Causes of Windscreen Chips And How You Can Get Them Repaired

There are quite a few adverts showing free windscreen chip repairs but are they really free? Windscreen chips have to be smaller than a £2 coin to be repaired and if they are bigger than that, the windscreen may need to be replaced entirely.

You can sometimes find mobile windscreen chip repairers in big shopping centre car parks offering a free windscreen chip check; in most cases you will find that these companies offer to repair a chip in the windscreen for free. When these companies say they will repair for free, they do say that if you are on a fully comprehensive cover, they will claim the cost of repairs back from your insurance company.

What causes the windscreen to be chipped?

There are loads of factors that can contribute to a chip in the windscreen with the first being flying debris or a stone hitting the windscreen whilst driving. As a consequence, there will be an area of damage around the impact point. There are many different types of damage from a impact point and the two most common are the 'Bulls eye' which is a circular indent or a 'star break' which are small cracks blistering out in all directions from the impact point. Damaged road surfaces and the weather can also cause chips in the windscreen. If you do have a chip, try not to expose the windscreen to extreme temperatures such as turning the AC on high when it's a really hot day and don't throw water on the windscreen if there is frost. The extreme changes in temperatures will cause the chip to become a crack. Try and avoid potholes and poor road surfaces as vibration will also contribute to a crack in the windscreen.

How are windscreen chips repaired?

Having to replace a windscreen will cost on average £275 but in most cases repairing a windscreen is sufficient and much cheaper. Here are the steps taken to repair a windscreen chip:

• The chip on the windscreen is assessed and cleaned removing grime and dirt
• A guide is placed securely around it
• The area with the chip and surrounded areas are filled will a fluid to fill it
• Sometimes heat is used to help cure it but most places now use UV light
• The area is polished to flatten the glass

The repair job can be a simple job but sometimes when the guide is placed around the chip, it can cause the windscreen to crack instead and a new windscreen would be needed. Repairing a chip in the windscreen will not be completely invisible as you will still notice the area that was repaired - be careful of cowboys as they will make the chip look worse than it was before. Repairing a chip doesn't always guarantee that it will stop it from cracking as there are many people who have had problems after a repair. However most well known companies offer a lifetime guarantee, so if you have any problems you can always go back for a fix.

Most insurers will cover the cost of repairs for a chip in the windscreen without you having to lose your no claims bonus and without having to cough up the excess. Just check with your insurer before you decide to go ahead as not all insurance companies have windscreen repair as part of their fully comp insurance policy.