How do I know when to drill a break?

Question:

How do I know when to drill a windshield break?

Answer:

98% of all windshield repairs do not need to be drilled. Typically, if there is glass missing from the center of the damaged area, there will be sufficient space to inject the resin into the break. You can push lightly in the center of the break from the outside using a carbide scribe and watch for movement in either the cracks or the airspace. If movement exists, you probably do not need to drill. When movement does not exist and there is little or no glass missing from the center of the break, it may be beneficial to drill. If you find that you are unable to get resin into a break that has not been drilled, you can loosen the wing nut in the center of the bridge assembly, swivel the injector away from the break and drill it. Then swivel the injector back over the break, tighten the center wing nut, and resume the injection process. Usually, the injector will hold enough resin in the seal to finish the job, however in some instances you may have to add a few more drops of resin. Some repair technicians drill all repairs. While this will often speed up the process, there will be a loss in cosmetic appearance whenever a repair has to be drilled, and therefore we do not recommend drilling unless necessary. One possible exception to this rule is when doing truck or bus fleets. Often times, fleet managers are not as concerned about the appearance as they are about the strength of the repair and the lack of downtime to the vehicle. In this instance, we recommend that you discuss the process with the fleet manager to fulfill his/her expectations.