I’ve spent more than ten years working as a certified auto glass technician in and around Mississauga, and most days begin the same way: a driver pulls in, points to a chip or crack, and asks if it can be saved. That question is exactly where windshield repair earns its reputation—not as a quick cosmetic touch-up, but as a judgment call grounded in how glass actually behaves on real roads.

Early in my career, I learned that the urge to “fix a cracked windshield” as soon as you notice damage isn’t just sensible—it’s strategic. I remember a customer who stopped by on her lunch break after noticing a pin-sized chip from highway gravel. The repair took minutes, bonded cleanly, and never spread. A week later, another driver came in with what looked like similar damage, but he’d driven through rain and a cold snap before addressing it. Moisture had already worked its way into the break. The repair still held, but it took more prep and never looked quite as clean. Same kind of damage, very different outcomes.

Credentials matter in this trade, but experience matters more. I’m trained on laminated safety glass and modern windshields that integrate with vehicle sensors, and I’ve seen firsthand how repairs succeed—or fail—based on location and timing. Damage near the edge of the glass is one of the most common deal-breakers. I’ve advised against repair in those cases because the structural role of the windshield is already compromised. A short crack near the frame can spread without warning, especially during Mississauga’s temperature swings.

One mistake I see often is assuming that if a crack hasn’t grown yet, it won’t. Last spring, a delivery driver delayed repair because the line “wasn’t moving.” A few warm days followed by a cool night were enough to change that. By the time he returned, the crack had crossed into his line of sight, turning a simple repair into a replacement conversation. That’s not theory—it’s a pattern I’ve watched repeat for years.

What most people don’t realize is that windshield repair is as much about prevention as it is about fixing what’s visible. Resin bonds best to clean, uncontaminated glass. Road salt, dust, and moisture all interfere with that bond. The sooner the repair happens, the better the chances it holds for the life of the windshield.

From my side of the bench, the goal is never to push a service—it’s to make the call that leaves the driver safer tomorrow than they were today. Sometimes that means repairing a small chip before it earns your attention. Other times, it means being honest and saying a crack has crossed the point where repair makes sense. Knowing the difference is what years in this work teach you, one windshield at a time.