Monday, January 4, 2016

Tips For Cracked Windshield Replacement Services



Tips For The Best Cracked Windshield Companies

Let's cut to the chase right now and get to the bottom line!  What should you be looking for when it comes to a good cracked windshield replacement company?  Before I got into the auto glass industry years ago I had no idea.  Do they seem like they do good work was all I really worried about.  But their are some specifics that you can and should think about.

  1. Does the company use OEM glass?
  2. Do they follow the manufacture's procedures and recommendations on the adhesives and installation process?
  3. Are they and their technicians NGA and AGRSS certified?
  4. Do they follow the best practices of these certifications?
  5. Do you know anyone who has used this company and what was their experience?
  6. What do the online reviews say?

So now let's talk about these points one by one:

OEM Auto Glass

After market glass that is made in the same factories by companies that also sell to new car manufacturers is called Original Equipment Manufactured glass or OEM.  After market glass made by companies who sell only in the after market, and not to the automakers, don't have to maintain the same standards of quality.  Much of this glass is made in China and Mexico.  The glass is often thinner and of lesser quality and sometimes does not fit the vehicle as well as OEM auto glass.

Windshield Installation Adhesive Procedures

Some urethane adhesives are designed to cure in an hour while others take up to 24 hours to fully harden and cure.  Temperatures affect cure times as well.  It is important that the cracked windshield replacement company use the proper urethane in the proper situation.  If the customer is going to drive the car in just a few hours but the urethane that was used takes 24 hours to cure, the windshield could fly off the car if it is involved in an accident.  Since the windshield is supposed to keep the passengers within the vehicle during an accident this can be a very dangerous situation.  Also air bags deploy against the windshield in many situations to protect passengers in a head on collision.

NGA & AGRSS Certified Technicians

Things like moisture, dirt and rust can keep the adhesive from adhering to the glass or the metal of a windshield replacement installation.  It is important that the industry best practices are followed on ever cracked windshield replacement.  These certifications test technicians to make sure that they know how to properly follow these industry best practices.

Following The Industry Best Practices


It is one thing to take a test proving that you know the proper way to do a quality auto glass installation.  It is another thing entirely to follow these practices without cutting corners.  Glass companies who always follow these standards typically have the best reputations within their local communities.

Getting References 

By far the best way to know if a replacement auto glass company follow the industry best practices is by the company's reputation.  If they are doing things right more of their customers will be happy and they will have lest complaints.  If you know someone who recently had their auto glass replaced you can ask them who they used and what the experience was like.  We do this in our society naturally.  This is the best way to know of a quality cracked windshield replacement company to use.

Check The Online Reviews

If you don't have anyone you can ask from personal experience, the next best thing is to read what people are saying about the company in the online reviews.  Studies have shown that the companies with the most reviews good or bad have the most accurate sampling of the businesses true reputation.  So look for companies with a lot of good reviews and you should have a good experience. 

Read the article "Salt Lake City, UT Auto Glass Shop - Important Things To Consider" for another good article on this subject.  Thanks I hope this article was helpful.