Windshield Repair Forum

Hi all. Need some advice from those of you who are experience.. I had a private business come out and do a windshield chip repair on a small bullseye (from a small rock from a truck on the highway, leaving a chip no bigger than the size of an eraser on the end of a pencil) about 2 hours ago. I'd decided that I probably shouldn't do it myself with a $15 kit, and I also deciding that a major national glass company's repair quote of $108 was excessive. But two hours after the repair, I don't understand why the epoxy that was put in is still essentially opaque white.

The chip area is more noticeable now than it was prior to the fix, due to the repair area being cloudy white instead of transparent.. The outdoor temp here at the time of repair in the morning was about 40 degrees F and the car was parked outdoors, and the repairman insisted that warming of the windshield wasn't necessary. When I asked if the cold might make a repair less successful, he told me no, and that they use "high viscosity" epoxy during cold weather,and "low viscosity" epoxy during hot weather. (Why would thicker epoxy (high viscosity) be better during cold weather??? It would seem that a thinner epoxy would be better due to the cold making the epoxy thicker and less flowable than desired) The repair took about 15 to 20 minutes from start to the finish when the clear square was removed and the excess epoxy scraped off, with no direct sunlight and no uv lamp used. So, is it common that the epoxy looks white instead of clear in a chip repair? All of the successful chip repair photos I've seen show an improved cosmetic appearance, with most of the epoxy looking almost clear instead of white... This was a close friend's car and I had the windshield chip repaired for her at her request while she was away on vacation, but the damaged area is now even more noticeable than before.. Any ideas why that might be, from those of you who have experience in chip repair? I have other glass chips on my own car that need to be repaired, and I want to get them repaired in a way that gives the best cosmetic appearance as well as in a way that provides good prevention from cracks spreading.. Any advice or information will be much appreciated.

The milky cloudiness you refer to will more than likely be the interlayer between the layers of glass. If the repair is not done immediately after the damage happens, water can seep into the damaged area and, over a period of time, react with the interlayer causing it to return to its original colour which is an opaque white. Once this has happened it is permanent. Bullseye type damage is more prone to this happening because water can penetrate easier to the interlayer. Ideally if you notice a chip on the glass you should cover it to stop water ingress, a piece of sellotape will do, until you get it repaired.

Water present in chip.

I agree water may be a factor.

The technician should have inspected the break thoroughly, and dried out the break using a moisture evaporator and he should have warmed up the windshield using the heater first to warm up the inside and then putting on the defroster on low to slowly warm the glass. As far as the resin goes I use a low viscosity glass repair resin myself in cold weather and get good flow. The most important thing about repair work is using good resin, inspecting the break before you touch it and taking your time, I've found that the guys making poor repairs are in and out in 15 to 20 minutes. I hope this helps.

No drying, no UV lamp, cheap resin and no idea how to properly repair damage .That's what i see in my country ( Poland ) every week.

Tomas

the repair was done with excessive moisture or water inside.

Sounds like the damage might have been just a surface pit (size of pencil eraser) and that the repair guy is incompetent. We don't use epoxy. We use UV curing resin that does require a UV light source, and it's clear before and after curing. The only thing that is opaque is the surface left after scraping the excess, which is easily polished to leave a transparent finish. And you are correct that a lower viscosity "epoxy" would be for colder conditions. Again, this guy was an idiot.

Can you elaborate... which part of the "repair" is opaque/white? On the surface of the glass where it was filled and scraped flush, or perhaps a larger area that was below the surface?

Either way, there should not ever be a white/opaque result. Call this guy back for a refund. Period.

Good analysis by all. If there was no rain/water involved, then it's most likely that the technician didn't polish the pit surface. If it's the surface that appears white/cloudy, then use a little polish (automobile rubbing compound will work) and rub out the surface with a towel for about 30 seconds. I like to use a cork, but a microfiber towel, newspaper, or a blue shop towel will do the trick. If that doesn't work, he probably used some really cheap/bad resin. Hopefully a little polishing will work.
-Marty