You probably have encountered the experience of having a big truck pass you on the highway, and soon after, a rock flies up and chips your windshield. The truck is usually moving too fast to catch his license plate, and even if you did, getting the chip repaired by his company would be a major undertaking, possibly never successful, surely requiring hours of phone time. If you are like most of us, you probably say a few choice words, and resolve to have it repaired. Of course, since we all live life in the fast lane these days, that could be months away. If you have procrastinated this repair in the past you already know why it should never be left for later.

After a chip or nick is created in your windshield, there is an opening for moisture to enter the integrity of the laminate, the layers of glass. If that moisture is allowed to collect in the chip at night, for instance, and then the morning sun hits the windshield, the expansion of the moisture can and very often does cause the "spider webbing" often seen around a chip. In some extreme cases, it will cause a long, growing crack that will eventually extend completely across your windshield. These cracks can cause you to be cited by police if they alter your field of vision, and are a nuisance at the least. The home repair of this chip is simple, low-cost and should be considered at the first opportunity after the chip happens.

One option is to take your car to a glass repair and replacement shop. These chips are professionally repaired in just a few minutes, and the cost is about $25 per chip. However, if you are like most of us, finding time to do this could be a problem, since most glass shops keep the same work hours that we do, and are rarely open on weekends. The other alternative is to purchase a home repair kit at your local auto parts store or discount department store. These kits range in price from about $8-$10. The process only requires a few minutes, and the results are almost undetectable. If you choose this option, here are the simple instructions for completing the job:

In preparation for this repair, it is highly recommended that you park your car facing the sun, so that the windshield is warmed by the sun. The ultra-violet sun rays will help to cure the resin completely.

1) You will need the kit you purchased from the store. That kid contains a syringe apparatus, and usually a suction cup of some sort, what appears to be a little cone on a disk, and a plastic disk with a tab on one edge and a self adhesive backing. In addition, you will need a bottle of window cleaner and a fresh cleaning rag, and possibly a couple of towels or rags to place under the site so that you avoid spills on your dash or paint job.

2) Clean the area to be repaired thoroughly, and allow the spot to dry completely.

3) Some kits will come complete with a suction cup. If yours does, attach it to the inside of your windshield, centered over the chip you are going to repair.

4) Punch the center hole out of the plastic disk, and peel the backing from it. Apply this disk, centering the hole over the chip on the outside of the windshield.

5) Now, there should be a little cone in the kit. This cone also has a removable self adhesive backing. Remove that backing, and apply the cone by sticking it to the disk you just applied. Be sure to center the cone over the center hole of the disk below.

6) The syringe contains enough resin filler to repair one fairly large chip. It requires no mixing or other preparation, and may require you to clip the tip from the nozzle. Attach this syringe snugly to the cone, most of them insert into the cone, and will require that you twist them to engage them tightly.

7) Begin by drawing the plunger on the syringe out, drawing air from the chip. You will notice, if you have a suction cup on the inside of the glass, is that the suction cup will compress towards the glass.

8) Once you have achieved the maximum air withdrawal, simply release the plunger. This will inject the resin into the chip, filling all the spaces that were holding air.

9) Leave the apparatus attached to the glass and let the sun cure the resin for at least 5-10 minutes.

10) Carefully peel the suction cup from the inside of the glass by catching your fingernail under the edge of it to break the air seal.

11) Using the tab on the plastic disk, slowly peel it off of the glass.

12) Wait at least 30 minutes for the resin to complete curing, then clean any excess resin from the glass with a razor blade. This blade is included in most kits.

I think you will discover that the ease of this repair makes it far more acceptable than spending days on the phone attempting to convince a trucking company to repair your chip. You will most likely have to search to find the exact spot after a day.