Any of these stone chips can be repaired. Beyond looking for these types of common chips, it is important to take into consideration the size of the damage. If the damage cannot be covered by a half dollar, the chip is too large to be repaired. Another important piece of information to consider is the acute area. The acute area is the area of the automobile windshield chip repair directly in the drivers line of vision. It is the same size as a piece of paper being held horizontally in front of the driver. In this area, the National Glass Association does not recommend a repair being done unless it is no greater than .95 of an inch. An easier way to imagine this is that a quarter should be able to cover the entire area of damage in the acute area.
Good question. Windshield crack repair equipment varies widely among companies. High quality resins, injections and air removal methods vary from company to company and can affect the finished repair. Quality injection units and high quality resins are as important as the technicians performing the crack repairs. The quality resins create stronger bonds and resist yellowing better than inexpensive resins. Quality injection equipment will remove more air and the injection capabilities provide a higher quality crack repair.
Now that you know what can and can't be repaired, there's one more thing to consider. Time!! Many factors like extreme heat or cold and even your air conditioning cooling down the windshield on a hot day can cause the damage to get worse. The longer you wait to repair the damage, it could spread and may turn a repairable situation into a full blown windshield replacement costing YOU more. Most insurance companies WILL cover a rock chip on the windshield at no cost to you. Speak with your insurance agent to get more information on what they will cover when it comes to windshield damage.
One more repair that can set you behind financially if you don't get done right away is windshield repair. A lot of times our windshields get cracks or chips from road debris that kicks up on the road. If the damaged windshield is taken in for repair promptly, it can be repaired. However if you wait too long you will have to end up buying and replacement windshield and paying to have it installed which is much more costly than a simply repair. Also some shops will offer a mobile service where they will come to you to repair your windshield.
If the crack looks exactly the same when completed, it's very likely the technician didn't inject the resin properly. A properly completed repair with cause each area of the damage to disappear from at least from one angle of vision (ex: looking from one side, looking from below, looking from above, etc.).
The entire cost can be paid out of pocket to avoid involving the insurance company or a person can choose to go through the claims process. When going through the insurance company, the deductible often needs to be met before the insurance company will take care of any costs and there is a chance that a driver's rates will go up in the next year.