The only thing more difficult than trying to decide if you should have your car windshield repaired or replaced is deciding which auto glass shop you should have handle the repair or replacement. If it’s your first time having work done on your windshield, you’ll more than likely be baffled as to where to look, what questions to ask and which credentials to look for. You don’t want to spend more than you have to, but you also don’t want to sacrifice your safety or the safety of any of your passengers.
Is the Repair Shop Certified?
The first thing you’ll want to find out about the car windshield repair shop is if they’re certified by the Auto Glass Replacement Safety Standard (AGRSS), which is an accredited developing standards institute. You’ll be pleased to know that Grand Sport Auto Body is a Certified Auto Glass Shop!
How Quickly Can They Get You Back On The Road – SAFELY?
Safety drive away time is something else to bear in mind when deciding on a car windshield repair shop. What is “Safety Drive Away Time”? Safety drive away time, also referred to as minimum drive away time, is the amount of time necessary for windshield adhesive to strengthen enough to safely hold a windshield together. For most car windshield repair shops the safety drive away time is at least three hours, and that’s only if the skies are clear and sunny. If the weather is too hot or too cold, you might have to wait several days or possibly even several weeks before you can drive your car.
Here at Grand Sport Auto Glass, we’re able to offer a 1 Hour Drive Away Time as long as the temperature is above 0 degrees Fahrenheit (which is just about every day here in Pennsylvania). How can we offer such a quick turn around time? It comes down to experience and the quality of products we use. Our glass technicians are highly trained with years of experience and we use DOW Automotive Systems adhesives. In addition to standard testing to meet government requirements, DOW goes a step further and puts it’s adhesives through the only truly reliable test in the world – actual head on collisions. Our expertise combined with the best adhesive in the world allow us to get you on your way quickly with a windshield that is guaranteed for as long as you own your car.
Will They Repair or Replace Your Windshield?
You might also be wondering if you should have your windshield replaced or repaired. Windshield repair is ideal for convenience, cost-efficiency and for minor cracks and chips. As long as the damage to your windshield is minor and anywhere except for directly in front of the driver’s line of vision, you’ll more than likely be able to have your windshield repaired. A repair can usually be done in roughly a half hour. Another good thing about having your windshield repaired is that your auto insurance company might cover the entire cost.
For extreme damage, you’ll probably have to have your windshield completely replaced. It’s recommended that you go to an auto glass shop that only uses Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) glass since any other type of glass might compromise the safety of your vehicle and could even cause leaks in your vehicle. Although more expensive, replacing the windshield may be required as a safety precaution against windows that are weakened beyond repair. If a Windshields strength has been compromised, a simple ding can send glass flying.
Do They Offer A Mobile Glass Repair Service?
The windshield repair shop you chose should be willing to work around your schedule, no matter how demanding it might be. Some repair shops also offer mobile repair service that travels to the customer’s home or office to take care of windshield replacement and repair. Whether in the shop or at your home, the quality of work shouldn’t have to suffer. Make sure any warranty’s or guarantee’s are just as valid for mobile service as in the shop.
Will They Handle The Insurance Claim?
If your insurance company is willing to pay for your repair or help pay for your replacement, make sure that the repair shop accepts your insurance. You don’t want to have your windshield replaced or repaired only to learn after the work is done that the shop doesn’t accept your insurance. If you don’t have insurance, then try to find repair shops that accept checks, major credit cards and are competitively priced. If you’re pressed for time, repairs can be done in 30 minutes or less while complete replacements might take roughly two hours, depending on how long the polyurethane adhesive takes to secure the glass to the vehicle and the shops minimum safety drive time (1 Hour At Grand Sport!).
Most Importantly – Do They Guarantee their Work?
If you’ve been looking at the price of repair vs replacement auto glass, you might be experiencing a bit of shock at the cost. However, if you’re thinking about cutting corners in order to save money, be aware that your car’s windshield does a lot more than protect you from wind and rain. A vehicle’s windshield is also the brace to the passenger-side air bag. If you’re ever in a roll-over accident, the windshield has an important role in roof-crush protection. If your windshield were to ever lose its adhesion during a rollover or collision, it could seriously compromise your safety. Now you understand why it’s so important that you make sure a certified and experienced auto glass shop takes care of all of your repair and replacement needs. The technicians should be properly trained for installations that either meet or surpass Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or the recommendations offered by the vehicle’s manufacturer.
One way to make absolutely sure you are picking the best windshield repair shop is to ask if they guarantee their work. If a shop won’t stand behind their product then there’s a good reason for it. At Grand Sport Auto Glass, we guarantee our work for the entire time you own your car. No hassles, no fine print – just a 100% guarantee that you can count on us to deliver quality work that not only lasts the test of time, but keeps your family safe on Pennsylvania’s roadways.
Keep these little tidbits of info handy so that if you happen to have a damaged window or windshield in the future you’ll know what to look for (and what to look out for) in a glass shop.
The post Car Windshield Repair – How To Pick The Best Shop appeared first on Grand Sport Auto Body.
Source: http://www.grandsportautobody.com/blog/how-to-choose-the-best-car-windshield-repair-company/
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