Okay, let’s paint a picture here. Imagine you’re driving down the road, wind blowing in your hair when bam! – a little pebble hits your windshield. If you’re really unlucky, you’ve even seen how a whole spot of paint gets torn from the hood of your car. What do you do? You must be saying, this is irritating! But then again, “It is merely a small chip, what’s the big deal anyways?”.
In fact, of course, it can become a big deal if you leave it unattended. So, the question is, could rock chips be repaired? There are a number of circumstances that could argue in favor of making it worth your while as well as your bucks.
Why Put Rock Chips Into More Than Just Aesthetic Pain?
Structural Damage Not Only – Basic Functional Issues
It is possible to assume that a chipped area would have no adverse effects, but here is the catch. Think of the windshield as an apparently linear piece of glass used to ensure that an insect or other particles do not disturb the face: that is not the basic function that was designed. It is an important structural element of the car. Even the tiniest of imperfections can, from some point onwards, lead to compromise of that structural integrity. And most often, the damage spreads after an initial chip forms. If you are someone who has chanced upon any such structural anomalies, I can bet you have seen a web-like dispersal pattern. And once that happens and it stretches, it is not a matter of a minor repair but a complete windshield replacement issue you are dealing with.
Not ideally something you’d like to take a chance on, right?
Paint chips exposing your metal to rust
Are there any chips in the paint of your car? It is easy to ignore, but you should consider the accelerated rate of metal corrosion when subjected to moisture or oxygen. Rain, snow, salt from the road – tons of these can find their way into that small chip and before you know it, rust is hearing your car.
Of course, it might be just aesthetic but rust is very active. It doesn’t stay there, no. It moves on and if there were body panels and internal parts of your car standing in its way, it would probably reach those as well. To save oneself this trouble, all one needs to do is get the rock chip fixed and at most, few bucks will be spent on it.
Cost of fixing the problem: The cost of ignoring it
Harmless Most Fixes Come Up To Be
Let us put it in numbers, if necessary. It is possible to get a windshield chip repaired as low as $50. And if you ignore that chip allowing it to grow and expand into a split across the entire windshield? This time it costs somewhere around 200 up to 500 dollars to replace parts. Same goes for paint chips – there are touch up kits available for around 20 dollars or they can be obtained in a body shop for 100 dollars, but if a full blown rust issues arises? That’s going to cost you significantly more.
There’s this old adage, isn’t there? A“stitch in time saves nine”? Sure, in this case it applies, rather profoundly.
Long-Term Savings
Here’s something else on the list of why one should repair rock chips: long-term savings. Picture it like this – you are spending a little money now to save a lot in the future. It is like taking care of your health today by eating healthy so you won’t have to battle so many issues in the future. People who ignore the repair or replace their windshield chip used to tell me that its so low cost in comparison to what they end up spending with a large bill after a month of neglect. You got to save it or it will cost you big time.
Spend a few bucks now and your future self will be grateful for your easy decision.
The Quick and Simple Fix Options
DIY Kits: Are They Worth It?
So, now you’re convinced about fixing that chipped part but you are also thinking, do I really need to pay a lot of money to a professional to fix it? Well, this is where things become fascinating. Those cheap windshield or paint chip repair kits that we always saw – right? They are advertising “treatments” that would cost hundreds yet only offer a tad of treatment at a much cheaper price.
That said, they can be effective but are not guaranteed to work. For example, if you have a small, shallow chip, a DIY kit may be sufficient. However, if the chip is quite deep or in a difficult location such as on the edge of a windshield, then it may be better to spend a bit more on getting the repair done professionally.
Professional Repairs: When to Radiate the Call for Professionals
If in doubt, do it like the pros do. That’s how I do things when I have a car problem – and rock chips are simply another problem that you can’t fix either. If you have a more sophisticated problem than a simple surface chip, or if you’re just worried about not doing a good job, don’t hesitate to call the pros after all.
The pros have the tools, the experience, and let’s be honest, probably more steady hands than what you have when attempting to fix something yourself. What’s more, with a professional repair, you will often have a warranty covering the job and any future worsening of the chip.
Should You Fix Rock Chips? A Few Personal Thoughts
Well, the question is should i fix rock chips? Knowing what a few chips did to some of the cars I have owned, I would certainly be inclined to fix all. Once I left an upper windshield chip alone thinking it was so small. Since it was alone, the repair would be quite cheap. Three weeks later, the chip spread like a spider’s web all throughout the glass. A $50 fix then turned to a bill of about $300.
On the other hand, however, when I had a paint chip that I myself did a touch up on using an ‘as seen on TV’ paint kit, though it was not satisfactory, it did its part by stopping further penetration of rust in my car’s body.
What this leads to is people thinking that small annoyances will never grow bigger. Do fix that rock chip and you will not regret it.
Conclusion: Should Rock Chips Be Repaired?
Ultimately, fixing tricky pieces of rocks isn’t only about making your car look pretty – it’s about making sure you don’t have to deal with worse issues later. Whether you have a minor chip on the windshield or an even smaller scratch on the paint, it is better to deal with the situation rather than ignore it and face difficulties down the line. So, the next time you see a nasty little chip, make sure you don’t let it go!
FAQs
1. Am I correct in saying that a chipped rock could almost urge my windshield to crack greater than before?
Yes! Do not underestimate even one small chip – as it can become full cracks later on due to temperature and pressure changes.
2. What is the required duration of fixing a windshield rock chip?
Most repairs take less than 30 minutes, so yes this is a straightforward and quick undertaking.
3. Paint chips do not seem as crucial but should they be treated as greatly as windshield chips?
Yes, always. Although it might appear that paint chips are nothing more than an eye sore, paint chips cause rust which results in tremendous damage to the car body.
4. Do it yourself kits work for fixing rock chips or is taking a professional’s help a better option?
DIY kits work for small and shallow chips, but for deep ones or scratches near the side of the windshield; it is better to trust a specialist.
5. What charges are incurred for fixing a rock chip?
Usually rock chip repair costs about $50-$100 as for paint chip it may range anywhere from $20 dollars if you do it yourself till $100 or sometimes more at a garage.