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Proper Windshield Replacement
By gguild | April 7, 2008
Proper windshield replacements–what is the best deal?
So, you are looking for a proper windshield replacement and you are looking for the cheapest deal. Why? There is far more to consider in a proper windshield replacement than price. All things being equal, that might be a valid selection option, but when you think about replacing something that separates hundreds of pounds per square inch of air pressure, road debris, birds and bugs and rocks flipped by the tires of the vehicle in front of you, just buying cheap is not a good move. Finding a person to replace your windshield requires more of you than just picking someone because they represent the cheapest price.
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Proper windshield replacement takes skill—without it you can have even more damage
Proper windshield replacement is a step-by-step process requiring skill and consistency. Removal and a proper windshield replacement is not just a matter of pulling the seal and yanking it out. Windshields are heavy and awkward, to begin with, and a careless removal can damage and deface the surfaces around the window frame, can cut and deface the interior cowling, and can scar headliner trim. If that happens, who is going to pay for those repairs? Would the cheapest shop you can find even carry insurance?
Proper windshield replacement can save very expensive trim repairs
Many of today’s windshields have integrated electronics including radio antennas, GPS system connections, On-Star equipment, and rain sensors. We can only expect more technology in the windshield in the future. A careless cut of one of these wires can create a lot of new damage for you to have repaired. So, are you sure you are looking for the cheapest deal?
Proper windshield replacements are not always done correctly—is it serious? Deadly serious.
Even though a number of things can go wrong in a proper windshield replacement, there are many steps that must be done correctly during the installation process. Experts estimate than an alarming seven out of every ten windshields installed are replaced improperly. Your best defense against non-professional and improperly installed glass is to be sure that the windshield replacement shop you take it to not only certifies with NGA, but that all of their technicians are NGA certified, too.
Proper windshield replacement installation has an order to it
Proper windshield replacement is a carefully executed multi-step process. After removing the old glass and clearing the work area, a trained technician would make sure that all surfaces are masked or padded. Next, all moldings, wipers, cowling and trim are carefully and completely cleared from the windshield. The windshield, itself, must be cut away from what is called the pinch weld in order to remove. Under the windshield is the original urethane adhesive bead and it must be cut back to no more than 1/16 inch. At this point, the activity changes from removal to installation. The pinch weld area needs to be primed, as does the surface of the windshield. The next few steps are critical to a successful installation, and when substandard materials or careless workmanship is involved, this is where the installation is the most vulnerable to failure. A trained windshield replacement technician will use the proper adhesive, usually urethane in most climates and situations. Too many windshield installers use substandard material that bonds too tightly to the metal (causing edge cracking from shock) or too loose with materials such as caulk (causing the windshield to leak or pop out).
Isn’t all windshield glass alike?
The quality of windshield glass, itself, is of concern. Many substandard installations would likely include substandard glass. A proper quality windshield is to supply 40% of the car’s structural integrity and 60% of the strength of the roof in a rollover.
Windshield glass comes in two basic types. One is called OEM windshields (which means Original Equipment Manufacturer) and the other called aftermarket windshields. OEM auto glass are manufactured to the original specifications of the automobile manufacturer for the model of car intended. OEM auto glass is made by the same manufacturer(s) that made the original windshields for the car model. By OEM standards and specifications, OEM auto glass is required to stay in place in frontal barrier crash tests 100% of the time.
Aftermarket auto glass, which is made by any other manufacturer, is not made to the specifications because those manufacturing specifications are not available to them. In all cases that glass is either made in an attempt to copy or to backwards engineer specifications by examining OEM auto glass standards. A lot of aftermarket auto glass is manufactured overseas and aimed at being a cheap alternative to the more expensive (and more carefully manufactured) OEM auto glass products.
NGA-certified windshield replacement and technicians are part of the best deal
The best way to find a person to remove your damaged windshield and replace it with a top-quality OEM one is the limit your search to NGA-certified and trained windshield glass replacement specialists. The importance of your car’s windshield is deadly serious. It is too important of an integrated part of your vehicle to leave it in the care of untrained workers or sub-standard materials. So, when you are looking for that “good deal” you must remember to consider what goes into the better windshield replacement job. You, your family and your vehicle is worth it.