The windshield in your car or truck is designed to keep the weather and debris from the road outside. While the glass is durable, damage can occur with a significant impact on the glass, and repairing the glass or having a windshield replacement could be necessary. 

Chips And Cracks

A chip or crack on your vehicle's windshield can quickly become a problem. Once a crack starts, it can expand and travel across the glass until the glass becomes weak and the driver can not safely see out the windshield. If the damage is minor, a windshield replacement company may be able to repair the glass, but repairs are most effective if they are made relatively soon after the damage occurs. 

The advantage to repairing a crack in the glass is that the factory seal on the windshield remains intact, minimizing the chance of leaks around the glass. The glass will be just as strong with the repair if done correctly, but the crack or chip must be relatively small and can not be actively spreading or running for the repair to work. 

Repairs are often cheaper than a complete windshield replacement but should only be done if it is safe. The windshield repair tech will look at the crack and determine if it can be fixed or not when you bring the car to the shop. 

Broken Glass

A windshield that is damaged enough to break the glass needs a complete windshield replacement because the glass becomes unstable and cannot be repaired. The glass will often stay intact because there is a sheet of polyethylene plastic film between the inner and outer layers of the glass, but heavy damage still allows small pieces to fall out over time. 

Removing the broken windshield and installing a new one can take a few hours, depending on the vehicle. Still, most auto glass shops offer the option to do a windshield replacement at the shop or send a mobile unit to you to make the repair more convenient. The time it takes for the mobile windshield replacement should be about the same as if you take the car in for repair.

However, if you have a busy day, you can drop the car off at the shop in the morning and pick it up later in the day, while mobile repair means waiting for the tech to come and make the repair before you can do anything else. In either case, the cost involved should be similar, with some mobile services charging a small fee for coming out to make the repair for you.