Glass Repair A Do-It-Yourself Project or One to Have a Professional Do

Have a glass repair project to complete?  Is the piece an antique, made of flat glass, or is it your windshield or other car window?  While most often repairing glass can be chore that requires a glass repair service to take care of the problem, there are some glass repair kits on the market, as well.

A benefit of having a glass repair service do your glasswork is that they may have the capability to be mobile.  Many services offer the option to work on location to repair things like windshields and car windows, but for an antique piece that may be large, such an option may exist for that type of repair, as well.  Always inquire about all the options can be explored.  Some delicate stain glass may be damaged more in transit, so having a specialist come to repair onsite may be the best choice.  Many services give an online quote when there are straightforward projects, like a windshield, car window and even mirrored glass.  Some of the larger and chain glass repair companies may be able to do the job faster than the local shop simply due to the size of their repair fleet, but the cost may or may not be comparable. 

If insurance is involved, the insurance company might dictate the repair service and/or the cost, though an antiques piece may have different parameters than a car window repair. 

As with any repair job it may make sense to get two or three estimates to find out the best price available and to see if the quotes all seem in line with one another.  Usually, when dealing with a custom piece or an antique the experts may be more in line with one another since they know the work well. Or the direct opposite may be true so consulting Angies List might be helpful.

Are you handy with household repairs?  Then it could be that buying a glass repair kit is your answer to your glass issue.  Some glass repair kits suitable to fix a small windshield chip or crack and possibly buff out scratches in other glass items, even iPhone glass, are for sale in many retail places from Wal-Mart to online vendors.  These kits can be very cost effective to purchase, from under ten dollars and up, but the caution is that you purchase from a reputable store and that the product has decent ratings.  Doing some homework about the products available is advisable because it can be more of a pain to do all the work to repair it yourself and then to be left with a faulty windshield that still needs to be repaired anyway. 

Another aspect to consider with a Do-It-Yourself kit is that the products in the kit may not be as effective as the latest chemicals or techniques of the repair services.  A cheaper kit may be cheaper for a reason.  Check out the ratings to get an idea of how effective people found them before purchasing.

Glass Repair is a chore that may be done by a handy DIY person, or by hiring a service to repair the glass either in the shop or on location, but it definitely is a job that requires the best tools and techniques to make the repair look professional or even nearly invisible when completed.  Antiques and other glass items may need special care in handling them and so a service might be the best way to proceed.  Getting a few estimates and checking out the companies can take some time, but may save some hassles once the job is underway.