Can a Windshield Repair be Redone? (Alternative Solutions)

Small windshield chip and cracks can be easily repaired with a DIY repair kit or by an auto glass professional. This can save you a lot of money. However, when the repair doesn’t go as expected, it leaves you with very few options. In this article, we are going to look at whether a windshield repair can be redone or not.

Windshield repair can be redone if it’s not at the same spot you previously repaired. Once you apply the repair resin to a crack, you can’t remove it or re-fill it. If the crack is continuing to expand or is affecting your field of vision, it’s best to have the windshield replaced.

Why Do Some Windshield Chip Repairs Fail?

There are a lot of reason why some windshield chip repairs don’t go as planned and fail. The most common reasons are the build-up of debris, weather and how you apply the repair resin.

Dust and Debris Build-up in the Crack

One of the most common reason why such repairs fail is because the chip/crack wasn’t actioned quickly. When you let the crack sit for a while, it accumulates dust and other debris which affect the repair later.

As you might know, windshield chip repair consists of applying a resin that flows through the crack and bind the glass together. When you have dust stuck in the crack, it doesn’t let the resin flow through properly and results in a bad windshield repair.

This is why we recommend that you repair a chip or crack as soon as you possibly can. The delay in repair is only going to make things worse later on.

Poor Weather Condition

Another common reason why some repairs don’t go as expected is the poor weather. Most windshield repair kits come with resin that needs sun rays to cure. To be more specific, they need UV rays to cure properly and bind the glass together.

If you did the repair when there wasn’t enough sun outside, it’s possible that the resin didn’t cure properly. It’s best to do the repair the windshield when it’s sunny outside.

Resin not Injected into the Crack Properly

This is very common if you are using a DIY repair kit and the crack has been there for quite some time accumulating dust.

To get a good bind between the windshield glass and the resin, the resin to fill the entire crack without leaving any air pockets. Accumulation of dust prevents this from happening and you end up with a bad repair.

Make sure you follow the instructions on the repair kit and fill in the resin correctly. We have noticed that it can happen to professionals as well. Even though they have all the tools, tricks and experience, they are humans after all and mistakes can happen.

How to Ensure You Repair the Windshield Correctly the First Time

There are a number of things you can keep in mind when repairing the windshield crack by yourself.

1. Make sure that you repair the chip or crack as soon as you possibly can.
2. Follow the instructions that come with your windshield repair kit and ensure you are cleaning/vacuuming the crack thoroughly before applying resin.
3. Do not drive the car for a least an hour after the repair. Let your car sit under the sun and give enough time for resin to cure.

What to Do if Crack or Chip was not Repaired Correctly?

If you followed all the steps when you repaired the crack, and you still notice the crack spreading, the it’s best to replace the windshield.

If the crack is not spreading, and you can easily see the crack even after the repair, then what you do next should be determined by the location of the crack. If the crack is near the edge and isn’t in the field of vision, you may be ok to leave it as is.

However, if the crack is in the field of vision and the repair didn’t remove it, you should replace the windshield.

Is There a Way to Hide an Existing Crack?

It’s not easy to hide the crack that has already been repaired. You may clean the crack and apply resin again to see if that helps. It may reduce the visibility slightly but won’t hide the crack completely. Consider taking the car to an auto repair shop as they may have more options to hide the crack.

Can You Redo Windshield Repair If You Don’t Like how it Looks?

You can’t redo the repair once a resin is applied to the crack. Once resin is cured, you can’t remove it from the crack and reapply. A lot of windshield repair companies may drill a small hole and reapply resin but again this won’t hide the crack completely. Therefore, it’s best to do the repair as soon as you get a crack on the windshield.