Windscreen stone chip

agnes

agnes

agnes

Soldato
Joined
1 Dec 2006
Posts
16,879
Location
Amsterdam, NL
Afternoon all,

I had a lovely looking stone fly off the back of a quarry truck on the motorway the other day and give me a nice stone chip in my windscreen. It's about 3mm wide. Nothing serious, just right of the rear view mirror. So not in my line of sight not obstructing anything.

I rang my insurance to get a cost of repair, £25. However, actually starting this process seems to be a complete and utter ball ache! I spent 45 mins being thrown between departments, and even directed to a windshield replacement garage! Right Choice if anyone is wondering.

Anyway, I always see the little booths in places like Tesco's doing free repair, or at least a little offer. Should I just do this? Is it worth repairing?

My only concern is I live in the sticks and it gets VERY cold and with this weekend coming up. I feel it might be the first of many frosts and I don't want the chip to get worse.
 
If you've got full cover, just contact Autoglass directly, then will then liase with your insurance company.
 
Amos91 said:
If you've got full cover, just contact Autoglass directly, then will then liase with your insurance company.
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Assuming Autoglass are the preferred supplier for Windscreen claims. However with a £25 repair excess, then OP is more than likely covered by a member of the EUI group (Admiral etc) and Autoglass are their preferred supplier anyway
 
Don't bother, Go get one of the Rain-X screen repair kits from Asda, they're about a fiver.
recently used to repair a chip on my screen, must say I'm very impressed with the results.

It's pretty much just a tube of resin and a fancy little tool to apply it but it works :)
 
~Divine~Wind~ said:
Don't bother, Go get one of the Rain-X screen repair kits from Asda, they're about a fiver.
recently used to repair a chip on my screen, must say I'm very impressed with the results.

It's pretty much just a tube of resin and a fancy little tool to apply it but it works :)
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I'm might be biased but I'm pretty sure a Rain-X DIY will produce worse results than I cam with proper kit. Not to mention the fact if it was that cheap and simple insurance companies wouldn't be paying £70 for my services and I'd be out of a job
 
Glassman said:
No.

You might get a decent level of success with an uncomplicated break, but the kit falls way short of being adequate for carrying out a repair to a good standard.
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I disagree. I've done 2 fairly large chip repairs to my windscreen and with a bit of time and the wife's UV nail lamp to aid curing it has made both chips invisible. Not a single person has managed to find either chip unless I point directly to the location of one where there is a slight dirt mark in the resin.

By comparison I had a chip repaired once and it got marked as a note on my insurance as a windscreen damage claim (cheeky monkeys!) and affected my insurance renewal when put into comparison sites.

For the sake of a fiver for the kit I know what route I would be going down.
 
Frozennova said:
I'm might be biased but I'm pretty sure a Rain-X DIY will produce worse results than I cam with proper kit. Not to mention the fact if it was that cheap and simple insurance companies wouldn't be paying £70 for my services and I'd be out of a job
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I am by no means an expert (which clearly you are ) but it seemed a very similar principle in that it injects the resin under pressure into the chip then once cured can be scraped away with a blade. If you are in the industry I would certainly suggest trying one even just for research purposes.

It certainly seemed to follow the same process as when I last had a repair done professionally.

Given insurance companies wouldn't want to provide a DIY kit and need to cover the labour and expenses associated with getting to the clients house £70 isn't exactly a big difference from £5 materials + labour + travel.
 
~Divine~Wind~ said:
Don't bother, Go get one of the Rain-X screen repair kits from Asda, they're about a fiver.
recently used to repair a chip on my screen, must say I'm very impressed with the results.

It's pretty much just a tube of resin and a fancy little tool to apply it but it works :)
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That's all National Windscreens use!
 
Frozennova said:
I'm might be biased but I'm pretty sure a Rain-X DIY will produce worse results than I cam with proper kit. Not to mention the fact if it was that cheap and simple insurance companies wouldn't be paying £70 for my services and I'd be out of a job
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Having not seen your work mate cant really comment :p

Mine was a little rough to start with so added a bit more resin then cut back with the razor blade, completely flat now :)

Aston998 said:
Rain-X screen repair kits is it any good?
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More than happy with the outcome on mine :)

Glassman said:
No.

You might get a decent level of success with an uncomplicated break, but the kit falls way short of being adequate for carrying out a repair to a good standard.
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OP said a stonechip, doesn't sound complicated.
I was a little concerned with mine as it looked like it had a chip on the outer leaf of glass and damage to one further in, worked fine :)

Abyss said:
I disagree. I've done 2 fairly large chip repairs to my windscreen and with a bit of time and the wife's UV nail lamp to aid curing it has made both chips invisible. Not a single person has managed to find either chip unless I point directly to the location of one where there is a slight dirt mark in the resin.

By comparison I had a chip repaired once and it got marked as a note on my insurance as a windscreen damage claim (cheeky monkeys!) and affected my insurance renewal when put into comparison sites.

For the sake of a fiver for the kit I know what route I would be going down.
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I always check when taking out insurance the excess for repair and replacement and ask if used would it affect my NCB or my premium.

Prices varied this year from 10-50 for a repair, most said 60-70 for replacement tho.
 
The problem is a lot of insurers when you claim for a windscreen the price goes up, because you've made a claim. You don't loose your no claims but you have 'made a claim' so they put the insurance up.

I'd personally avoid insurance.
 
~Divine~Wind~ said:
OP said a stonechip, doesn't sound complicated.
I was a little concerned with mine as it looked like it had a chip on the outer leaf of glass and damage to one further in, worked fine :)
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It's subjective. There are different types of damage. A 'bullseye' is probably the easiest to repair, closely followed by a 'half moon'. The more complicated types are, beeswing, star-break, combination, cloverleaf, and few more aptly named.

All will have moisture (and contaminants) present and this is one of the most significant factors in determining how good a repair is, or whether it will stay repaired.

IMO, the industry has created a (bad) perception of what a repair is. This has transpired to what a customer sees and accepts as a good repair. Generally speaking, if it doesn't look much different after repair, it hasn't "been filled" and therefore has not been repaired.

With a degree of technical nous, and some common sense, the DIY kit will work, but as I've said, it depends on a few factors. Overall, it will not go as far as what somebody with a professional kit and the correct training/experienced eye can achieve: drying out; preparing the impact crater; knowing how to - and when to - manipulate the break; when to cure; when not to cure; using the right resins and products; cross linking of materials... The point is, there is much more to windscreen repair; professional windscreen repair, and it cannot be discounted by a five-pound DIY kit. With respect.
 
Nasher said:
Try the DIY kit for minor stuff, it's not exactly a dark art.
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But as Glassman has just said it is more of a dark art that most people think.

It's all good and well say try a £5 kit for a minor chip but if your attempt with the DIY kit is terrible then you're going to be forking out for a replacement windscreen, you can't go back for a second attempt when the resin is cured
 
Nasher said:
Don't call autoglass, they are a bunch of muppets these days. Ever since they re-formed. Better off trying the DIY kits first.
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I'm not defending them, and I do not have any links with them, but that's a very harsh statement. Also, it is the same company; it hasn't reformed at all. The most significant change is that they've closed all their fitting centres and switched to a mobile service.
 
I still don't get why people are recommending DIY.

A) it'll cost you a fiver
B) of you mess it up it'll cost more
C) it'll cost you time to buy the kit and do the repair.

In favour or mobile services

A) it costs you nothing
B) if they mess it up they pay to correct it
C) it costs you no time other than a 5 min phone call
 
I had a stone chip and small crack on my windscreen.

I called Autoglass last Tuesday, 2 mins later I had an appointment booked for Thursday, paid my £10 excess.

I get a text to confirm they coming. Thursday the chap calls to confirm the exact time. He turns up, fixes that and a few other chips. Job done. No faff!
 
While a DIY kit might be a good way to go about it if you are considering to get adept at fixing such chips in the future, it will take a lot of time and won't be as cheap as you think. A better option would be to simply call out a mobile windscreen repair service as they will be prompt and won't break the bank as @mattyfez pointed out right above.

But yeah, going ahead with DIY, will give you a few ideas to avoid such situations in the future.
 
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