What You Should Know About Replacing Any Glass in Your Vehicle
Replacing any glass in your vehicle requires some knowledge of the glass and retaining system used to secure it. Auto safety glass replacement is not always complicated, but it is often best left to a repair shop or tech with the tools to do the job right and ensure the glass will not leak or fall out.
Understanding Safety Glass
All of the glass used in your vehicle is an automotive-grade safety glass USDOT (United State Department Of Transportation) approved for use in cars, trucks, and SUVs and must be used for auto safety glass replacement. Some glass, like the windshield, is a type of laminated glass that is designed to stay intact in an accident.
Side window glass and the rear window are typically made from tempered glass intended to shatter and fall out of the window when it breaks. While the protection method is different for these two glass types, they are both rated for use in auto safety glass replacement in the proper place in the vehicle.
Windshield Replacement
Replacing the windshield in your vehicle is more common than replacing other glass. Because the windshield is in the front of the car, it is the window most commonly impacted by rocks and other debris that can damage the glass. If your windshield is damaged, an auto safety glass replacement service can remove the glass and install a new windshield in about an hour for most vehicles.
Most modern windshields use a urethane seal around the glass to keep water out and retain the glass. The old seal must be removed, and a new one placed when the glass is replaced to ensure a solid mount. If the seal leaks, water, and wind can come around the windshield, making it ineffective.
Side Window Glass
The tempered glass in the sides and rear of your vehicle is also typically mounted with urethane seals, but the glass is smaller, so it is often easier to work with. The auto safety glass replacement service will replace the seals while installing the new glass, but usually, when the old glass breaks, it falls inside the door panels or behind the trim, so opening up the panel below the wind and removing that glass should be part of the repair.
Most auto safety glass repair techs will vacuum up the broken glass for you, but you may want to ask about it when you take the car in. The tempered glass will shatter into small pieces that don't splinter, but the edges are still sharp, and having them in the car or truck could be a problem.
Glass left in the base of the door will rattle and make noise when you close the door, so getting it out of there is essential. If the glass repair shop does not remove it, check with your mechanic at the shop where you have your regular service work complete, and they can help remove it.