What You Didn’t Know About Your Windshield

Every time you look through your windshield, you’re really looking at an amazing scientific triumph that has been millenia in the making. In this article, we’ll take a close look at the history of the windshield and the industry that has arisen to replace and repair auto glass.

A Long Time Coming

Believe it or not, the first manufactured glass came in the 4th millenium B.C. In both Mesopotamia and Egypt, quartz was heated and crushed to make glazes for ceramic vessels. Though it served for many years in such a capacity, it wasn’t until the Romans came along that glass began to appear in windows. In Alexandria, around 100 A.D., cast glass windows began to appear, though they were difficult to see through. Well to do Europeans used mullioned glass, while paper windows continued to be used in the East. By the 17th century, glass was common in the windows of ordinary English homes, but the splendid windows we see today were not possible until the process of industrial glass making began to spread widely.

Even as glass windows became more and more common in homes, they didn’t not appear on automobiles for many years. In 1934, the Chrysler Imperial Airflow CW was the first production car to use a single piece curved windshield. Until that time, drivers wore goggles to protect their eyes from insects, debris, and precipitation. When they were invented, automobile windshields were made of easily breakable plate glass, presenting obvious dangers to the safety of drivers. Laminate style windshields quickly took the places of these highly hazardous installations. Laminated safety auto glass is a type of treated glass consisting of two curved sheets of glass with a plastic layer laminated between them for safety.

Automobile Glass Repair and Replacement

According to the U.S. National Windshield Repair Association, many types of damage to windshields can be repaired successfully, including circular bullseyes, linear cracks, star shaped breaks, or even combinations of the tree. Those who repair auto glass can take care of such problems without removing the glass, effectively eliminating the risk of leaking or bonding problems. Auto glass repair services can often complete repairs in quite quickly, as vehicle glass repair is much simpler than replacement.

Many companies that repair auto glass also provide windshield replacement services. Windshields are broken beyond repair are cut out, and a new windshield can be installed usually in less than an hour. After replacement of a windshield, Safe Drive Away Time must be respected to ensure that the replacement is safely bonded. Read more about this topic at this link.