Types of Windshield Chips

Types of Windshield Chips

Your car’s windshield is an integral component of driving safety, helping keep you free from potentially hazardous items on the road.

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Cracked windshields can be caused by numerous sources, and it is important to identify each of them prior to getting them repaired or replaced.

Cracked windshields that reach six inches long usually can be repaired, while larger breaks or those reaching to the edge require replacement.

Bull’s Eye Crack

As soon as a rock or other debris strikes your windshield, it can result in numerous cracks; among these are bull’s eye cracks, half moon cracks, and stress cracks.

Bull’s Eye Cracks are similar to chips but penetrate deeper into your glass’s outer layer, usually taking on circular form like the bull’s eyes found on dart boards.

As soon as cracks appear, they must be addressed immediately as they can rapidly expand and necessitate replacement windshield Dallas services.

Thankfully, most forms of windshield damage can be repaired through an easy repair process.

As with most damage, some types of chips and cracks can be more serious than others. Such damage could put your safety at risk; for this reason it is vital that any problems be addressed promptly – this includes things such as bull’s eye cracks, star breaks and half moons.

Floater Crack

If you notice a crack that begins at the center, but extends more than two inches from its edges, this could be a Floater Crack – these potentially hazardous cracks could spread across your windshield and impact your field of vision.

Floater Cracks are usually caused by temperature variations, and are known to worsen and expand over time.

Cracked windshields can become a serious hazard during hot weather, when your car’s air conditioning creates sudden and extreme changes in temperature. As the windshield expands in hotter weather and contracts in cooler ones, stress cracks may form within its glass material and threaten its integrity.

Bullseye cracks are circular-shaped cracks which often produce shattering glass fragments as a result of impacts, and depending on its severity may require immediate repair or replacement if noticed promptly.

Half Moon Crack

Half moon cracks are among the most prevalent windshield chips, found in nearly all vehicles. These rounded dents typically lack smaller cracks running out from their centers and measure less than 1/4″ across.

These chips are simple to fix without altering the glass itself, and have low risk of spreading into wider cracks that require replacement of all or part of it.

Star cracks are another type of windshield damage that can obstruct your vision, necessitating immediate repair. They comprise several small radial breaks which converge at the impact point to form an irregular patchwork pattern.

These cracks typically form within 2 inches of the edge and are most often due to extreme temperature changes. If left unchecked, these issues can quickly lead to structural damage requiring replacement windshield Dallas services.

Stress Crack

Stress Cracks are among the most frequent types of windshield cracks and occur when glass expands during hot temperatures and contracts during cooler temps without being subject to external force or pressure from any source. They typically do not impede your view or are covered by insurance.

An experienced failure analyst can quickly locate the source of a cracked component by inspecting both its fracture surface and magnification to provide information about where, when, and why the crack appeared. They may even provide insights as to which factors contributed to its creation.

Fatigue crack growth refers to the phenomenon whereby cracks form under conditions of changing load, with its rate dependent upon both stress intensity factor at its tip and crack size. We have an analysis page specifically for fatigue crack growth here at Crack Growth Analysis Services.

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