Your windscreen plays an essential role in your safety during a collision. It is a structural component that can prevent a roof collapse. Also, it plays a role in airbag deployment. It can keep you inside your vehicle if your seatbelt fails. It can’t do any of these things if it becomes unattached during the collision. Modern windshield adhesive is powerful and resilient to stand up to both regular wear and the extreme forces generated during a crash. Its important to always choose high-quality adhesive.
Cheap Windshield Adhesive Won’t Hold On
Modern windshield adhesive is primarily urethane, powerful adhesive dozens of times stronger than the bond you would get from something like silicone. One way that a person could cut corners during a car windshield replacement or truck windshield replacement would be to use butyl adhesive instead. This is much weaker and is closer to a sealant than an adhesive. It doesn’t have the same curing effect that urethane does. It will keep water from breaching the seal, but it doesn’t provide the adhesive strength needed to keep your windshield in place during a collision.
Installation Can Make or Break Windshield Adhesive
It isn’t enough to choose the right adhesive; installation is just as important. Urethane has complicated interactions with the oils from your skin. If the technician installing your windscreen isn’t wearing gloves, they could be transferring oils into the urethane adhesive. This will reduce the adhesive’s strength, creating a safety issue and possibly leading to leaks later on. This is especially critical for RV windshield replacement and commercial windshield replacement, where the seal is under much greater forces.
Low-Quality Adhesives Won’t Last
Good-quality windshield adhesive also lasts longer than lower-quality adhesive. Any adhesive will wear down eventually. With a suitable adhesive, some other issue typically requires a replacement before this can happen. You’re unlikely to see any signs of adhesive deterioration, as the weakened bond can still provide a seal against leaks. This means you won’t know the adhesives will fail until the windshield detaches during a collision. It would be best to verify that your auto glass shop uses top-quality adhesives before it’s too late.
