Coold weather coming

[shawn2369]

Hi, this is my first year doing windshield chip repair. This summer I have learned to do really good repairs. Where I am from cold weather can start to come into play starting next month.My question is what is the lowest temp the resin can be used and still achieving a good repair.

[screenman]

I am sure Brent will be along to answer the question better, but if you keep and store the resin to a reasonable temperature and warm the glass before starting the repair then I think the cold will affect you rather than the repair.

For cold weather work I always wear an insulated one piece overall, being warm and comfortable means I do not talk myself out of doing the job and getting paid even before I start it.

[Kgobin]

Delta Kits recommends a temperature range of 70° to 100° for a windshield repair. The most important thing to remember is that the windshield repair resin temperature should be as close to the glass temperature as possible.

[Brent Deines]

If the resin is not frozen (store above freezing temperatures) it will still work but both kgobin and screenman have valid points. I would add that the colder it gets the slower the resin will flow into the damage so if you cannot get the resin and glass up to the recommend temperature it becomes increasingly important to use a resin with a viscosity of 20cp or lower.

Some technicians take part of the winter off but most of us who work, or have worked, in areas where the temperature regularly drops below zero in the winter continue working year round. You just have to adjust the glass and resin temperature the best you can, remove any moisture from the damage and give the resin a little additional time to flow into the cracks if necessary. Also make sure you don't have any condensation on the inside of your injector before starting each repair. Even a small drop of water will contaminate the resin and may have an adverse effect on your repairs.

Propane heaters can make it bearable to work in temperatures well below freezing if you must work outdoors.