Portland Windshield repair have saved people millions and millions of dollars over the years by letting factory installed auto glass to be safely repaired with technically designed plastic resins. In the early 60’s coated windshield glass was introduced. With the use of polyvinyl butyral the inner layer that coated glass came into wider use by auto makers. It wasn’t until the early 1970’s that true windshield repairs become possible. Before then, all that could be done was to force some oil-based fluid into the spoiled area to disguise it, but the results were poor and offered no real repair qualities to the safety or strength of the spoiled area, as you can well imagine.
A professionally installed modern windshield maintains car occupants safer in more ways than many people recognize, it is significantly much more than a barrier against the wind, rain, sun, snow and any other weather condition. Nowadays, a windshield is a crucial component in the structural integrity and protection of the passenger compartment, not just a wind protector. An unsafe windshield, one that is not properly installed or has been damaged by debris, can certainly cause personal injury or even death. If the windshield detaches from the vehicle in an accident, the lives of occupants might be at much higher risk.
Poor quality repairs can happen even when the most qualified repair person is in charge of repairing your windshield. Windshield glass is layered like a sandwich, and it’s the outer layer of glass that receives all the movement from the harsh road environment. The poly layer in the middle flexes and holds the inner and outer layers of glass together so breakage is reduced and strength is added to the vehicle’s roof. When an object hits the windshield it will cause a hole or split that runs to the inner glass layer. Even when the damage is minor, the first thing that immediately pollutes the area that is broken is good old air, and it’s that air that shows up as a dark gray mark within the windshield. Don’t get confused by this blemishing for water or dirt settling inside the injured area. The splinter in the glass layer can be so tight that moisture in any form could not penetrate the area.
Good visibility and secure protection from the weather are both very crucial and important roles of a windshield, but although these features are what mostly concern drivers, the role of the windshield in the vehicle’s SRS (Safety Restraint System) is its main function. Always keep in mind that the decision between a cheap auto glass installation with cheap parts and an expert windshield installation with quality parts can mean the difference between surviving and loosing a life in a collision or roll-over.
Keep that original windshield as long as you can to keep your factory seal, and don’t replace it until it is completely needed, because the predictable information is windshields break when hit. So have it repaired with the right products and material, you might have to look through it every day.
Metro Auto Glass can help you with your Portland windshield repair or replacement, we strive to provide the highest quality windshield repair and replacement in Portland and the Portland Metro Area. Simply give us a call at 503.654.0114 or get an online quote at http://www.metroautoglass.net/get-a-quote.html