That tiny chip on your windscreen might seem harmless now, but the scorching summer days in WA can quickly cause it to spread. The intense WA heat, combined with a common driving habit, creates the perfect conditions for thermal shock, which can instantaneously turn a small windscreen blemish into a massive crack, not to mention the cost of repairs, as well as the potential to miss out on that summer road trip you’ve been planning. 

The Science Behind Thermal Shock

If you wake up to a chilly morning and dress accordingly, but the temperature hits the mid-20s by noon, it is easy enough for you to remove some layers to cool down. Unfortunately, your car does not work the same, specifically the windscreen. The glass on a car’s windscreen expands as it heats up, and therefore if it heats up enough, for example, in direct sunlight all day, and is then blasted with the air conditioning, it will cause pre-existing chips to expand and worsen, turning into cracks and potentially shattered glass. 

The windscreen on a car parked in direct sunlight during a warm summer’s day in Perth can reach temperatures of up to 60-70 degrees, and when you jump into your car and immediately blast the AC, you are producing cool air as low as 7 degrees. When such a stream of icy-cold air hits the superheated inner surface of your glass windscreen, it creates a rapid localised temperature change. Such a sudden and extreme change in temperature causes parts of the windscreen to change shape, while the rest stays expanded, resulting in thermal shock. 

The pressure seeks out the weakest point in the glass, which is always going to be an existing chip or crack. As a result, a spreading crack or, at worst, a shattered windscreen ultimately compromises the integrity of the glass and prohibits driving.

Don’t Delay: The Cost of Windscreen Repairs vs Replacements 

Once a crack starts to spread, it goes from a more affordable, quick fix in a windscreen chip repair to a more expensive and time-consuming windscreen replacement. A professional windscreen chip repair often takes less than 30 minutes and involves injecting special resin into the damage, restoring the glass’s structural integrity. This is a low-cost service, often covered by insurance. However, once the crack exceeds the size of about a $1 coin or runs too close to the edge of the windscreen, a full windscreen replacement is required, which is considerably more expensive and time-consuming. 

The cost of windscreen repairs is much cheaper compared to a windscreen replacement.  The immediate consequences of an unroadworthy car can be severely disruptive to your life and business if you have a van or truck. No one wants to cancel their summer road trip or find different ways to commute to and from day-to-day life activities, so don’t let a small chip force you to, and get it repaired as soon as you notice it!

Get a Professional Car Windscreen Repair Now 

The best defence against summer windscreen tragedies is swift professional action. Don’t wait for a 40-degree day to find out your chip is going to end up worse than you thought. Contact the specialists at Joondalup Windscreens, who provide professional car windscreen chip repair. By getting a professional windscreen repair service immediately, you are effectively sealing the weak point, preventing thermal shock from turning a minor inconvenience into a major repair bill and a frustrating delay to your summer.