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Chipped windshield? Time to fix that!
Posted: 11.30.2011 at 10:11 PM
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TRI-STATE AREA -- Check the glass on your vehicle for chips and fractures.
We know that water, for many reasons, is an amazing substance, but some of the science behind water is to blame for why you may encounter a cracked windshield this winter! Here's why...
When water becomes colder than 39 degrees, the actual volume of the water increases. There are additional spaces among the water molecules. This is due to the shape of the water molecule and to how the molecules bond to each other.
By the time the water freezes to ice at 32 degrees, it expands by about 10 percent. This is more than enough to create issues with your windshield.
Water gets into a chip or fracture in the glass and then chilly temperatures cause this water to freeze, expand, and to force the glass to fracture and crack. A repair before this occurs is generally more economical than having to completely replace the glass.