Can Your Stone Chip Be Repaired?

We want to give you the best quality, most cost effective reapir, with stone chip repairs starting from $85 it's significantly less of a financial burden when comparing to windscreen replacements. We will only be able to repair your windscreen if it fits within guidelines set out in Australian New Zealand Safety Standard AS/NZS 2366.1-1999 with specific criteria regulating when a windscreen chip or crack can be repaired.

Can Your Stone Chip Be Repaired?

Windscreen damage or defects may impair a driver’s forward vision, create a potential safety hazard and affect road safety. However, windscreens will be subject to some damage such as sandblasting, cracks, and stone chips during normal operation, therefore some deterioration from new condition is allowable. A windscreen should be clean and free of damage that might impair the driver’s view to the front of the vehicle.

Things which might impair a driver’s vision are:

• The location of the damage; 
• The size of the damage; 
• Effect on the mechanical strength of the windscreen.

Is a damaged windscreen safe?
 When a damaged windscreen is examined the following factors should be considered:

• The location of the damage;
• The size of the damage;
• Effect on the mechanical strength of the windscreen.

To determine if a windscreen should be replaced or repaired, the area of windscreen swept by the wipers to the right of the centre of the vehicle may have bull’s-eyes and star fractures up to 16 mm in diameter and cracks up to 150 mm long which do not penetrate more than one (1) layer of the glass in a laminated windscreen, provided they do not interfere with the driver’s vision.

 In addition, the "primary vision area" (the area of the windscreen which is swept by the windscreen wipers) must not be cracked, scored, chipped, sandblasted or otherwise damaged to the extent that it impairs the driver’s vision or damages the wiper blades.

It is recommended that all defects be repaired as soon as possible.

Source: Queensland Light Vehicle Inspection Manual – November 2023
https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/-/media/Safety/Vehicle-standards-and-modifications/Vehicle-modifications/queensland-light-vehicle-inspection-manual.pdf?la=en

The Size of the Chip or Crack

A general rule of thumb for windscreen repairs - if the damage fits within the area of a 5 cent coin outside the Critical Vision Area (CVA) this being said, Chips are divided into four primary types, with each type having different size limits depending on where it is located. This can be as little as 2mm if in the CVA, and up to 30mm if outside the CVA, with a Crater being the most restricted in terms of size. But one of our an auto glass technicians will also need to assess the depth of any crack or chip before deciding whether a repair is possible.

Windscreens consist of two layers of glass bonded together by a layer of laminate. If the crack or chip has penetrated the first layer of glass all the way to the laminate a repair will probably not be possible, especially if delamination is already visible.

Evidence of Past Repairs

Windscreens cannot be repaired indefinitely, and one of the first things our technicians will look for is signs of past repairs to the windscreen. If there are signs of eight or more repairs anywhere on the windscreen, replacement will be necessary. But even if the windscreen has been repaired less than eight times, replacement could still be necessary. There cannot be more than two repairs within the CVA, but the technician will also use an overlay template – centred on the new damage – to evaluate the impact of other past repairs. If any past repairs fall partially or fully within the overlay area, further repairs will also not be possible.

The above criteria highlight why even though you could attempt to repair a windscreen chip or crack yourself, you should always have it done professionally to avoid putting yourself and other road users at risk. And a professional autoglass replacement and repair service provider should always explain why a repair is not possible, and you shouldn’t be reluctant to ask if they don’t offer up an explanation.

Repairing windscreen damage

 Repairing a damaged windscreen, if undertaken correctly, is an acceptable means of reinstating a windscreen to a safe condition.

 Repaired windscreens must comply with the following requirements:

• When inspected from the inside of the vehicle, the repair should not exhibit any significant optical defects which would distort or distract the vision of the driver and should restore clarity to the damaged area. (Acceptable limits of repairs are outlined in Note 1); 
• Any repair to the windscreen should not reduce the effectiveness of the windscreen wipers; 
• Windscreen repair material must be used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. 

If a repair has been unsuccessful or is unlikely to be effective, the vehicle owner is responsible for replacing the windscreen in order to meet the necessary safety requirements.

NOTE 1: In a repaired windscreen, a faint outline of the repair, or in some cases, a slight dull spot may be visible where the repair has been performed. A repaired crack may also be detectable by a fine hairline surface mark. These are acceptable and should not cause a vehicle to fail a safety inspection provided the damaged windscreen has been repaired to a standard which complies with the requirements outlined in this document. To date, the extent of windscreen damage considered to be repairable has not been defined. Improved technology has increased the scope of repairable damage and acceptability can only be determined (in accord with the above standards) after the repair has been completed.

It is recommended that repairs of cracks longer than 350 mm be avoided. 

NOTE 2: The Australian Standard AS/NZ 2366.1-1999 ‘Windscreen repairs – Repair procedures’ and AS/NZ 2366.1-1990 ‘Windscreen repairs – Repair systems’ are voluntary standards for the repair of automotive windscreens. They provide recommended practices regarding the repair of laminated windscreens. The use of these Australian Standards is not mandatory.

Replacement windscreens

To ensure the safety of all motor vehicle occupants, replacement windscreens must be of an approved safety glass.

 The glass must always bear an identification mark indicating the standard to which the glass has been manufactured (e.g. AS 2080, BS AU178, J ISR 3211, ECE R-43/00, ANSI-Z26.1) and have a standards mark etched or indelibly printed on the glass.

Windscreens which do not comply with these recognised standards may shatter easily and unexpectedly, creating areas of distorted vision.

Windscreens that do not have a standards mark are illegal

Windscreens fitted to motor vehicles manufactured on or after 1 July 1971, are required by law to be made from glass which has a light transmittance of no less 75 percent. Aftermarket tint film may be applied to the upper portion of the windscreen. The tinting must not extend lower than a horizontal line contacting the uppermost point of the arcs swept by the vehicle manufacturer’s original wiper blades. The tinting may be of any shade but must not have a reflectance of more than 10 percent.

Types of windscreens available

There are two types of replacement windscreens available for motor vehicles, laminated or tempered.

Laminated glass windscreens are manufactured like a "sandwich" with glass on the outside and inside surfaces and a clear plastic film between. A laminated screen is more resistant to breakage than tempered glass and even when fractured it remains almost transparent.

Tempered glass is specially treated so that, when broken, it shatters into tiny fragments instead of jagged splinters. Unfortunately, when the windscreen shatters, it is difficult to see through.

Vehicles manufactured on or after 1 January 1994 must be fitted with laminated glass windscreens. Whilst vehicles built before 1 January 1994 do not have to meet this requirement, it is strongly recommended that when a replacement windscreen is needed, laminated glass be used.

Remember:

• Windscreen damage or defects could seriously impair a driver’s ability to see clearly, thereby presenting a safety hazard.
• The owner of a motor vehicle is legally responsible for ensuring that his/her vehicle complies with relevant safety standards. 
• Drivers are responsible for the condition of the motor vehicle they drive.
  
  Source: Queensland Light Vehicle Inspection Manual – November 2023
  https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/-/media/Safety/Vehicle-standards-and-modifications/Vehicle-modifications/queensland-light-vehicle-inspection-manual.pdf?la=en

Flexible Payment Options

We understand that any vehicle repairs can be an unexpected expense. To help ease the financial burden, we offer the following payment options in-store:

Get Back on the Road Safely!

Fill in the below form today and one of our friendly team will contact you as soon as possible to discuss your auto glass repair/replacement options. Sit back, relax and let our team of professionals get you safely back on the road.