The Benefits of Mobile Windshield Repair

Easy DIY Windshield Chip Repair: How Various Kits Differ And Which One To Use

29 December 2015 by Andrew Jackson

When you get a tiny chip in your windshield, you may be tempted to take it to an auto glass repair shop. However, if your car insurance does not cover the costs because your deductible is too high, that is a lot of money out of your own pocket for a professional chip repair. You could certainly try a DIY windshield chip repair kit, but which one do you choose? Many of them have some of the same or similar components but the process is really different. Here are some key differences among these kits and how to choose one to use for your windshield chip repair. 

Resin Sheets vs. Liquid Resin

One of the biggest differences among DIY windshield chip kits is the resin component. (If you do not have a resin component in your kit at all, you may want to take it back and exchange it because the resin step is really important.) The resin is applied to the reverse side of the chipped area in your windshield. It holds the area together while you fill in the chipped area from the opposite side of the windshield. Some kits utilize resin sheets, which peel and adhere to the surface of the glass. Other kits utilize a liquid resin, which is applied in a thick layer to the glass like glue or acrylic paint. If you have absolutely no experience at all with the stickiness of liquid resin, you may want to avoid it in order to avoid adhering your flesh to your windshield or adhering your fingers to each other. If you think you can handle superglue and liquid resin, then definitely use a kit with liquid resin as these kits often work better than the kits with resin sheets.

One Suction Cup vs. Two or More

Suction cups in your kit mean that the chip filler product will be applied with a syringe or mini-caulk gun. The suction cups stabilize the port through which you will apply the chip filler material. Some only use one suction cup with the port attached to the top of the suction cup. Others use more than one suction cup with the port suspended between or in the middle of the suction cups. The danger with the singular suction cup is that you could accidentally lift/pull the suction cup loose before the chip filler material has set, thereby turning the chipped area into a cracked windshield that just continues to crack. Multiple suction cups are a better idea because they do not rest right over the damaged area and will lift or pop more easily without disturbing the chipped area.

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