About Auto Glass Installations
Auto glass is a safety feature
Many people only look for the lowest price when they shop for auto glass. But there are varying qualities of glass, and levels of installation quality. An improperly installed windshield is virtually useless at protecting you during an accident. That’s why it’s very important to choose a reputable installer. Increase your safety with a new replacement windshield.
Your auto glass provides 40% to 70% of the strength of your vehicle.
In a rollover, the windshield helps the cabin maintain its rigidity, protecting the passengers–which is especially important in minivans with huge windshields. In a front impact, the windshield assists airbag deployment and keeps passengers from being thrown out of the vehicle. The windshield also helps protect you from flying road debris.
Windshield installation quality is affected by 6 factors:
1. Glass Quality
Windshield glass is laminated–a piece of vinyl sandwiched between two pieces of specially strengthened glass. A good windshield matches your old windshield exactly in tint, size, and extra features such as a rain sensor. Cheap installations often use thinner, badly-fitting glass, which is manufactured to a different size and thickness to avoid infringing on the copyright of the companies that make the original glass.
2. Molding
Look at your windshield and you’ll notice that there’s a rubber seal that wraps around all or part of it. Most of the time, the molding is replaced with a windshield replacement.
3. Urethane
Urethane is used to bond the windshield to your vehicle. After an installation, the urethane must have enough time to cure and create a strong bond before you can drive your car. A weakly attached windshield may pop out or buckle in an accident.
4. Temperature and Humidity
Temperature and humidity at the time of installation determine how quickly the urethane cures. Your installer should always give you a safe drive-away time.
5. Existing Windshield Frame
If the windshield frame on your vehicle is bent or rusty, your new windshield may not be able to bond with it properly. A high-quality auto glass installation on a damaged frame can still be unsafe.
6. Installer Ability
All the high-quality materials in the world won’t make up for an auto glass installer who doesn’t have experience and training. It’s worth paying a little more to get a good installer. A windshield price that seems too cheap probably is–and could even be subcontracted to someone else who has little or no training.
Many people only look for the lowest price when they shop for auto glass. But there are varying qualities of glass, and levels of installation quality. An improperly installed windshield is virtually useless at protecting you during an accident. That’s why it’s very important to choose a reputable installer. Increase your safety with a new replacement windshield.
Your auto glass provides 40% to 70% of the strength of your vehicle.In a rollover, the windshield helps the cabin maintain its rigidity, protecting the passengers–which is especially important in minivans with huge windshields. In a front impact, the windshield assists airbag deployment and keeps passengers from being thrown out of the vehicle. The windshield also helps protect you from flying road debris.
Windshield installation quality is affected by 6 factors:
1. Glass Quality
Windshield glass is laminated–a piece of vinyl sandwiched between two pieces of specially strengthened glass. A good windshield matches your old windshield exactly in tint, size, and extra features such as a rain sensor. Cheap installations often use thinner, badly-fitting glass, which is manufactured to a different size and thickness to avoid infringing on the copyright of the companies that make the original glass.
2. Molding
Look at your windshield and you’ll notice that there’s a rubber seal that wraps around all or part of it. Most of the time, the molding is replaced with a windshield replacement.
3. Urethane
Urethane is used to bond the windshield to your vehicle. After an installation, the urethane must have enough time to cure and create a strong bond before you can drive your car. A weakly attached windshield may pop out or buckle in an accident.
4. Temperature and Humidity
Temperature and humidity at the time of installation determine how quickly the urethane cures. Your installer should always give you a safe drive-away time.
5. Existing Windshield Frame
If the windshield frame on your vehicle is bent or rusty, your new windshield may not be able to bond with it properly. A high-quality auto glass installation on a damaged frame can still be unsafe.
6. Installer Ability
All the high-quality materials in the world won’t make up for an auto glass installer who doesn’t have experience and training. It’s worth paying a little more to get a good installer. A windshield price that seems too cheap probably is–and could even be subcontracted to someone else who has little or no training.
The National Glass Association certifies individual auto glass installers. The NGA’s Certified Auto Glass Technician Program has two levels: Certified Auto Glass Technician (CAGT) which requires testing plus at least 6 months experience in auto glass installation, and Certified Master Auto Glass Technician (CMAGT) which requires testing in addition to CAGT certification and 3 years’ experience as an auto glass technician.
