Keep your autoglass safe from weather changes
Spring has officially sprung in Minnesota! While many people are heading outside to enjoy the warmer temperatures, they may start to notice those tiny little cracks and chips in their windshields are suddenly not so tiny anymore.
Winter is rough on a vehicle’s glass. Gravel and salt are often necessary to make the roads safer, while ice scrapers and windshield wipers are needed to see clearly through windows while driving. Auto glass can become fragile when exposed to colder temps, making it more susceptible to cracking or chipping, and those grains of salt and gravel, scrapers, and wipers can all weaken or even cause small chips in windshields.
Weather fluctuations can make a minor problem a major one.
When the temperature outside fluctuates between cold and warm weather, the glass on a windshield will contract and expand – giving those tiny chips a chance to spread. When fractures in the glass collect moisture that freezes and expands, the fractures can become larger cracks.
It’s not only the swings in temperature that can cause chips to spread. Minnesotans know the pain of pothole season. Winter weather that melts and refreezes does to roads what it does to auto glass, and the small cracks in the roadways become larger hazards seemingly overnight. People often think potholes are bad for only a car’s suspension, but hitting a large pothole while driving can worsen already existing damage in auto glass!
Even though Minnesota enjoyed a mild winter, there were still plenty of cold temps and snow showers. If this past winter was unkind to your car’s windshield, Apollo Glass can help! Contact us today to fix the damage that winter left behind. And if you do need your windshield replaced, here are some tips to keep your new windshield from damage next winter:
- Park in a garage to avoid ice and snow collecting on your vehicle. If you can’t park your vehicle in a covered structure, cover your windshield with a blanket hail car cover to help reduce potential damage.
- Be gentle when using an ice scraper. Let your defroster do the hard work for you!
- Replace your windshield wiper blades if they are worn or damaged.
- Avoid potholes when possible, or drive slowly if they are unavoidable.
- Pay extra attention and give space to oversized vehicles, including construction vehicles and semis. These vehicles are more likely to kick up debris, rocks, and other items on the road that can chip and crack your auto glass.
