3 Ways to Defend Your Windshield Against Summer Heat Damage
1. Understand How Glass Deals With Heat
During the winter months, glass contracts or becomes slightly smaller. Under the heat, glass expands or enlarges slightly. If glass heats up or cools down, the glass can shatter from the pressure of too-fast expansion or too-fast contraction. A windshield with small chips or cracks has an even higher risk of shattering under extreme temperature changes.
Don’t cool the interior of your car super fast by immediately running the air conditioning inside a stifling hot car you’ve just opened. Roll down the windows, keep the doors open, and let some air circulate in the vehicle before you sit in the driver’s seat and force out the sweet, frosty air.
Start the AC on a low setting to let the interior surface of the windshield’s glass acclimate to the lower temperature inside the car.
Many drivers believe that placing a reflective sun shade inside the car under the dashboard is a smart idea after parking on a hot day. However, some dashboard sunshades may actually increase the temperature of the windshield glass and make the material more prone to crack under stress.
Instead of using a sun shade, purchase a car umbrella that sits over your car, or find a way to park your vehicle in a shady area. Another way to avoid stressing out the glass in your windshield is to never pour water on the glass when the windshield has been heating up in the sun. Wash your vehicle in a shady spot after the windshield has cooled down or early in the morning before the glass heats up for the day.
2. Learn the Way of the Wiper Blade
The windshield wipers provide clarity to the driver. Good-quality windshield wipers that are kept in good repair help you see more clearly by gliding over the wet windshield glass whenever rain falls on the surface. Windshield wipers also help clean dirty spots and splashes off of windshield glass in combination with auto windshield-wiper fluid dispensers.
Clean windshields don’t collect dust, dirt, and debris in the fine chips, cracks, and crevices of the glass. Clean windshields offer you the best view of the road ahead. Take care of your windshield wipers in summer to take better care of yourself and your vehicle.
Dry mud and other debris degrade windshield wiper blades over time. Routinely use the wiper-fluid/wash device to wet and clean your windshield and wiper blades to avoid the breakdown of the blade material.
Unused windshield wiper blades may also melt into windshield glass in high summer temperatures, so routine windshield-wiper fluid cycles will keep the blades from getting too attached to the glass.
Check the edges of wiper blades periodically through the summer months to ensure the edges that touch the glass are clean and straight. If a wiper blade has lost its rigidity and/or has large gaps in the length, replace the blade. Metal wiper-blade holders permanently scratch windows when the rubber or silicone blades degrade enough.
3. Keep the Groove Steady and the Coast Clear
When driving, stay a safe, far distance away when approaching or passing dump trucks and trucks with double sets of tires. Gravel and other windshield-piercing items can be sent flying into your windshield from dump-truck beds or from the space between two closely mounted truck tires.
You may want a little boost in your speakers, but don’t vibrate a compromised windshield too much, or any cracks in the glass may expand. Vibrations from impacts and sounds cause auto glass to shatter in doors and rear hatches, too.
Discourage your kids and other passengers from slamming car doors and trunks. The sudden jolt from a slammed door can cause a small chip to grow and spider out in size. If your auto windows and windshield have small un-repaired cracks and chips, don’t load the top of the vehicle with cargo. Never let the kids jump and run around on top of the vehicle.
Park in a covered spot or well away from windshield-attacking places known for the following problems:
- Falling tree nuts
- Dropping fruits and cones
- Flying baseballs or golf balls
- Airborne construction debris
- Heavily-used road gravel
Repair windshield chips promptly in summer to avoid worse cracks in your windshield from vibrations and airborne debris. Replace a severely chipped or hard-to-see-through windshield right away to maintain the best view of the road. Replacing a bad windshield helps you avoid a bad windshield break on a hot day in your near future. When you need reliable, safe windshield repair or replacement services, contact Valley Glass right away. Bring your vehicle to us or take advantage of our mobile windshield repair services to have a safe, clear view of all your summer journeys.