What's the difference between the windshield and the other glass in my vehicle? Isn't it all the same?

No. There's a very important difference between your windshield and the rest of the glass in your vehicle.

Your windshield is made up of safety glass. Laminated safety glass is made up of two pieces of glass with a thin layer of vinyl sandwiched between them. The special construction is designed to offer optimum safety in a crash.

When a small object strikes your windshield, often only the first layer of the glass is damaged. This is what makes the windshield rock chip repair possible.

In a more severe impact, the glass shatters but does not fly apart. The broken pieces of glass adhere to the vinyl inner lining and prevent shards of glass from flying into the passenger area.

The side and rear windows of your vehicle are made of curved tempered glass. As the name implies, the glass has been tempered. It is put through a special process where it is heated, then rapidly cooled. This tempering process makes the glass up to 10 times stronger than normal window glass.

The side and back windows of your vehicle do not shatter into large dangerous shards of glass. It breaks into very small dull-edged pieces.

I have a rock chip in my windshield, is it really important that I fix it right away?

Yes. It's important for two reasons.

1. If the damage is small, it may be repairable. This means our repair person can "mend" the damage without replacing your entire windshield. The whole process takes less that 30 minutes and can be done at your home or business. A rock chip repair preserves the original factory seal and is fully guaranteed by All Auto Glass. If for any reason it fails, we'll apply the cost of the repair towards your windshield replacement cost.

Rock chips should be repaired as soon as possible. The longer you let the damage remain without having it fixed, the more dirt and road film will collect in the damaged area. The damage could also spread. Call All Auto Glass today. It could save your windshield.

2. The second reason to have a damaged windshield fixed is for you own safety. Your windshield is much more than just a "shield" from wind and road debris. It's an important structural element of your vehicle, In front end collisions, the windshield is the "backboard" for the passenger side airbag. An airbag deploys at speeds up to 150 to 200 miles per hour. This incredible force must be absorbed by your windshield. If your windshield is cracked or weakened, it could be dangerous to you and your passengers in the event of an accident.

Whether your windshield needs a rock chip repair or a complete replacement, you can trust that All Auto Glass will do it right. We have NGA certified technicians and guarantee all our work.