Windshield Replacement in Kernersville, NC

Auto Glass Winston-Salem is Impex Auto Glass serving Winston-Salem, Kernersville and the towns around them. If the damage is only a chip, start with windshield repair in Winston-Salem: a small chip can often be filled the same way in Kernersville, and the windshield stays in the car.

Kernersville roads and windshields

Kernersville is where the big roads of the Triad cross. I-40 runs past the town, I-74 runs along the Winston-Salem Beltway near it, US 421 follows Salem Parkway, and NC 66 and NC 150 run through town. To the east, Colfax and I-40 Exit 206 lead toward Greensboro; to the north and north-west lies Walkertown, Wallburg is to the south and High Point to the south-east. A lot of daily miles on interstates with heavy truck traffic means a lot of thrown stones, and a lot of chips that turn into cracks before anyone gets round to them.

Kernersville also has its own landmarks: Korner’s Folly, completed in 1880, the Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden, the Kernersville Museum and the 1873 train depot. Tell Impex roughly where the car will be, near any of those or at home, and the technician comes to it.

When a Kernersville windshield needs replacing

• A crack that has reached the edge of the glass, where the windshield is bonded to the car.
• Damage right in front of the driver, where a repair would leave a mark in your view.
• A chip or crack in the area the forward camera looks through.
• A break that went through more than the outer layer of glass.
• Several chips or cracks, or a long crack that keeps growing.

Short cracks away from the edge can sometimes still be stopped and filled: see windshield crack repair in Winston-Salem for how that call is made.

The right glass, checked by VIN

Two cars of the same make and model can need different windshields. The glass can differ by the camera bracket, a rain sensor, a heated wiper area, an acoustic layer, the tint band at the top or a head-up display. Impex checks the part against your vehicle’s VIN before it is ordered, so the windshield that arrives fits your car and its features. The VIN is on the dash at the base of the windshield, readable from outside, and on the driver’s door frame.

On glass type, Impex explains the difference between OEM glass (made for the automaker) and aftermarket glass made to fit the same car, and its technicians recommend the option that suits your vehicle and your insurance. Ask at the quote stage which you are being quoted.

How the replacement is done

1. Protect the car. The hood, fenders, dash and seats are covered.
2. Take off the trim. Wipers, the cowl panel under them and the moldings around the glass come off; the mirror, camera cover and sensors are disconnected.
3. Cut out the old glass. The old urethane bond is cut and the windshield lifted out.
4. Prepare the frame. Old adhesive is trimmed back to a thin even layer, and the frame is cleaned and primed where needed so the new bond holds.
5. Set the new windshield. A bead of urethane goes on and the new glass is set in place and centered.
6. Put it back together. Trim, cowl and wipers go back on; the mirror, sensors and camera are reconnected.
7. Calibrate and hand over. The forward camera is calibrated when your vehicle needs it, and you are told when the car is safe to drive.

How long before you can drive

Impex puts a windshield replacement at about one hour, plus a short curing period, and says most cars are back on the road within two hours. The Auto Glass Safety Council explains why there is a wait at all: the minimum drive-away time is how long the vehicle should stay put after installation so the adhesive bonds properly, and it varies with the type and brand of adhesive, the weather at the time and other factors. The bond matters because, in AGSC’s words, the windshield is part of the vehicle’s passenger restraint system and must be installed properly for the airbags to deploy safely and effectively.

For the first day

• Do not wash the car for 24 hours, and skip the car wash.
• Close doors gently for 24 hours: a slammed door pushes air against the fresh bond.
• Leave the retention tape on the moldings until the technician says it can come off.
• If you notice wind noise or a leak, tell Impex. Impex offers free post-installation inspections.

Preparing for the visit in Kernersville

A windshield replacement needs the car to stay where it is for the work and the cure afterward, so pick a place it can sit for a couple of hours: a driveway, a garage or a workplace lot. Take toll tags, phone mounts and parking stickers off the glass, and leave room to open both front doors. If rain is forecast, a garage or covered space helps, because the weather affects how the adhesive cures; the visit may be moved to a dry spell if there is no cover. Impex also offers no-contact service: leave the keys where agreed and you are told when the car is ready.

Camera calibration after replacement

If your car has lane departure warning, collision braking or adaptive cruise control, there is probably a forward facing camera behind the windshield. I-CAR lists removing the windshield among the events that may require that camera to be aimed again, and each automaker sets its own requirement. A static calibration uses targets placed in front of the vehicle; a dynamic calibration has the car driven at set speeds, sometimes on clear roads without heavy traffic or curves. Impex states that it performs ADAS calibration on site after windshield replacement, with static and dynamic calibration in one visit, and that calibration takes between 30 minutes and 2 hours. Radar sensors, which usually sit in the bumper or grille, are a separate system and are not normally disturbed by a windshield.

Insurance for a Kernersville windshield

In North Carolina a broken windshield normally goes under comprehensive coverage, which the NC Department of Insurance says pays the repair less any deductible. North Carolina has no zero-deductible glass law; some policies include full glass coverage, so check yours. Under G.S. 58-3-180 you choose the repair service and the insurer pays the same either way. A comprehensive glass claim is not an at-fault accident and adds no Safe Driver Incentive Plan points, though an insurer may look at claim frequency. Impex works with all major insurance providers and can deal with your insurer on the claim. Impex says its quotes are fully inclusive, with no hidden fees, delivery charges, fuel fees or disposal fees.

Nearby: Walkertown, High Point and Winston-Salem

The same mobile service covers Walkertown to the north, High Point to the south-east and Winston-Salem to the west. For High Point see windshield replacement in High Point, NC; for Walkertown, Rural Hall, King and Tobaccoville see the areas page. A broken side or back window in Kernersville is covered on the car window repair page.

Questions people ask