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No one wants to have to take care of broken glass. But when a Side Window breaks, it’s important to take care of it immediately and protect it until you are able to take it in for repairs. As a car owner, it’s important to know what to do to take care of the problem, no matter how the side window was shattered. Most of the time, safety is not an issue if you have to drive with broken car glass. However, you still need to get it fixed as soon as you can. When you find a broken window, the first thing you should do is clear away all the broken glass and cover the window. Doing this will help protect the interior of your vehicle if there is bad weather or wind. But this does leave you vehicle security at a disadvantage for theft. Which makes getting a Side Window replacement important to do as soon as possible. Our team at Manchester Car Glass Repair wants to talk about this situation in more detail and how you can handle it.
Supplies for A Broken Window Cover
Here is what you will need to secure your broken window.
-High density plastic garbage bag or clear transparent plastic bag
-Masking tape
-Thick work gloves
-Micro-fiber cloth
-Shop-vac or vacuum
How To Temporarily Cover Your Broken Window
1.Prepare Yourself
The first thing you need to do is get your work gloves. When dealing with broken glass, you don’t want to accidentally cut your hands. You will also need a bag or container to put the broken glass into for easier disposal.
2.Take Away the Broken Glass
Begin by removing all the big shards of glass. Put them into the container or bag you brought. If there is any glass remaining attached to your vehicle, carefully break it away as well. Don’t leave any glass attached to your vehicle or inside. Next, take a shop vac and vacuum the interior of your vehicle to make sure you get all the small shards of glass. Also, make sure to get around the window frame and down the inside seal. Use the long vacuum attachment for all this as it will be very helpful to reach all these places. Don’t forget the inside of the car door.
3.Prep Surfaces Around Window
Once the vacuuming is done and all the glass has been removed, you need to prop the surfaces around the window to allow the tape to stick properly in a later step. Make sure to wipe and clear away all dust, dirt, and anything else around where you are going to be putting the tape. Otherwise, it won’t stick properly and could come loose or off while driving. Take a damp cloth to wipe the window seal and frame of the vehicle on all sides. Let it dry thoroughly for a few minutes.
4.Plastic Covering Positioning
Go to the inside of your vehicle and position the garbage bag over the window frame. Make sure to hold the bag against the top edge of the frame and secure it with some tape. Try to only use masking tape, as other types can damage the paint or be hard to remove.
5.Tape the Covering Securely
Make sure to have 6-10 long pieces of masking tape ready to use. Make sure the plastic is smooth, taunt, and flat. You can do this by pulling it towards one side of the frame. Use one piece of tape at a time and firmly attach it around the window. Do not leave any slack in the plastic, make sure it’s tight before completely taping it.
6.Reinforce Seal Around Window
You should have some extra pieces of tape left over, but if not, you will need more because you are now reinforcing the seal around the window. This means putting a second layer of tape over everything, for good measure. This is going to help keep everything in place, protecting you from wind and moisture getting inside the vehicle when driving. Check for holes between the plastic and window frame, this is where water and air can get through. If there are gaps or holes, it can cause the plastic to tear.
7.Second Plastic Layer Outside
Now that you have the inside of the window secured, you need to do the same to the outside. This might be slightly optional depending on how soon you have an appointment to get it fixed or if the weather is going to be bad or not. But it never hurts to take this step. Repeat steps 4-6 on the outside of your vehicle.
Concerns for Safety
Not having a proper Side Window and covering it with plastic is going to limit and drastically decrease the range of vision a driver has. When driving in these conditions, decrease your speed and take extra care while driving. Avoid using dark or opaque materials to cover the broken window. Never attempt to cover a broken window. Covering the broken window is just a temporary solution until you can get it fixed. Always get this repaired as soon as possible to protect your vehicle and the passengers within it.
Let Our Team Help
Our team at Manchester Car Glass Repair offer 24/7 emergency glass repairs. Give us a call anytime at 07856689008 for our mobile auto glass replacement! We will come to you and fix your broken car glass.
