Windshield Repair Forum

I have looked at some websites from different repair shops in my area and there seemto be two different stories about the clarity of repairs. One place claimed that their repairs could not be detected while another claimed there is really no such thing as invisable. In fact they claimed the repairs become more noticeable over time. The reason I'm curious is because I'm still in the practicing phase and all of my repairs are visible. I want to do quality work but is invisable an actual result?

Most of us "old timers" can say on a good amount of repairs, they can damn near disappear.

It will also depend on the resin manufacturer, Age of a break, kind of break, and most of all how much time you are willing to put in to the job....

It depends a lot on how badly the windshield is damaged before the repair.
Most repairs will be at least 80% less visible after the repair. Some will practically vanish, but if you look closely and you know where the repair is , you will see some evidence of a repair.
It is a structural repair to prevent further crackouts which when all of the air in the repair has been replaced by resin will look much better cosmetically.
If you want invisible, buy a new windshield.

If it sounds too good to be true....

Invisibility, like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder. Setting the customers' expectation levels before beginning the process is the key to achieving a successful outcome. If your customer has little knowledge of glass repair, emphasise the fact that the repair will stop the damage becoming worse, avoiding the need/cost for a replacement glass. Underplay the cosmetic outcome of the repair by describing "some expected improvement", if the repair is a good one your customer will be delighted by the outcome, you will have exceeded their expectations.

I simply tell the customer that the repair process is not even intended to be for cosmetic purposes but is a "structural" repair to stop it from cracking out and save the higher cost of replacement.

I have some before and after pictures that I bought from Liquid Resins and enlarged them to clearly show the customer that the repair is going to show a spot or an outline when finished. Also, after I finish the repair, I always have the customer look at it from different angles, especially from the inside of the car. That way they can see what a good repair looks like.

I did this after looking at several windshield repair websites with before and after pictures that show the "after" as practically pristine glass.

Us veterans know that is clearly misleading the public.

I still bristle when anyone here comes across like they walk on water with "perfect looking repairs"

Another thing one learns is that your repair will be more noticeable from inside the vehicle than from the outside.

thanks for the info guys. I'll keep practicing

Anyone, any shop and any manufacturer who claims invisible repairs is setting themselves up for unhappy customers.

the worse you say it'll look, the longer you'll stay in business.