There are many circumstances in which you might need to replace the glass in your car. If your car glass becomes damaged, for instance, or there is a crack in it. Or if the glass the manufacturer put in at the factory is sub-par, that’s another reason to replace the glass. But there are many pitfalls when buying new glass for your car, even if you’re buying car glass in Peterborough. Here are a few things to watch out for.
Laminated glass
This is basically two layers of glass which has plastic laminate in the middle. It is primarily used on windshields. It’s strong enough to keep the glass intact and is specially designed so it doesn’t shatter on impact. Instead it holds together and prevents bits flying into the car and hurting the passengers. However, it’s important to make sure the side windows are not made of laminated glass. An increasing number of manufacturers are using laminate in the side windows, but this could be dangerous as you may not be able to kick the window through to escape the car in an emergency.
Tempered glass
This type of glass differs greatly in form and function to laminated glass but is just as important for safety in the vehicle. This is good for the surrounding windows, the back windows and side windows. This type of glass is created by being heated to extremely high temperatures and then it is rapidly cooled. This gives it extra strength because the surface cools quicker than the centre which causes comprehensive stress. You can buy this kind of glass at car glass Peterborough dealers as well.
The weakest part of this type of glass are the edges, which allows it to shatter on impact. But don’t worry; the shattered pieces are dull pieces which aren’t sharp or dangerous. This makes them both strong and easy to shatter making them ideal in case of an accident. That’s because, when the glass shatters, passengers can escape through a window.
Special glass
Modern glass comes in a variety of options these days. You can get tinted glass for added privacy, you can get glass with UV protection, glass which can defrost on a cold day. Some glass these days also have sensors so that when it rains the windshield turns on automatically. These options should not, however, distract you from the fact that the most important part of any car glass is its safety.
When safety is the primary concern the options above should be born in mind all the time. That means using laminated glass for the windshield, which won’t shatter on impact and is strong enough to prevent objects smashing through the screen. It also means including tempered glass on the sides. This type of glass shatters on impact allowing passengers to escape in the event of a crash.
