The first tip we have to offer is never leave your windshield wipers on when you turn your car off.  This time of year we see a lot of drivers who have burned out their windshield wiper motor when the motor tried to turn wipers that were thoroughly frozen to the windshield.  In other cases the wipers remained stuck, but the wiper arms moved accordingly,  resulting in some pretty severe damage to the windshield, which required replacement.  No matter the conditions, we recommend making it a habit to turn them off when you get out.

And for the same reason you should always remove ice and snow from the windshield and the wipers before turning them on.  When there is six inches of snow on your car, please don’t turn your wipers on for a moment and then drive off.   The same goes for the side windows, where trying to move a frozen window can strip the cheap plastic parts that operate    Not only is it unsafe for you and other drivers, it could end up costing you a lot more in repairs than you ever thought a windshield wiper problem could.

And of course, have windshield chips and cracks addressed immediately to avoid further damage.  This is exceptionally important in the winter, since thermal expansion can cause the heated inner layer and the cold outer layer to push and pull against one another.  This type of pressure can turn a small repairable chip into a full windshield crack in the blink of an eye (or a bump of the road).

And remember, when the sever weather comes we are all just trying to stay on the road and get where we need to go.  Show some kindness for your fellow man and drive as safely as possible – You may just spare a life!

As anyone who lives in the Great Lakes area knows, our weather can be quite unpredictable.  With weather patterns that turn on a dime and squalls blowing in from potentially any direction, being the weatherman must be one of the most stressful jobs in Rochester.  And Ray Sands Glass has no desire to try it out.  We find it easier to keep to your scheduled appointment and our safety standards when we arrange for indoor service during the cold winter months.

The reason outdoor replacement can be such a safety risk is that weather and moisture can affect the ability of the adhesive to cure.  While the very top quality adhesives will still cure safely in cold weather, that just isn’t what everybody is using.  Some cheaper adhesives, known as standard cure, require temperatures of at least 50 degrees and 50% humidity to cure in the given safe drive away time.  Due to these factors, some “standard cure” products have been known to take up to four months to cure completely in the cold North East winter weather.  This is one of the prime examples of why we feel the cost of good products is absolutely worth the added safety value.

If any part of the car or glass isn’t properly prepared for installation or is exposed to moisture during the replacement due to unexpected weather, the new glass simply won’t adhere.  We have replaced several windshield in our shop that were removed from the car in one piece without the aid of tools.  When a technician can push the windshield out with his bare hands, it’s scary to think of what might have happened if that customer were in an accident before they made it to our shop.

Windshield replacement is a process where safety depends on the materials not getting wet during the installation – so ask yourself this question: Would you approve if you hired a repairman and he wanted to spend an hour working on your computer outside during the winter in Rochester?

With the beautiful snow this time of year (much more appealing than March snow) no one would admonish the desire to let that glow light up your home.  But that “snow glow” can have the same type of damaging effect as that of water reflection at a lake house – walls, moldings, and even ceilings are vulnerable to reflected UV corruption.  Since our Panorama films offer top of the line UV protection with high visible light transmission, UV protection doesn’t have to mean closing your blinds and turning on the lamp, or feeling like you live in a pair of sunglasses.

It may seem that you have already missed out on “residential tint season”, but that isn’t the case – most residential film products can be applied in winter weather.  But while it could theoretically work out just fine on those freezing days, we prefer to install when the temperature is above 30 degrees.  This isn’t just for the comfort of our installers (they are rather resilient) but because the film takes longer to cure in colder weather.

Window film also does it’s part in helping to keep out the cold on those blustery days.  One of the Panorama films in the Solar Gard line offers serious insulation value to your window glass as well as highly effective UV protection, helping you save in more ways than one.  This can be a extra benefit to areas like western New York where we tend to run our heat all winter and our air conditioner all summer, with only a  brief hiatus from the energy bills.

If  you have any questions about how residential window film can help protect your home, call our shop any time – we would be glad to help you figure out which film best suits your needs.

Since the Commissioner’s Regulations focus on maintaining clear vision and not the structural integrity of the windshield, they are lenient on the size, but not so much on the location.  The regulation states that cracks longer than 11 inches or “star breaks” greater than 3 inches are not allowed IF any part of the crack is within the area cleared by the windshield wipers.  So technically, it is completely within the law to have your windshield cracked all the way from one side to the other across the bottom, as long as it is under the wipers.  Legal, but not necessarily safe.

But lenient size restrictions does not mean that you can have a ten inch crack directly in the driver’s line of vision.  A separate section of state law dictates that no vehicle may operate on the roadway with glass that is broken damaged or discolored so that the driver’s visibility is obstructed.  While this code is much more open to interpretation, it would certainly restrict damage that could be a distraction to the driver.

Even repairing damage that falls within the “acute area” ( the area directly in front of the driver) is frowned upon by state officials concerned with driver safety.   Since repair of even very small breaks can cause a perceptible imperfection in the glass which naturally draws the eye away from the road to focus on the blemish.

Think of the last road trip you took where an insect was smashed right in your line of vision.  How many moments were you focused on or aware of the blob of bug juice in front of you?  Each of those moments spent glancing at the bug carcass was a precious second in which you weren’t focused completely on navigating your surroundings – and sometimes a second is all it takes for an accident to happen.

Windshield damage can be just a distracting as a dead critter, if not more.  That’s why you should have a qualified professional help you decide on the best course of action in dealing with your windshield damage.

Ray Sands Glass is proud to help support this organization, with your help we would like to make this holiday season a bit more comfortable for the men and women who followed the call of duty.  The BSM have composed a wish list of everyday items that have been requested by military personnel and we would be happy to accept donations of these items at any of our Western NY locations.

To show our thanks for those donating to a great cause we will be offering free windshield repair or Aquapel in exchange for donations to the Blue Star Mothers.  So if you have been postponing the repair of a small chip or crack, stop at the store and pick up a few of the non-crushable items from their wish list and bring them into the shop.  You will have done a good deed by making the holidays a little brighter for someone who misses their family and saved yourself from needing a replacement all at the same time.

Thank You Veterans!

The Good:  Honestly, the only thing we would recommend using to remove ice from your windshield is an ice scraper.   While this doesn’t help in a pinch, you should get one now and keep it in your vehicle, before you find yourself in a pickle.  Another preemptive strike you might make against the ice is an application of Aquapel, which would keep the ice from sticking so firmly in the first place.  But if you find yourself unprepared and facing in impossibly icy windshield, just be patient and run the defroster to melt the ice slowly – those few minutes aren’t likely to cost you more than a new windshield.

The Bad:  Upon searching the internet, we were surprised to find many sites that recommend using your credit card, which is actually a terrible idea.  We have replaced more than a few pieces of auto glass that were damaged by using a credit card as an improvised ice removal tool.  Not only could you cost yourself a replacement, but you might end up paying for it the old fashioned way, since the ice can destroy the magnetic strip on the card and render it unusable.

The Ugly: We have heard some pretty awful ideas for improvised ice scrapers from crushed soda cans and coffee cup lids to CDs and old license plates (ouch!).  We have even seen people who used a hammer to break the ice (and the windshield) or a screwdriver to chisel at it – all simply dreadful techniques for ice removal.

If you find yourself in and “iced over” situation without a scraper remember – just defrost to avoid the cost!

While we generally would give the same size related answer – that if you can cover it with a quarter it can be repaired.   But even determining the size of a crack can be difficult, since we often find that the crack is much longer than it appears to the untrained eye.

The location of the damage also plays a big part in determining whether damage can be repaired.  Since clear sight is essential for safe driving we don’t like to do repairs in the direct sight line of the driver.  Though the repair will restore the integrity and stops cracks from spreading, even make the damage virtually invisible from the outside, repaired glass isn’t immaculately flawless from the inside.  It would sort of look like you had a permanent smashed bug spot right in the middle of your line of vision – a potentially unsafe distraction.

Many people don’t even give it a thought, but the windshield is what keeps the airbag between your face and the steering wheel and holds up the roof of the car.  When a windshield is less than stable, the airbag may not function properly or in rollover accidents, a weakened windshield may compromise the structural integrity of the passenger compartment.

Our customer’s safety is always our number one concern.  We repair small damage to make the window safe and to prevent the cracks  from spreading.  But for larger, more complicated cracks we recommend a windshield replacement, for safety’s sake!

The first and most common type of damage is the Bulls-eye.  This name accurately describes the appearance of this round, straight single impact type of damage.  And while this often looks like the worst type of chip, since a larger piece of glass has been removed, it is actually the easiest to repair.  But with a cone shaped bulls eye chip it is especially important to seek  a professional repair immediately since they are prone to collect water and dirt that permanently discolor the laminate layer inside the glass.

Another type similar in type to the bulls-eye in what we call the Angel Wings or sometimes a Half Moon, but is essentially a partial bulls eye.   While a bit more complicated to repair than a a traditional straight impact bulls eye, this type is still very repairable.  And once again, promptness is key in getting a good repair without an evident blemish in the glass.

Another type of damage that we see everyday on windshields is the Star Break, which are often, but not necessarily shaped like a star.  any small bunch of cracks centered on a single impact point would be considered a star break.  Since the cracks of a star break are at risk of growing beyond the point of repair, you can save yourself a few hundred dollars by contacting a reputable repair shop ASAP.

The most complicated type of damage to repair is a Combination Break, which has features of each of the types of damage we discussed above.  But if the damage is small (no larger than a quarter) and you contact us as soon as possible after the incident, it can generally be repaired without any visible evidence of damage.  While some insurance companies are more likely to set the size limit for repairs at 6 inches, we don’t recommend this.   Since the most important function of the windshield is keeping the driver and passengers safe, we don’t like to repair a windshield that has been compromised in it’s structural integrity.

The bottom line is – contact a professional auto glass repair shop to survey the damage as soon as possible.  The sooner you seek a repair, the less likely it is that you will need a replacement.

PAYD insurance adjusts drivers’ insurance rates based on the number of miles driven, and sometimes other factors, giving discounts to those drivers that cover fewer miles, and also giving high mileage drivers higher rates.  This provides an even greater incentive to cut down on mileage (as if the gas prices aren’t enough) which is always good for the environment, but how should those miles be tracked?

There are currently many different tracking devices on the market that record a variety of driver data.  Some track only miles driven, with a device that records the odometer reading and sends the reading directly to the insurance company.  Others can create much more detailed reports that include times of day that miles are driven or speed and distance driven in any given trip, even GPS location.

Right now all the pay as you drive programs available in the US  are optional, so no one is required to submit to a tracking device in order to get insurance, but companies offer considerable discounts for those who opt into such insurance plans.  This is great for those groups who are generally careful drivers.  You and your spouse could save bundles with a pay how you drive plan, but you might want to reconsider if you have teenage drivers who tend to drive faster and brake harder.

So what do you think?  Is it worth giving up another bit of your privacy, in this increasingly public world, or would you rather just pay an averaged rate, and be grouped in with all other drivers?

Many people don’t realize how local businesses stimulate local economy so much more than big corporations.  When you spend a dollar here in Rochester at a local business, 43 cents of it stays right here in our area, but when you spend that dollar with a company based elsewhere, only about 19 cents stays here in our city.  Since small businesses are more likely to spend your dollar with other local establishments, you really are investing in your own community, and when you do that, that dollar comes back around to you in the end.

We often go out of our way to spend locally -  we buy an lease our vehicles from local dealerships, we buy our power tools, compressors and urethanes from people right here in our area.  In our efforts to back other local businesses, we have found that these small outfits do the same for us – not just by buying our products and services, but standing by their own, and with top quality service and accountability.

So please join us in supporting this wonderful city we call home, and all those neighbors and friends who benefit from a thriving local business community.  Buy from someone who appreciates your business, someone who is paying taxes to your city, someone who is spend their dollars in your own backyard and someone who cares for this community as much as you do. In short, buy local.  In this little slice of the world, our troubles are all the same and RSG is always glad you came!