any cracks in it, they get stretched. When parked in the sun, it expands again, thus putting pressure on cracks or even minor scratches. If this happens frequently, the crack may snap, causing the glass to shatter.
- Poor installation. If your glass isn’t installed correctly, the chances are that it will continue to vibrate with the moving car. There are two possibilities in this case;
- The vibrating glass’s frequency may resonate with that of the body, amplifying the vibrations to shatter it ultimately.
- The loose glass may chip away or get abrasions because of the constant movement. These corners often go unnoticed, which eventually leads to glass shattering.
- Inadequate glass. The auto glass may not be from a reliable source or contain hard impurities from the manufacturer. Imperfections introduced during manufacture
Front and back windshields can generally take a lot of stress, but it needs to be in perfect shape for that. Once it starts getting damaged, you must get your windshield repaired immediately, or you may have to get it replaced.
To get a reliable windshield repair or replacement service, or if you have reason to believe your windshield isn’t installed correctly, give us a call.
