Automotive glass is a barrier that keeps you safe on all accounts, but is often left unloved by many motorists. Not because people don’t appreciate its role, but because it fulfills its purpose so well. That is, until something goes wrong.
Even if modern auto glass services have made it easier than ever to replace faulty glass on the fly, nobody wants to put up with the headache. You'll be kicking yourself for not doing more to protect it while you wait for a tech to handle the repairs.
Despite the fragility of glass, what's used on your car is actually really tough. It has to be in order to stand up to the many harsh conditions it faces on the roadways. Still, the pains of chipping, fading, scratching, delamination, and general deterioration of your automotive glass are inevitable.
That doesn't mean there's nothing you can do to protect it – or actively extend its life expectancy. There are plenty of practices and products out there to help you preserve automotive glass, and we're here to talk you through them.
Using the Right Physical Shields
Covering automotive glass while retaining visibility is a tall order. It's not impossible, though. There are plenty of over-the-shelf solutions that can do exactly that. Some of them may not work exactly as you'd immediately imagine, but they're all effective in their own right and are worth using if you want to get the most out of your car's glass.
Bug Shields
A bug shield is one of the best accessories you can install to protect your windshield. These simple devices are installed on the hood of the car, just above the grille. As opposed to simply acting as a barrier, they redirect airflow up over the windshield. This creates a condition that keeps bugs and small debris from ever making contact with your car. They can't save you from everything, but the numerous small hits they do save you from will stack up over time, making them a worthy investment.
Sunshades
Sunshades, while mostly used to regulate interior temperatures, can also play a vital role in safeguarding your windshield from the intense heat it faces during the summer. The sun's rays are harmful to just about everything in high doses, and that includes automotive glass. One of the problems it creates is making the glass more susceptible to cracking. By using a reflective sunshade that reduces heat, you can also reduce the issue, effectively retaining your windshield's natural ability to fend off threats.
Frost Cover
While sunshades can help heat up the interior in the cold season, they can't protect automotive glass from winter's many threats. Ice and snow piling up on the windshield may seem relatively harmless, but they can pose risks to the glass, especially when the time comes for you to clean it off. There's a good chance you can cause some serious damage if you're not careful.
A frost cover is a simple barrier you lay over the windshield prior to a car sitting through a snowstorm. When the storm finishes, or it's time to leave, you simply lift it off the vehicle, and the snow and ice go along with it. It's effective and, best of all, easy to use.
Hydrophobic Coatings
The use of hydrophobic coatings may be something you're already doing, but it's worth double-checking. Products like Rain-X are specifically designed to repel water, frost, and ice from your glass surfaces. This not only enhances visibility but also eliminates the need for harsh physical methods. You might unknowingly be using it, as it's often integrated into windshield washer fluid. If you're not already incorporating it, consider making the switch to seamlessly integrate added protection into your routine.
Protective Films
While they aren't the most common piece of protection you'll find, protective films are available for automobile windshields. These transparent barriers lay directly over the top of your windshield, offering it a layer of protection from rock chips and road debris.
Premade windshield protective films are really only popular for select makes and models – specifically those often used for off-roading. This is because they're not really necessary for highway use, and best serve their purpose in conditions where rocks and branches blast the glass regularly. If you do want one for a street-driven vehicle, look for a custom installer in your area.
Best Practices to Preserve Glass
While it's easy to give a product credit for keeping your automotive glass safe, the biggest differences are going to come from changes made to your daily habits. Don't worry, most of these aren't going to require a huge shift in your behavior, nor will they require you to act in constant fear of damaging the windows. Again, auto glass is really tough stuff, so most of these tips are little more than practicing basic mindfulness.
Safe Following Distances
Rocks and debris that tear up a windshield can seem to come from nowhere when you're traveling down the interstate. The reality is that they're thrown from vehicles in front of you. In some rare cases, there's nothing you can do to avoid them. Most of the time, however, practicing safe following distances is enough to keep road debris from chewing up your vehicle.
Stay On Top of Your Wipers
Windshield wipers are worn items that come in direct contact with the glass. Over time, the rubber wipes will break down, causing the mechanism to drag metal across the windshield. They can dig into the glass, so take care to replace the wipers before this happens.
Let Your Heater Do the Work
There's no reason to go prying doors and windows open when winter freezes them shut. Use a remote start to let the car warm up and melt away the ice. If you don't have one, you should only open what door you need to start the vehicle and run the defroster to achieve the same goal.
Be Mindful of the Elements
Simply put, don't drive in harsh or poor visibility conditions. Wind, ice, hail, and road debris are all heightened threats in these conditions, and it's likely they'll damage the glass or worse. Unless it's an emergency, your best bet is to stay put and wait out the weather to get the most out of your automotive glass and to keep yourself out of harm's way.
Identifying the Damage
Before we leave you, we'd like to run through the types of damage often found on automotive glass just short of total destruction. Again, deterioration is inevitable, and, at some point, your only choice is to replace the glass altogether. For your safety, as well as the safety of everyone around you, it's important to know when you've crossed that threshold.
- Chips are small chunks taken from glass on impact with debris. Small chips don't warrant replacing the windshield altogether, but should be filled before they can spread into a crack.
- Cracks occur on hard impact or when chips are left untreated. While some local laws may allow some cracks to exist so long as they don't impede vision, they generally should inspire you to replace the windshield as it is now compromised.
- Scratches/Fading. Over time, automotive glass will accrue small scratches and blemishes that cause it to fade. Thankfully, glass restoration is possible through polishing. However, any deep gouges should be taken seriously and possibly lead to the replacement of the glass if it's bad enough.
- Delamination is a situation where the film between the panes of glass begins to fail and peel. When it does, there's no coming back, and the glass must be replaced.