Tech Tip: Plate Glass Repairs

Have you ever seen a BB hole in a storefront window and wonder if it can be repaired? Despite the cone-shaped plug of glass missing from the large side of the break (usually on the inside of the glass), these types of damage can often be repaired.

Plate glass repair is not discussed much within the windshield repair industry but deserves acknowledgement. It is one more inexpensive way for you to expand your current business and earn extra income. The material cost for a plate glass repair is approximately $8 and it is not uncommon to charge $100 or more for a single repair. Commercial plate glass windows sometimes cost hundreds, or even thousands of dollars to replace depending on the size and location of the window, so repair is a very attractive, although often overlooked option.

Repairable SOLID plate glass damage is generally limited to the "bullseye" type break, which is characterized by a small hole, about 1/8" in diameter on one side of the glass (commonly caused by a BB or Pellet gun), and a cone shaped hole about ¾" to 1 ½" in diameter on the opposite side of the glass. The smaller hole is on the side of the glass that was hit by the object causing the damage.

If the cone-shaped plug of glass can be found and is intact, it can sometimes be united with the hole that it came from using a light coat of Magnibond resin, followed immediately by a generous coat of Delta Kits' Plate Glass resin. After the plug has been secured to its proper position, 2" wide, clear box sealing tape is placed over the repair on the larger side of the damage to hold the plug in place during the curing process. Cure from the large side of the damage for 5 minutes. After bonding the plug back in place, any voids around the edges of the plug can be filled, again with MagniBond followed by Plate Glass Resin, covered with a curing tab and cured for an additional 5 minutes. After curing, the repair will need to be scraped with a razor blade at a 90 degree angle and buffed out with pit polish a. Keep in mind this option should only be used if the bonded plug will be flush with the surrounding glass surface.

If the cone-shaped plug of glass cannot be found or does not fit perfectly in the hole from which it came, the plate glass repair process is carried out a little differently. A piece of clear box sealing tape is placed over the large side of the damage, leave a small space at the top of the void to allow enough room for the tip of the resin dropper in order to fill the area with resin. Place another piece of clear box sealing tape on the small side of the break, completely covering the hole so that resin does not leak out that side. Once the area of the break is filled with resin, a curing tab must be placed over the space that allowed entry for the dropper, and the repair must be cured, scraped, and buffed following the same process as above.

Please note that this plate glass repair method requires a full 15 minute cure time due to the depth of resin being cured. A powerful 12V or 115V UV curing light should always be used due to the extended curing times. If using a battery operated light the cure time requirement may be 30 minutes or more. Do not under cure!

Repairing plate glass will keep dirt and moisture out of the damaged area, will minimize the temptation for people to place fingers or other objects into the damaged area, and most importantly, will strengthen the glass to minimize the chance of further breakage. Plate Glass repairs will not be optically correct, but will improve the cosmetics considerably.