# How Windshield Chip Repair Works > Resin injection under vacuum, UV cure, polish. Total active time: 20–30 minutes per chip. Drive away immediately. ## The repair process 1. **Inspection & cleanout (3–5 min)** — Technician identifies chip type (bullseye, star, combination, surface pit), vacuums out moisture, dust, and loose glass. 2. **Resin injection (8–12 min)** — Pressurized bridge tool over the chip. Vacuum removes trapped air. Clear UV-curable resin forced into the break under pressure. 3. **UV curing (5–8 min)** — UV lamp hardens resin. Glass returns to 80–95% of original strength. 4. **Pit fill & polish (2–5 min)** — Final pit-resin bead, cured again, scraped flat. Wipers won't catch. Multiple chips in one visit: each additional chip adds 5–10 minutes (not double). ## What to expect after - The chip site may remain faintly visible. Repair is permanent stabilization, not invisibility. - Drive away immediately — UV-cured resin is solid the moment the lamp turns off. - First 24 hrs: avoid automated car washes and extreme temperature shocks (cold AC on sun-heated glass). ## Repair vs replacement We repair chips smaller than a loonie (~25 mm), single cracks under 6 inches (15 cm), and most star breaks. We don't repair: cracks longer than 6 inches (15 cm), edge damage that has reached the windshield frame, multiple intersecting cracks, anything in the driver's primary line of sight, or any side or rear glass damage. If your damage falls outside what we repair, we recommend a Calgary shop that handles full replacement. ## Why winter timing matters in Calgary Calgary's freeze-thaw cycle is the worst thing for an unrepaired chip. Water enters the chip, freezes overnight, expands, opens micro-cracks. A small chip in November can become a 30 cm crack by January. Spring gravel season on Deerfoot, Stoney, and Crowchild keeps chip count climbing through May. A chip: $50 to fix. A crack: $400–900 for full replacement. --- Source: Last updated: 2026-04-28