This is one of the most common questions we ever get and unfortunately there is no straight forward answer. However, we can let you know about some of the common factors that cause a windscreen to deteriorate more rapidly from a small crack or chip (usually caused by a stone bouncing up off the road) that would only require a small repair, to a whole windscreen replacement, which is more costly.

Something overlooked by a lot of car owners is that glass expands and contracts in temperature fluctuations a bit like wood. Although the effect on glass is less, than wood, wood is much more flexible and has more give in it, whereas glass is obviously more brittle. So, you would need to think about things like… where is your car overnight? Do you park it outside on a drive or on the street? We are nearly in winter now, so your windscreen will definitely be at risk of icing over. And the of course, the sun might melt that during the day, or you may use a hot kettle to clear your windscreen, all of which will hasten the deterioration. In the summer, the risk is your car being in the sun and the glass heating up.

The other major factor to how quickly window crack or chip will become a more serious problem, is vibration. Obviously all driving involves vibration but if you are up and down the bumpy roads of Scotland and facing those dreaded speed humps, then this is another factor.

At Strathclyde Windscreens we have said it before but we genuinely care about your safety! We don’t want you to suffer a full windscreen fail, so let us sort out that crack or chip as soon as you can manage. This time of year, it’s just not worth the risk of waiting. And as you should know by now, we always offer our customers very competitive prices so why wait?