Florida Heat Is Your Windshield's Worst Enemy

Florida drivers deal with something most car owners in other states never have to think about: extreme glass temperatures. Your windshield is made of glass, which expands when it is hot and contracts when it cools. That cycle of expansion and contraction is hard on an intact windshield. When you already have a chip in the glass, it can be catastrophic.

How Hot Does Your Windshield Actually Get?

On a typical Florida summer afternoon, the surface of your windshield in direct sun can reach 150 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit. The air temperature might be 92 degrees, but the glass surface exposed to direct sunlight is absorbing and radiating heat at a much higher level.

Then you get in the car. You start the engine, turn on the AC, and point the vents toward the windshield because the car is roasting inside. The cold air hits glass that is 150+ degrees. The surface temperature drops rapidly. The glass contracts. Any chip in the glass becomes a stress point, and that stress releases as a crack.

Why This Matters More in Florida Than Other States

In northern states, you might pick up a chip in the fall and have until spring before the heat and cold cycles become a serious problem. In Florida, summer temperatures arrive early, stay late, and the daily sun intensity is higher than most of the country deals with. A chip that sits for a week in a Florida summer is under far more stress than one sitting for a week in Georgia or North Carolina.

Spring in Citrus County is actually the ideal time to get chip repairs done. The temperatures are still manageable, the worst of the heat has not set in yet, and you protect your windshield before the June through September danger zone.

Tips to Protect Your Windshield Until the Repair

• Park in shade whenever possible. A garage or carport makes a real difference in how hot the glass gets.
• Use a windshield sun shade. It reduces the interior temperature and keeps the glass from getting as hot.
• When you get in a hot car, let the AC cool the interior for a minute or two before directing cold air at the windshield.
• Put a small piece of clear tape over the chip to keep moisture and debris out of the damage.
• Avoid car washes with high-pressure sprayers until after the repair is done.

Do Not Wait Until Next Week

We hear from customers regularly who say they were going to call but kept putting it off. By the time they do call, the chip has spread into a crack that may not be repairable. In Florida heat, a week can be the difference between a $100 repair and a $400 replacement.

If you picked up a chip this week, this is the week to call. Patrick can usually come out the same day or next day and get it handled before the heat has a chance to make it worse.