Need to Replace Your Windshield ? Why You Want OEM Auto Glass

Rock chips come in all shapes and sizes. There is the ‘half moon’ or ‘starssburst shape’, small pieces of glass that has been ‘chipped’ , or ‘spider’ cracks that can start out tiny but stretch to 10-12” inches long. The list goes on and no matter what the shape or size, even the smallest are a pain to deal with because they can block vision and cause multiple cracks to form.

Due to the various types of rock chips that can form it’s hard to know if your windshield needs to be immediately repaired or replaced. The rule of thumb is to have it inspected immediately. Another rule of thumb is that if a crack is 6 “long or smaller it can repaired and anything bigger than this must be replaced.

OEM Benefits vs. Aftermarket Auto Glass
If you’re in need of windshield replacement you’ll want to consider ‘OEM’ auto glass which stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer and refers to auto glass that requires 100 percent windshield retention in front barrier crash tests. Standard or aftermarket auto glass (aftermarket parts are ones that are sold to replace the original parts of a vehicle) only requires 80 percent windshield retention. OEM auto glass is also thicker and will traditionally fit better in your car whereas aftermarket parts have a higher rate of leakage, outside noise, and optical distortion.

Important Windshield Facts
Your car windshield is designed not only to keep out the cold air and flying rocks from entering your car while on the road, but also to keep you from being tossed onto the asphalt in the event of the accident. How is this so? Any car windshield is made up of two pieces of glass that are separated by a layer of polyvinyl butyrate (or ‘PBV’) that keeps the two pieces together. Most insurance will cover rock chip repair, but will charge you a deductable for a replacement.