How to Avoid Scratches on Your Windshield
The condition of the windshield has a direct impact on driving comfort and driver safety. In a new condition, it provides perfect visibility of the road and also protects the driver from oncoming wind, dust, dirt, moisture, and stones kicked up by the wheels.
The windshield withstands constant loads, so it tends to lose its quality earlier than other glasses. It can be covered with scratches, cracks, and chips. If you do not plan to receive a junk car quote in the next few years, this article is for you. You are welcome to consider tips that will help you keep your windshield in great condition and extend the life of your car.
Types of windshields
Before determining the rules for protecting windshields, their types should be considered. The main types of windshields that are used in most cars:
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Stalinite. Most often, such glass is used in the side windows of a car. It is distinguished by its high strength, as well as the ability to disintegrate into small rounded fragments upon collision. This allows the person to avoid cuts. High strength is achieved through manufacturing technology. Stalinite is quenched by slowly heating up to 600 degrees and rapidly cooling.
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Duplex. One of the first variants of laminated glass. A duplex is a basic sheet of glass that is covered with a plastic sheet. This approach protects the driver and passengers from fragments and also gives the structure an additional margin of safety. Today, duplex is practically not used in cars, and triplex has come to replace it.
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Triplex. This is the most reliable and common option today. Such glass consists of three layers. These are two sheets of organic or silicate glass with a polymer film laid between them. This film hardens when exposed to light.
This combination provides lightness and high strength, and also significantly increases the safety of the driver and passengers of the car. Upon impact, the glass will not shatter into fragments as they will be held by the polymer layer. And, a flying stone will not break through the glass. It will leave only a chip, which can be easily eliminated with liquid plastic.
In addition to the options described above, in some cars, you can find laminated glass, which consists of many polymer layers. The peculiarity of such a material is its high cost, but it has the highest margin of safety. Laminated windshields can be found in CIT vehicles, armored vehicles, and premium vehicles.
Additional windshield features
In addition to the manufacturing method and materials used, windshields may differ in the presence of additional options and distinctive qualities:
- Colorless glass. This is the most common option. It does not interfere with visibility and does not distort the view.
- Glass tinting. Tinting can be done by the manufacturer. As a rule, it does not exceed 5% and is evenly distributed throughout the glass. Optionally, you can make a gradient tinting by choosing the color and density of the coating.
- With additional features. There are glasses with built-in antennas to improve the quality of communication, radio, or navigation. Some windows have wiper heating or heating of the entire perimeter, preventing the formation of frost. There are also glasses with sensors for air temperature, precipitation, and illumination on the road. They transmit data to the vehicle's onboard computer.
What are the causes of windshield damage?
No matter how strong glass is used in a car, it is subject to external influences under all conditions. While driving, dust, stones, dirt, and other particles fly from under the wheels of the car at high speed, which can leave unpleasant marks.
Glass suffers especially strongly when driving on dirt roads or in winter when there are a large number of harmful reagents on the roads. They also do a fair amount of damage to the glass. Glass can be damaged even by wipers. The dust accumulated under the wipers can leave behind multiple scratches.
These damages are not always visible visually, but in any case, they interfere with the driver's visibility. This is especially noticeable at night in the light of lanterns and oncoming headlights. Poor visibility can cause serious accidents.
How to avoid scratches
The most common option is to protect the glass with armored film. It will take all the impact on itself and, in most cases, will prevent not only the formation of scratches but also chips and cracks, and even protect the car from intruders, preventing the glass from breaking.
The armored film
In addition to protecting the glass from external influences, the armored film has some other advantages:
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It can serve as a car tint.
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The film does not interfere with visibility and leaves the glass transparent.
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Additional insulation against noise, extreme temperatures, and UV exposure.
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The film does not interfere with the operation of wipers, power windows, and other mechanisms.
Other protective measures
The armored film is not enough to fully protect the windshield from scratches. A competent approach to car care is also important. It is worth remembering that dust is one of the main causes of scratches. Frequent wiping of the glass and cleaning of the wipers will help keep the glass and film in good condition for as long as possible.
It is also recommended to pay attention to glass cleaners. Aggressive compounds have a negative impact on protective materials and significantly reduce their effectiveness.
Final thoughts
Armored film and competent care will help to protect the windshield of the car as much as possible and prevent the occurrence of chips, scratches, and cracks. If your car is old enough and you dream of buying a new vehicle, JunkCarsUs will help you speed up the sale process. The company purchases used, old, totaled, and damaged cars at a reasonable price. You can count on quality service; the procedure for selling a car will not take much time. In addition, you can use online calculators to estimate the value of a car. JunkCarsUs buys sedans, hatchbacks, trucks, as well as buses, and RVs.