Have you ever walked up to your car to discover a crack that wasn’t there last night? Your first thought may have been that someone accidentally bumped into your car overnight, but in fact, the pressure from extreme weather conditions can crack your windshield.
At Auto Glass in San Antonio, we can fix auto glass cracks from various causes. We decided to use this blog to educate you about this phenomenon. We’ll explain how weather can cause cracks and how to prevent such cracks.
So without further ado, let’s cut to the chase.
Thermal Expansion: The Culprit Behind
Thermal expansion caused by changes in temperature can crack a windshield. You see, atoms in glass constantly vibrate; as the temperature increases, these atoms start vibrating faster. This increases the mean distance between atoms and makes the glass expand ever so slightly. To summarize, the small gaps on the road you see on bridges are there to compensate for this expansion in the summer.
At any rate, as glass tries to expand, it applies outward force on the windshield frame. According to Newton’s third law, the frame also applies an opposing force to the glass. The battle continues until the glass breaks. Something similar can happen in the cold when atoms slow down and create pressure inwards.
How to Prevent Windshield Cracks From Extreme Temperatures
Try not to park your car in the sun for too long. Also, don’t park your car in front of reflective buildings. In the winter, park it in an indoor garage where the glass doesn’t reach extreme temperatures. Also, use a car shade if you don’t use one already. The biggest precaution you can take to prevent this kind of crack is to hire experienced professionals to install quality glass.
At Auto Glass in San Antonio, we have 30 years of experience in auto glass repair in San Antonio. We also have 4.8 stars on Google Maps for our highly satisfactory services. At Auto Glass in San Antonio, we offer professional windshield repair service in San Antonio you can count on at affordable rates.
Want your windshield repaired by the most trusted service provider in San Antonio? Contact us for a free quote today!