Your Raleigh windshield, repaired or replaced

A windshield is laminated: two layers of glass with a plastic layer between them. Most stone damage breaks only the outer layer, and that is what a repair fills. Resin is drawn into the break, cured, and the surface is finished so the chip stops spreading and is much harder to see.

The repair standard for laminated glass, ROLAGS, says that ‘Stone-breaks up to two inches in diameter and single line cracks up to 14-inches are repairable.’ Shops add rules of thumb on top of that: Impex describes small chips as those smaller than a quarter, and says a repair may be possible when the damage is ‘small, shallow, and away from the edges’. Size is only part of the answer. A crack that reaches the edge of the glass, a break straight in front of the driver, or damage that goes through both layers usually means a new windshield.

There is a practical reason to repair when you can: the windshield stays in the car, so the factory seal is not disturbed and the camera mounted to the glass does not need calibrating. The full set of limits and the decision for each kind of damage are on our windshield repair vs replacement in Raleigh page.

When a windshield has to be replaced, the first job is ordering the right one. Two cars that look the same can take different glass: one with a rain sensor, one without; one with a camera bracket, one with a heated wiper area. Impex uses VIN-based verification so the part ordered is the part your vehicle was built with.

Then there is the kind of glass. OEM glass is made to the vehicle maker’s specification, usually by the supplier that made the original. Aftermarket glass is made by another manufacturer to fit the same opening. Impex fits OEM and high-quality aftermarket glass and its technicians can recommend which suits your vehicle. On a car with a camera looking through the windshield, the clarity and position of the glass in front of that camera matter, which is why some owners ask for OEM. The full comparison is on our OEM windshield replacement in Raleigh page.

1. The technician checks the new glass against the old: shape, mounts, sensors and markings.
2. The wipers, cowl panel and trim are taken off, and the inside of the car is covered.
3. The old windshield is cut out of its urethane bead and lifted away.
4. The frame is cleaned and primed where the old adhesive was removed.
5. A fresh bead of urethane goes on, and the new windshield is set into it.
6. Trim, wipers and sensors go back, and the glass is cleaned.
7. The urethane cures before the car is driven, and the camera is calibrated if the car has one.

The cure matters more than it looks. The Auto Glass Safety Council says the windshield is part of the vehicle’s passenger restraint system and must be installed properly for the airbags to deploy safely. It also says the minimum drive-away time varies with the adhesive, the weather and other factors, so there is no single number for every car. Impex’s own guidance is about one hour for the replacement plus a short cure, with most drivers back on the road within two hours. For the first 24 hours, avoid the car wash and avoid slamming the doors.

Most of these jobs are done at the customer’s home or work. What we need on site, and what the weather does to a mobile appointment, is on the windshield replacement near me page.

Many cars now carry a forward-facing camera at the top of the windshield. I-CAR, the collision repair training body, lists what it controls: lane departure warning, collision braking and adaptive cruise control. It also lists removing the windshield as one of the events that may require the camera to be aimed again. Requirements differ by year, make and model, so the vehicle maker’s procedure is checked for each car.

Calibration comes in two kinds. Static calibration sets targets in front of the parked car and runs an aiming procedure with a scan tool. Dynamic calibration has the car driven at set speeds for a set time or distance, on clear roads. Some cameras need both. Impex performs ADAS calibration on site after windshield replacement, with static and dynamic calibration in one visit, and says it takes between 30 minutes and 2 hours. Radar is different: it usually sits in the bumper or grille, so a windshield job does not normally touch it.

The NC Department of Insurance lists ‘Breakage of glass’ and ‘Missiles or falling objects’ among the losses comprehensive coverage pays for, less any deductible. North Carolina has no law that sets a zero deductible for glass, so your comprehensive deductible applies unless your own policy includes full glass coverage. It is worth checking: on a chip repair the deductible can be more than the job.

• You choose the shop. Under G.S. 58-3-180 a policy must let you select who repairs the vehicle, and the insurer pays the same amount whichever you choose.
• Points. A comprehensive glass claim is not an at-fault accident, so it does not add Safe Driver Incentive Plan points. Your insurer may still look at how often you file claims.
• The paperwork. Impex works with all major insurance providers and can handle the claim with your insurer, so have your policy or claim number ready when you call.

North Carolina’s annual safety inspection (G.S. 20-183.3) checks your windshield wipers, not the glass itself, and no NC statute sets a crack size. That does not make a crack in your line of sight safe to live with. G.S. 20-127 limits windshield tint to the top of the glass, not more than five inches down or below the AS1 line, whichever is longer, and G.S. 20-135 requires safety glass in the windshield.

One more rule explains a lot of chips on Raleigh roads. G.S. 20-116(g) requires loads to be secured so nothing falls or blows off, and trucks over 7,500 pounds carrying rock, gravel or stone must keep the load six inches below the walls and covered. Loose stone is exactly what chips windshields on busy roads such as I-440, I-87 and Capital Blvd.