Owning vehicles can be expensive today, and the costs of a car payment, auto insurance, and regular maintenance can add up when you are on a tight budget. If you keep your auto insurance deductible high to keep your monthly rates down and your windshield has become damaged, then you may be putting off glass replacement due to fear that it will break your budget. However, you will be happy to hear some types of windshield damage can actually be repaired, and auto glass repairs are typically much more affordable than windshield replacements. Read on to learn two signs your windshield may just need a repair instead of a total replacement. 

1. Only the Outer Layer of Your Windshield Glass Is Damaged

While many automobile drivers don't realize it, a windshield is actually made up of three layers of material: a thin layer of material called Poly-Vinyl Butyral, or PVB, sandwiched between two layers of tempered glass. All automobiles sold in the United States are required by law to have windshields made in this fashion, because the internal layer of PVB helps keep glass from flying everywhere in the case of an auto collision. 

The good news is that if only the outer layer of tempered glass on your automobile windshield is damaged, then it is a sign your windshield may be a good candidate for glass repair instead of replacement, especially if it is just a small pit or nick in the glass less than an inch diameter. 

2. The Damage is At Least Two Inches Away From the Edge of Your Windshield

If the damage to your windshield is a crack, then the length and position of the crack will be taken into consideration by a glass repair professional when they are determining whether your windshield can be repaired or needs to be replaced. Windshields with shorter cracks that are located at least two inches away from the perimeter of the windshield are typically good candidates for glass repair. 

The length of a crack that can be repaired varies from automobile to automobile and also depends on how many cracks your windshield has. Typically, cracks shorter than six inches, which is about the length of a dollar bill, can be repaired when they are not near the windshield perimeter. 

If your automobile windshield is damaged and you are putting off getting a replacement windshield due to being on a tight budget, then realize that there is the chance that you may only need windshield glass repair, which can be very affordable. Since windshield damage can worsen over time when temperature fluctuations cause the glass to expand and contract, the longer you put off having the glass repair made, the more likely the chance you will end up needing a windshield replacement.