Rock chips

[Grizzly Adams]

Wife had a good sized rock that almost made it through the windshield, in front of her, she was very shaken. Sometimes you can't take these things quite so lightly.
Grizz

[graybeard]

Over the years I have been driving and a rock(s) came up and whacked my windshield. It was like it was in slow motion, and nothing you can do.

The worst one was, when following a gravel truck and some loose debris came off....like a machine gun when they hit.

On the topic of rock chips, what is the opinion on the windshield repair guys you often see in the Canadian Tire parking lot? Any good? Waste of money?

Thanks,

[HuyFishin]

Originally Posted by graybeard

Over the years I have been driving and a rock(s) came up and whacked my windshield. It was like it was in slow motion, and nothing you can do.

The worst one was, when following a gravel truck and some loose debris came off....like a machine gun when they hit.

On the topic of rock chips, what is the opinion on the windshield repair guys you often see in the Canadian Tire parking lot? Any good? Waste of money?

Thanks,

I was trained how to repair rockchips by the guy that owns those DECO chip repair tents. Just like any business you have the good employees and the bad apples. Some that take more effort and care and some that dont. They are all Summer students he hires ect. Chip repair tents are very expensive but its for convenience. The process does work at the success rate is around 99% Few spreading cracks and chips after the job is done.

[Dean2]

Graybeard

I have had a few chips fixed by the parking lot guys. They seem to do as good a job as the glass shops and they will do it while you are off shopping which is pretty convenient. With me it is all about price, I negotiate with all of them, parking lot or glass shop, max $25, I start at $20 and go up a buck at a time, for the first and $7 per additional or I go someplace else.

P.S. I just read the post by Huyfishin that he was posting while I was typing mine, I think I now understand why they will negotiate on cash deals so readily, my bet is these are going straight into the guys pocket. I never realised these were centrally owned, I always thought they were individual owned locations.

[kilgoretrout]

Well almost made it 6 months this time with the new truck it had spread half way across before I got home..... I find most of mine have come from vehicles going the other way usually tandems.... not much you can do on glenmore, deerfoot, 22x etc....

[graybeard]

Originally Posted by Dean2

Graybeard

I have had a few chips fixed by the parking lot guys. They seem to do as good a job as the glass shops and they will do it while you are off shopping which is pretty convenient. With me it is all about price, I negotiate with all of them, parking lot or glass shop, max $25, I start at $20 and go up a buck at a time, for the first and $7 per additional or I go someplace else.

P.S. I just read the post by Huyfishin that he was posting while I was typing mine, I think I now understand why they will negotiate on cash deals so readily, my bet is these are going straight into the guys pocket. I never realised these were centrally owned, I always thought they were individual owned locations.

Good to know, thanks for the share.....

[HuyFishin]

Originally Posted by Dean2

Graybeard

I have had a few chips fixed by the parking lot guys. They seem to do as good a job as the glass shops and they will do it while you are off shopping which is pretty convenient. With me it is all about price, I negotiate with all of them, parking lot or glass shop, max $25, I start at $20 and go up a buck at a time, for the first and $7 per additional or I go someplace else.

P.S. I just read the post by Huyfishin that he was posting while I was typing mine, I think I now understand why they will negotiate on cash deals so readily, my bet is these are going straight into the guys pocket. I never realised these were centrally owned, I always thought they were individual owned locations.

Yea All the Tents with the orange Branding is owned by a really nice fellow. Unfortunatley you will have kids try to cheat the system. All he can do is try to trust them. Only reason why its pricey is primarily just convenience and thats his sales model.

https://decorepair.com/

Keep in mind there is really good chip repairs and really bad repairs. The good chip repairs will have a suction system that will vacuum out all the air which is the black you see in the chip. A lower end injection system will shove resin in but the air in the crack has nowhere to go. I can do a rock chip where u will hardly see it. All you would see is a slight scar and no black in the glass. A fast cheap rock chip repair will leave alot of black lines and air in the chip. Which will be alot more visable once repaired.



This is how a rock chip repair is supposed to look. The process will take about 15-20 minutes. A fast chip repair will still look like a chip. I have friends that worked at glass shops that were impressed with how I did my chip repairs. All the chips they did were all still visible and they were collecting peoples money for 25 dollars. I was doing mine for 30 and it looked 10 times better. This is why some deco repair tents are really good since they were trained by a very knowledgeable man.Some kids put more effort into it. Some will do chip repairs in half the time with no care. They just want to collect the cash.

You all must be wondering why would I pay 50 dollars for a chip repair. Since you can get a windshield for 250. Fact is many customers want to keep the factory seal on the windshield for as long as possible. Many Glass shops will use a tool called the Extractor to remove the old windshield which scratches up and damages the paint underneath ( not visible to the consumer) after many years alot of cars do get rust under the windshield because the glass shop doesnt use any products available to cover the scratches.

Glass shops will also install a chinese brand glass on (FY Fuyao and XYG Xinyi Glass Holdings) which only cost maybe 30-40 dollars per windshield. The windshields are thin and non comparable to OEM windshields which are thicker. U get less road noise and is optically alot more clear.

When I hold the two windshields its like comparing a beer mug to a drinking glass. Its simply not the same. In the end it all comes down to price for most consumers. So China wins. The north American and german brands lose.

[Gade81]

Still recall my sis many years ago coming home from picking up here first ever car at 17. Proud as could be up till about 2 miles from home took a monster to the window that took the whole thing out. Lotta tears at the time lol. Life in Alberta

[Blastoff]

Better bring this back to the top for the OP, got a small smack on windshield yesterday by Rocky Mtn House didn’t see anything but today she spread 10 inches across from the left side, bad thing is the ding bat had a Flames 🔥 licence plate I contacted the cops 👮*♀️ he said too bad I said boo hoo back Suck it up butter cup sh— happens. 🤟

[walker1]

I do the yearly Deca membership for 40 bucks. Previous year it was 28 and it renews for me based on an email. Worth it for me . When I get a chip I go directly to get it filled.
Last time it was a guy in his 60's and he even found one I did not know about and he spent about 45 minutes total. He was very surprised when I gave hima $ 20 tip but hard to find people who care so I feel it was worth it.

[bezzola]

Yesterday driving back to the rental place in Fort McMurray from the shop
There is a truck jacked up huge tires sticking atleast halfway out the fenders i ask him where his flaps are. I got the finger 😂😂😂.

[Jays toyz]

I will save my buthurt rant about people's responsibility to not cause damage to others. You cat owners and big fat tired trucks guys are lucky... 😉

I bought a rock chip repair kit off eBay years ago for the same price the little snot with the pop up tent charges for a chip.

[bobtodrick]

Originally Posted by Jays toyz

I will save my buthurt rant about people's responsibility to not cause damage to others. You cat owners and big fat tired trucks guys are lucky... 😉

I bought a rock chip repair kit off eBay years ago for the same price the little snot with the pop up tent charges for a chip.

Why be ignorant towards someone who is just doing their job...the 'little snot' didn't chip your windshield.
Take a pill.

[EZM]

Originally Posted by Jays toyz

I will save my buthurt rant about people's responsibility to not cause damage to others. You cat owners and big fat tired trucks guys are lucky... 😉

I bought a rock chip repair kit off eBay years ago for the same price the little snot with the pop up tent charges for a chip.

Someone needs a snickers.

[Jays toyz]

Originally Posted by bobtodrick

Why be ignorant towards someone who is just doing their job...the 'little snot' didn't chip your windshield.
Take a pill.

You guys sound defensive. Are little snots the norm for these places because I'm just taking about the kid the medicine hat parking lot that overcharged me in about 2012. Yes I need a snickers.

[Pikeonafly]

I had a bad experience with one of those deco glass repair (the orange tents)

Had a small chip near the edge of the windshield one summer(near close to the black stuff which is still repairable) and went to one of the tents; the lady was pleasant and assured me she could do it while I went shopping...

Bad mistake? Yep.

When I came back i noticed she made a mess out of the area by using her drill. There were little dot dot dot dot drill marks going off to the side. I asked her about that and she told a lie straight to my face saying she didnt do that and it was like that the whole time. Lady!!? Chip was a star shape!! Rock chips dont roll off your windshield in a linear line.

Man I was ****ed and I told her I would not pay for such a horrible job. In the end she just didn’t care and waive it off as free. Come winter, that chip exploded into a full fledge crack across the windshield. I didnt replaced the windshield for almost 2 years.


Lesson learn, i’ll go to a reputable store like speedyglass next time.

[Blastoff]

On Tuesday morning got another bruiser toonie size from a gravel truck by Seba Beach so now after 3 days apart need a w/shield, always seem to get more rocks from big trucks than passenger units

[HuyFishin]

Originally Posted by Pikeonafly

I had a bad experience with one of those deco glass repair (the orange tents)

Had a small chip near the edge of the windshield one summer(near close to the black stuff which is still repairable) and went to one of the tents; the lady was pleasant and assured me she could do it while I went shopping...

Bad mistake? Yep.

When I came back i noticed she made a mess out of the area by using her drill. There were little dot dot dot dot drill marks going off to the side. I asked her about that and she told a lie straight to my face saying she didnt do that and it was like that the whole time. Lady!!? Chip was a star shape!! Rock chips dont roll off your windshield in a linear line.

Man I was ****ed and I told her I would not pay for such a horrible job. In the end she just didn’t care and waive it off as free. Come winter, that chip exploded into a full fledge crack across the windshield. I didnt replaced the windshield for almost 2 years.


Lesson learn, i’ll go to a reputable store like speedyglass next time.

always hit and miss with any business including speedyglass. Depends on the person working on your vehicle. I've done many rockchips and yes I have turned a rock chip into a long 15 inch crack before. It happens to everyone in any kind of business since nobody is perfect. I owed the guy a brand new windshield. He went to the dealership to get a OEM replacement windshield and it costed me well over 1000 for this basic honda. I felt like crap for days. Going backwards 1000 when you were trying to make 30 dollars.