Even a small chip in your auto glass can turn into a very serious problem if this chip is not repaired in a timely fashion. Once the strength of your auto glass is compromised, minor damage will often begin to spread rather quickly. The problem is you may not have the money to rush right out and get your auto glass repaired the moment you notice the damage.
There are steps that you can take to prevent this damage from spreading until you are able to get the glass repairs that you need:
Keeping Moisture Out
Moisture is your enemy when trying to prevent the damage to your auto glass from spreading. When moisture becomes trapped between the two panes of glass, it will cause the glass to expand and will ultimately compromise the strength of the glass further. This is a recipe for disaster. It's extremely important that you take steps to keep moisture out of you auto glass.
The easiest and most effective way to accomplish this goal is to quickly place a piece of waterproof tape over the damaged area. Before doing so, always make sure that the glass underneath is completely dry. This will prevent you from locking any moisture inside.
Next, cut your piece of tape at least a few inches longer than the actual damage to your auto glass. This will help to create an airtight, waterproof seal around the damage.
Avoid Extreme Or Fluctuating Temperatures
Like many materials, glass expands and contracts when exposed to fluctuating or extreme temperatures. While this is a natural process that typically will not do any damage to your auto glass, it can cause existing damage to spread at an alarming rate.
Therefore, it is extremely important that you do everything you can to avoid extreme temperature changes.
When parking your vehicle, be sure to always park under shelter whenever possible. If sheltered parking is not available, a tarp or car cover can be used to help protect the glass from outside temperature.
You will also need to be mindful of the way you use you vehicle's heating and cooling systems. Rather than turning your air conditioner or defroster on full blast in order to try and achieve a comfortable temperature or better visibility, you will need to slowly increase or decrease the temperature inside your vehicle.
A Final Thought
While using the tips above can help to prevent your auto glass damage from spreading, these steps will not remain effective forever. Therefore, you will still need to ensure that the damage is properly repaired as quickly as possible if you truly want to prevent the damage from getting worse.
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