DIY repair of cracks on glass

In detail: do-it-yourself repair of a crack in glass from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

Nowadays, there are various proposals on the market to protect glass from damage. One of the most popular options is a protective film sticker on the glass, which protects an expensive part from damage, and many car owners prefer not to wait for the next stone in the glass with subsequent repair or replacement of this glass.

But what about the situation if the windshield of the car was nevertheless damaged, and small cracks and chips have already appeared on it? Go to a car service for an expensive repair or try to fix this problem yourself?

If you decide to repair cracks on the windshield with your own hands, we will tell you what materials and tools you need and how to do it according to all the rules.

To begin with, we will determine what minor damage can be easily and simply repaired on our own, without replacing the windshield.

Glass chips in any part of it. Chips should be repaired immediately before they develop into deep cracks, otherwise you cannot avoid glass replacement.
Simple cracks. They often appear as a result of a sharp and constant temperature drop due to improper heating of the car, non-observance of the temperature inside and outside the passenger compartment.
Branched cracks. Unlike simple cracks, branched cracks are difficult to remove. Untimely elimination of a simple crack can lead not only to the appearance of deep branched cracks, but also to the forced replacement of the windshield.
Chipped. The reason for their appearance is a gross mechanical effect.

Video (click to play).

So, in order to independently repair cracks on the glass, you need to prepare the following set:

Photopolymer glue. This glue is intended for the repair of automotive and other glass. The glue has a sufficiently high coefficient of transparency and reflection of sunlight, therefore, after application, it remains completely invisible on the glass. Photopolymer hardening occurs due to exposure to directional ultraviolet radiation. The hardening time is 15 minutes (when using a UV lamp) and 45 minutes (when naturally drying).
Glue injector. With the help of an injector, the polymer is applied to a crack or chip on the glass. Injectors can be either plastic (disposable) or metal (reusable). We recommend purchasing a reusable injector.
Electric drill. It allows you to remove excess stress from the glass by drilling the edges of the crack to prevent its possible enlargement. For cracking, thin diamond drills are used.
UV lamp for drying glue.
Scriber. Used to gently clean the edges of the crack, as well as the working area around it.
Applicators. Allows you to attach the injector to the windshield.
Liquid and wipes to remove excess dirt and moisture.
Pump for cleaning the edges of cracks from dirt and dust.

Having prepared the necessary set of materials and tools, we proceed to the repair.

Watch a video detailing the entire windshield repair process:

If you want to get a high result of windshield repair, we recommend that you take this process with the utmost seriousness and scrupulousness. Read also how to fix cracks in the bumper.

What to do if a chip appears on the windshield? Try to repair the glass as quickly as possible, because due to vibrations and temperature changes, even a small chip can turn into a large crack.You can remove a crack or chip on the windshield at a service station or using a special kit.

You can buy a special set at a price of 300 rubles. It should include: a syringe with a repair compound, an applicator for filling in chips and rings with a sticky surface for installing the applicator on the glass. Additionally required: blade and food film. Using the kit, you can repair a crack in the windshield up to 20 cm in length.

The windshield must be clean, dry and cool (not exposed to sunlight).

Procedure:

Remove shards of glass from the chip (with a vacuum cleaner or a pin).
Remove the protective film from the ring from the set and stick the ring on the chip (the protrusion should be directed upwards).
Remove the protective film from the other side of the ring and install the applicator on the ring (align the projections).
Insert the syringe into the hole of the applicator.
Pull the syringe plunger to the mark and turn it to fix it with a stopper (wait 30 seconds for air to come out of the chip).
Release the piston from the stopper (the piston will go down).
Press the piston gently until resistance appears.
The procedure for removing air (points 5-7) is repeated 3-4 times.

Release the syringe plunger and leave it in the down position for 15 minutes.
Check the filling of the chip with the repair compound (from the inside of the glass). If there are voids, repeat the air removal procedure (points 5-7).
Remove the applicator and the remnants of the ring with a razor.
Cover the chip with cling film.
Put the car in the sun for 20 minutes to polymerize the compound (on a cloudy day for 1 hour).

The windshield must be clean, dry and cool (not exposed to sunlight).Procedure:

Place the syringe firmly on the edge of the crack.

Squeeze out the repair compound by moving the syringe (from the end of the crack to the beginning) slowly and smoothly along the crack. In order for the repair compound to completely fill the crack, lightly press on the glass under the crack.

Cover the crack with cling film.

Put the car in the sun for 20 minutes to polymerize the composition (on a cloudy day for 1 hour).

To stop the crack on the windshield, you will need to drill the glass, for this, seek the help of specialists. If the number of cracks on the glass is large and they cannot be repaired, then the windshield should be replaced (instructions).

If the crack is in the driver's line of sight, then such vehicle operation will not be safe. By the way, do you know which washer nozzles do their job better?

Everyone has happened to get into situations when, during normal driving, a stone flies out from under the wheels of a car driving in front of you. In this case, the windshield of a car is often damaged in the form of cracks. And then what to do if you do not have extra time and money, and this unfortunate, albeit small, crack does not give you peace of mind? You are quite capable of coping with this ailment on your own and without outside help, without resorting to the services of a car service. Here are 4 easy ways to glue a crack on your windshield with your own hands.

The first step, of course, is to prepare the cracked glass for repair. To do this, first rinse the glass with water and detergent, and then wipe it dry with a clean cloth. It is very important that there is no water and dust in the crack area, since in this case the glue will not adhere well. After the glass has dried, the surface must be degreased. We take a synthetic fabric (leaves no villi behind) and moisten it in acetone or solvent. Well, here are 4 easy ways:

1 way. Silicone glue

This is the easiest way. We apply glue directly from a tube or using a medical syringe. The cavity should be filled slowly and gradually, avoiding air bubbles. We leave the work done for a day until it dries completely.Depending on the type of silicone, the repaired area will take 12 to 24 hours to dry. For reliability, the former crack can be covered with a thin layer of clear varnish.

Method 2. Polyfoam + acetone + turpentine

What is needed here is already clear. We mix acetone and turpentine (3: 1, that is, there will be three times more acetone) in a glass jar. Further, in the resulting solution, you need to crumble the foam into small pieces (than the pieces of foam will be smaller, the faster the reaction occurs). Stir, wait a bit for the foam to dissolve, and the mass becomes transparent and viscous. This glue quickly hardens, so you need to do it in small portions and use immediately after preparation. The resulting glue can be applied to the crack with a syringe or fine brush.

Method 3. Clear nail polish

If the crack in the glass is very thin, cover it with clear nail polish. Such bonding is able to prevent crack growth, and should last for about 3 or more years. Apply a thin layer of varnish on both sides and wait until it dries completely. The varnish applied from the outside of the window will not wash away the rains.

Method 4. Stationery tape

It is best, as soon as a crack has formed on the glass, to seal it with ordinary stationery tape to protect it from dirt and dust, and also to prevent its growth. It is enough to glue the damaged area on both sides. Of course, such repairs are short-lived, and soon you will have to take more serious measures.

- silicone glue;
- syringe;
- clear nail polish;
- brush;
- acetone;
- detergent;
- a cloth;
- cotton swab;
- water;
- bucket.

Protect your hands from acetone, silicate glue and varnish.

It is better to carry out work in a respirator.

Acetone can be replaced with acetone-containing nail polish remover. It also degreases surfaces well.

Not a single driver is insured against cracks on the glass, regardless of his experience, because a stone flying out from under the wheel can cause a split, a branch unexpectedly hitting, etc. But, fortunately, if you take action right away, you can restore the glass yourself. How to do this, we will describe in detail below.

So, you have noticed that for some reason a crack has formed on your car windshield. First of all, the damage must be carefully examined in order to find out:

whether the crack has reached the edge of the glass - if so, then, unfortunately, you can do nothing further, since the windshield will still have to be changed, gluing will probably not help. If the damage does not reach the edge of at least 5 centimeters, you can undertake repairs;
what is the depth of the crack - to determine if it is a through crack, or if it only touched 1–2 layers of glass, you need to draw a needle over it from the back side. If the needle slides over the surface, then the layer is intact, but if the needle clings to the surface, then the crack is through. This will complicate the task somewhat, but the situation is still fixable.

Immediately stick a strip of tape on the crack so that dust and dirt do not get into it - this will somewhat simplify your work in the future. If the glass is cracked on both sides, the tape is also glued on both sides.

It is advisable to deal with the elimination of damage immediately after its occurrence. Otherwise, under the influence of vibration, it will begin to grow, which will complicate your task or even make repairs impossible. Moreover, after the occurrence of a crack, try to drive the car very carefully, since any bump can lead to the fact that the split will pass through the entire glass.

To prevent the damage from growing, it is necessary to drill a small hole around the edges. The hole will interrupt the split along the crystal lattice. Please note that glass is highly fragile, so any wrong movement can aggravate the situation.If you are not confident in your abilities, do not do this operation yourself, but entrust it to a specialist.If you are determined to drill the glass yourself, you need to choose a drill that is suitable for this purpose. Conventional HSS drills are not suitable. It is only necessary to use a special tool for ceramics and glass. Typically, these drills are diamond-coated. The drill diameter should be such that the hole is slightly wider than the crack, i.e. minimal.To avoid aggravating the situation, deal with the damage immediately after it occurs. Drilling should be done at low speeds. The surface of the split must be pre-treated with acetone or ordinary soapy water. If the split is not through, then the hole should only be drilled to the depth of the split. If the defect is through, respectively, the hole must also be made through. Be sure to wet the hole with soapy water or acetone while drilling. Also, avoid any sudden movements or bumps.Keep in mind that you do not need to drill the crack itself, but an area located a few millimeters away from the edge of the split. If a crack is drilled, the hole may not interrupt it, and accordingly, it will continue to diverge. After the hole is made, you need to gently press on the split so that it goes into the hole, this is the so-called "bull's eye".In order not to drill the glass deeper than necessary, put a rubber stop on the drill, which will rest against the glass when the required depth is reached. Sometimes a crack can have multiple rays. In this case, it is necessary to make holes in front of each beam.Drilling holes does not always help to stop the crack, so you need to seal it up right away. To do this, you need a special polymer glue, such as Glass Master GR-150 or Antiskol... It is even better to purchase a special set, which includes not only transparent polymer glue, but also other devices and materials necessary for glass repair. The most common kits on the market are Windshield repair kit or Universal... Their cost is in the range of 600-1000 rubles.In order to properly repair glass at home, it is necessary to work on a sunny day, since the composition hardens under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. If this condition cannot be met, use an ultraviolet lamp. True, some compositions are made on the basis of epoxy resin, therefore they require heating with a lamp or hairdryer. To prevent the polymer from getting on the skin of the hands, it is necessary to work with gloves.Drilling holes does not always help to stop the crack, so you need to seal it right away. You should start by protecting the wipers and other surfaces of the car from the ingress of polymer. Then the chips need to be washed, dried and degreased. For degreasing, use a special degreaser or regular alcohol. To better wash out the split, you can slightly press on the inside to make it open. In this position, the glass tension should be fixed for a while. Then we glue the adhesive tape on the crack, which is included in the repair kit. If the crack is through, glue the tape on both sides.Opposite the chip in the scotch tape, you need to make a small hole through which the polymer will be pumped into the glass. On the opposite side of the crack in the scotch tape, we make another hole through which air will escape. Then, opposite the hole, glue the Velcro from the set to which we connect the syringe. With the help of the latter, the liquid polymer is pumped into the hole and distributed in the split, while squeezing out the air. After that, the tension should be removed from the inside. As a result, the composition should fill the entire split, after which it becomes barely noticeable.

Attention: it is necessary to carry out the restoration operation in the garage so that dust or precipitation does not fall on the treated area.

Do-it-yourself car windshield repair, in this case a chip, is done as follows:

The place of damage is cleared... It is purged with a pump or compressor.
Using an injector, such as a syringe, the pothole is filled transparent polymeric substance.After filling, the substance must be pumped out and refilled. Thus, the cleavage cavity is completely filled without air.
The chip is treated with ultraviolet light within 5-7 minutes.
Excess material is trimmed, the area is polished.

When solidified, the polymer becomes transparent. When dry, the damaged area cannot be distinguished from the main product.

This type of damage can quickly grow in size. Therefore, the problem of how to seal the crack with your own hands must be solved quickly. The restoration process is similar to repairing chips. In some cases, it is necessary to drill a hole at the ends of the cracks to relieve the stress generated at the edge.

For the repair, you need the following:

wipes, area detergent, solvent;
suction bridge;
syringe with a dispenser;
polymer filler;
diamond drills with a drill;
a pump for pumping out air bubbles, blowing out dust;
polishing paste;
blade - a knife for removing excess material.

Idea: all this can be purchased immediately in the kit for sealing cracks and chips.

The sequence for self-repair is similar to the restoration of chips:

Cleaning, preparation.
Drilling holes as required.
Filling voids with polymer.
UV light treatment.
Removing excess material.
Polishing.

Compliance with the rules for doing repairs with your own hands allows you to use auto glass for a long time. Detailed videos will help you to properly remove chips and cracks from car glass.

Chipping... This is a local loss of part of the glass surface. It usually does not reduce visibility. Elimination of the chip, in the absence of cracks, occurs with the help of a photopolymer with further polishing of the glass with your own hands or in the service. Elimination or repair of a chip must be done immediately, since it can at any time become a source of crack development, which leads to more capacious efforts and costs for repairing cracks on the windshield.

Crack... This is a cause for concern and the motivation for repairing the windshield is as follows: visibility decreases while driving, and the propagation of a crack along the glass inevitably leads to its complete replacement. This is somehow unprofitable.Especially if your glass is not cheap. Repairing cracks in auto glass is in any case a less expensive procedure. And if the repair of a crack on the glass is carried out correctly, then it will still serve faithfully.

Branched crack... The most time-consuming repair of car glass, cracks that "scattered" from the epicenter of the impact in different directions. This type of damage is the most unpleasant: the visibility is sharply reduced, the refraction of light increases at night and in rainy weather, i.e. distortion that becomes unsafe for driving. Plus, difficulties may arise with auto inspection workers if the cracks have a large area.

This is another subtlety. Do not demand from the craftsmen or from yourself if you repair cracks on auto glass with your own hands the ideal surface condition after repair. There will be no ideal, and there are a number of explanations for this:

Dirt or dust trapped in the crack will prevent the polymer from completely filling the cavity.

A strong blow with an object on the glass leads to a partial violation of the structure of the "triplex" - the inner film peels off, and this is not repaired. Hence, in the place of the defect, the glass may be slightly cloudy due to the opacity of the middle layer - i.e. the film itself.

There can be no perfect homogeneity of glass and polymer. Therefore, optical effects such as refraction of light can occur.

Repairing windshield cracks, in fact, is a laborious event and, let's say, a peculiar one. If a crack occurs, you need:

Cover it with transparent tape in order to protect it from dirt and dust.

Drive at minimum speed, as body vibrations can lead to further crack propagation, which ultimately will not lead to repairs, but a complete replacement of the windshield.

If you already have a crack, but you are still thinking of repairing your windshield, then remember that washing the glass with shampoos will complicate further cleaning the defect from the films that form from shampoos.

These are actually the subtleties of the relationship between the driver and the cracks on the windshield of your favorite car. There is cause for frustration, but not for despair. Repairing cracks on auto glass on your own or in a service will allow you to forget about this incident and operate the repaired glass for a long time.Good luck to you lovers of your car.

The windshield is the most vulnerable point of the car. From mechanical stress, vibration during movement, temperature changes, chips or cracks may appear on it. The glass will not break completely just because it consists of two glass sheets glued together with a special glue. But if the damage is not repaired, then after a while it can turn into a large crack, and the glass itself can crack into pieces. Therefore, as soon as possible, you need to repair the glass yourself or contact a special service for help.

Mechanical damage that appears on the glass of the car can be repaired only in the following cases:

the inner layer of the triplex is not damaged;
factory-made glass is used;
cracks are no more than 50 cm long and do not reach the edge of the auto glass;
notch, chipping or spall without cracks or with small outgoing cracks.

Recovery is impossible if the triplex is split into several parts, its central part is crumbled or covered with a network of cracks.

To understand the complexity of the repair to be performed, you should decide on the type of damage. They can take various forms and types:

cracks with rays from the point of impact;
cracks that form arcs or circles;
round chips;
cracks in the form of cobwebs;
defects from cracks and chips;
double-sided crack.

If only the outer layer of auto glass is damaged, then you can repair it yourself. If the inner and outer sides are damaged, the glass sheet will have to be dismantled.It is rather difficult to carry out such a procedure on your own.

To restore the triplex, you will need a special car set of tools, which can be purchased at the Inseif online store. The set should include:

blades for cleaning glass from polymer;
ultraviolet lamp;
injector;
injector rings and seals;
transparent plates;
scriber;
hand electric drill;
syringe;
polish;
various polymers for filling chips and cracks;
drills from carbide alloys.

The quality of the windshield repair largely depends on the preparatory work. First of all, the glass must be cleaned of dust and dirt, having previously sealed the damaged areas with tape so that moisture does not get into them.

Cleansing technology depends on the type of damage:

Round chips are cleaned with a carbide rod and wiped with a dry cloth.
Cracks in the form of rays are first processed with a drill. They need to be drilled out using a tapered drill. You should get a wide, but not deep cone. Drill carefully so as not to damage the inner layer.
A skyber is used to clean rounded cracks. If it was not possible to remove the dirt with this tool, then the damaged areas are reamed with a drill.
Cracks running in different directions are cleaned with a carbide rod or reamed with a drill. So that the length of the damage does not increase, you need to drill a conical chip, retreating 1-2 mm from its end. After that, the cracks are artificially brought to a chip by gently pressing on the glass with your hands.

Damage to the laminated glass is filled with a special polymer glue, the properties of which are close to those of auto glass. Before pouring the polymer, dust and small particles should be removed from the surface with a vacuum cleaner. Then everything is thoroughly wiped with a dry napkin. Filling is done with an injector.

Procedure for the procedure:

The injector is installed over the chip and is attached to the surface using suction cups. The equipment should be installed so that it completely covers the chip.
The injector cylinder is carefully screwed into the axle. The sealing rubber located on the tip must be in contact with the triplex surface. To prevent the glue from flowing through the O-ring, the cylinder is screwed strictly parallel to the surface.
6-8 drops of the selected polymer are instilled into the injector cylinder. The density of the polymer composition directly depends on the thickness of the cracks. For small cracks, a polymer with a low density is selected.
The injector piston is twisted into the cylinder until a slight pressure appears in it. Within a few minutes, the polymer will fill the damage, so no action is required during this time.
When the chips and cracks are filled, the piston is unscrewed and set to the top position. For about a minute, air will be pumped out of microcracks and a vacuum will be created. This procedure is performed several times. There should be no air bubbles in the damage.
When all defects are filled with a polymer composition, the bridge and injector can be removed. The equipment used can be cleaned with alcohol or acetone.

Defects are filled with polymer, but you can not use the car until the glue dries well... You can quickly dry it using an ultraviolet lamp, after dropping PL-106 polymer onto the treated area and covering it with a special film from the kit. The film is smoothed out, and a lamp is installed over the windshield for 5-6 minutes.

When the surface dries, the lamp and the film are removed, and the treated areas are cleaned of excess glue. A blade is used for this, which must be held perpendicular to the triplex. The cleaned surface is wiped with a napkin and rubbed with a special polish.

After the repair, damage should not be noticeable.You can only see them if you look closely.

If the damage is small and there is no time to glue them thoroughly, you can use the tools at hand.

A new crack that has appeared on the triplex must be immediately closed from dust and dirt, so that it can be easily cleaned during repairs. You can use ordinary stationery tape, gluing the place of damage inside and outside with it.

A thin crack can be varnished with a colorless varnish to prevent damage from growing. The varnish is applied on both sides in a thin layer. It should dry well. Even the rains cannot wash off the varnish... It can hold out on glass for several years.

Using these tools, you can prepare a composition that is suitable for repairing damage to the windshield. Recipe:

In a glass container, mix turpentine and acetone in a 1: 3 ratio.
Cut the styrofoam into small pieces and add them to the solution.
When the foam dissolves, it should be viscous and transparent.
The solution is mixed and chips or cracks are filled with a thin brush or syringe.

The adhesive hardens quickly, so it must be used immediately, applying to damage in small portions.

In any hardware store you can buy a silicone-based adhesive and apply it directly from a tube to damage. If the crack is thin, you can use a syringe. The cavities are filled with silicone slowly to avoid air entrapment. The glue can dry from 12 hours to a day.... After that it can be covered with clear varnish.If you have a little experience and a special kit, you can repair the glass yourself with your own hands. However, if the damage is serious or you are in doubt about your ability, contact a car service that solders the windshield. There, with the help of special equipment, they will quickly be able to solder almost any chips and cracks. After such a renovation, the triplex will look like new.Before we deal with the types of equipment for auto glass repair, we need to decide on technologies and terms. Modern cars are named.The windshield of a car (in everyday life it is also often called "windshield" or "windshield") is one of the most vulnerable elements of a car. Kog.