How To Protect Your Windshield From Cold Winter Weather

If you want protection on the road, you should keep the windshield of your car or SUV protected. There are different types of external elements that can cause damage to an automotive windshield glass. One of the common reasons for getting a chip or crack in an auto glass is bad weather. Like other harsh weather conditions, you need to protect your automotive windshield during the cold winter months as well. In fact, winter chills or cold winter weather can easily take a toll on the car window glass. As a smart vehicle owner, you should follow all those useful tips and advice that are meant to keep the windshield protected as the temperature drops. Never forget that a properly installed and secure windshield helps maintain the structural integrity of a vehicle and keeps you safe while driving on the road.

At SIR Glass in Boise, Idaho, we receive plenty of questions in regard to windshield protection, auto glass installation, auto window repair and auto windshield replacement. In this article, we’ll focus on how you can give your windshield the best protection during the cold winter weather.

Prevention is Important!

Protection ahead of time is always one of the best tips. If winter is approaching, you should prepare yourself in advance and take all the preventative steps to keep your auto windshield well-protected.

In particular, you should:

• Keep tabs on the weather
• Find a way to cover the auto windshield
• Park the car or SUV in a garage
• Use tarps
• Pull the windshield wipers up

There are multiple steps that you can take ahead of time in order for your windshield to remain safe from any kind of damage as temperatures start to plummet. It is always a good idea to keep track of the weather in your area. If you know beforehand that the temperature will fall and it will snow and rain, you will be in a better position to do things to protect your auto windshield glass.

Likewise, you should find a way to cover the windshields of your car or SUV in a proper manner to ensure protection from cold weather. When the mercury dips and cold waves grip your area, you should never leave your vehicle outside. Instead, you should park it inside a garage, if you have one. Otherwise, you should find any shelter where your vehicle can stay protected. In case you cannot find a shelter either, you should buy a tarp (available for $20) to cover the front windshield, back windshield, and the side auto glasses of your car or SUV. Also, don’t forget to pull the windshield wipers so that they are away from the glass.

Keeping the windshield wipers off the automotive glass will prevent ice deposits and the wiper rubber will remain clear.

Tips for Windshield Protection

While advance preparation is important, there are multiple other tips and techniques that you should use to make sure your windshield remains safe, clean and clear without getting any kind of damage. Whether it is rain, snow or ice, you should protect your car glass from all these external elements.

Use Proper Ice Removal Tool

During cold winter weather, it is common for the windshield to have ice deposits. You may feel tempted to remove the ice from the windshield as soon as you see it in any way you can. However, you should be very careful, as removing ice in the wrong way can lead to chips and scratches.

Towns in Idaho such as Stanely experience one of the coldest winters. If you live in the Greater Treasure Valley area, you never know when you will get a snowstorm or freeze. But once you see ice on the windshield of your car, SUV, truck or minivan, you should not rush to get rid of it immediately. Never use a pocket knife or a hand-held shovel to remove ice from auto glass because doing so will only damage the automotive glass and you may need an auto window repair or car windshield replacement later. You should remove the ice only using a proper tool such as an ice scraper, which is designed to serve the very purpose.

Using an ice scraper, you will be able to scrape ice off the automotive glass. But you should take caution even when using this tool. Never operate the tool in a horizontal manner to get the job done right. If you try to use it vertically and stab into the ice, you will damage the auto glass beneath. Using the tool wrong may cause the car window glass to chip or crack.

Keep the Windshield Fluid Reservoir Filled

Keep a close watch on your windshield wiper fluid levels. When it is winter time, you should check it on a regular basis.

In order to deal with ice deposits in winter, you will always have a need to use the windshield washer fluid. In summertime, car owners often use a type of fluid that cleans insects off the windshield glass. But when it is a snowy winter, you should use a fluid meant for the weather. For example, the de-icer is a suitable type of fluid you can use as a windshield washer. You will also find many other varieties of the windshield fluid. In particular, you should look for those products that will not freeze under low temperatures and will help melt ice and frost.

In addition to this, it is also a good idea to purchase a spray de-icer for melting ice and frost on the windshield glass. If you have a question in this regard, feel free to talk to one of our experts at SIR Glass.

Invest in Winter Wiper Blades

Winter wiper blades are different from normal summer blades. One of the preventative measures we have already talked about is to pull the windshield away from the auto windshield glass as temperature plummets. Another better method to protect your windshield from cold weather is to replace your general summer blades with a pair of winter wiper blades. Unlike summer blades, winter blades are designed specially to function in cold or icy weather. Winter wipers come along with an additional protective layer made of rubber. While a summer wiper will not be able to move during low temperatures, winter wipers will not freeze.

In fact, winter wiper blades will efficiently function to remove ice or frost deposits and keep the windshield clear. Wiper blades are available in either frame or beam styles. If you plan to keep your windshield protected during the cold months of winter, you should definitely invest in winter blades.

If you are getting a car window repair or car windshield replacement done, you can have the summer blades replaced as well. SIR Glass in Boise, Idaho, is one of the most trusted companies to get it done.

Get the Defrosting System Checked

If winter months are about to begin, you should get the defrosting system in your car or SUV checked by a technician. You will never want to get caught up with frost on your windshield because the defrosting system is not working. Such heating and defrosting systems are fitted in all cars.

Take your vehicle to a mechanic and find out if the defrosting system is working or not. If there are issues, you may need to replace the blade or the fans so that the system starts working again in an efficient manner. If the system is okay, you will be relaxed knowing you are ready for the winter. The main purpose of defrosters is to keep the car windshield clear during the winter months by removing condensation and melting snow, frost and ice. The front windshield defroster is controlled by the heating and ventilation system installed in the vehicle.

You should never forget the importance of a secure windshield. When it comes to your safety on the road, the automotive windshield plays an extremely crucial role by keeping out a range of external elements. The glass is designed using advanced technology to prevent you from injuries during a crash or collision. Use the tips shared above to give your windshield the best protection during cold months of the winter season when the temperature falls low.

What Not to Do

Just like there are tips for you to follow, there are some things you should not do to keep your windshield protected in winters.

It is easy to make mistakes when in a hurry. If you wake up on a winter morning and find your car or SUV is covered in a thick layer of snow, you will have the temptation to get rid of it as fast as you can. Just because you don’t want to be late doesn’t mean you will do just anything that comes to your mind. For example, the idea of pouring hot or warm water can easily come to your mind. However, you should avoid doing anything like this, as it might damage the windshield glass.

If the temperature of the car window glass changes rapidly, the glass might get a crack or even shatter altogether. If the glass sustains damage, you will need windshield repair services or a full car windshield replacement. Therefore, always remember not to pour liquid of any type on the windshield.

No matter how much you want to defrost the windshield instantly, this is not how it actually works. You need to have some patience and give your car, SUV or truck some time to warm and heat up gradually.

While your windshield has ice or frost deposit on it, you should stay off the road. Never drive if the view through the automotive glass is not fully clear. Driving with an obstructed view will only risk your life as well as of the life of other co-passengers. Truly, it is better to be late than never.

Repair Cracks or Chips Immediately

Whenever you notice a chip or crack in your windshield, you should give it immediate attention and get it repaired or replaced without any delay. You need to be even more cautious during the cold weather because low temperatures can quickly make an existing chip or crack worse.

In fact, you should give the front windshield, the back windshield and the side auto glasses a thorough look during winters. Even if you notice a small blemish, you should never ignore it. What looks like a tiny chip today may turn into a full-blown crack the next morning. That is why you should never let repair work wait during the cold winter months, in particular. You can either take your vehicle to a glass repair shop or avail yourself of mobile auto glass repair and mobile windshield replacement services like SIR Glass provides in Boise, Idaho. The company’s mobile glass service is aimed to help busy working professionals. The good news is that opting for mobile glass repair or replacement requires no extra payment.

It is for the technician to first assess the damage to a windshield and then determine the most ideal solution. If the chips are more than one in number or it is a large crack, repairing the same may not be possible. In that case, the technician will proceed with an auto glass installation.

Read more about:

5 Important Points to Get the Best Result from Your Car Glass Repair

Talk to a Windshield Protection Specialist

Hopefully, these tips will help you prevent your windshield from damage during the cold winter weather. If you prepare in advance and defrost and remove ice, frost and snow from the windshield in a proper manner, the risks for getting chips or cracks will reduce in a significant manner. If you still have a question or want to schedule the auto glass repair, car windshield replacement of your broken windshield, head over to SIR Glass in Boise, Idaho. Our range of services include windshield repair, auto glass replacement, free mobile auto glass services, windshield crack repair, tempered glass replacement, ADAS camera calibrations etc.

For your free consultation, you can call our office phone number or write to us using the email given on our website.

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