As you’re driving along, have you ever stopped to wonder what the small, triangular auto glass in Houston beside your windows is? This is called quarter glass, also known as a vent window, and is essential to keep your car safe, secure, and looking great.
About one-third of the total strength of your car’s structure comes from the glass, including side windows and quarter glass. Therefore, if you notice cracked or broken quarter glass, it’s important to get it repaired as soon as possible. Damaged quarter glass could weaken the strength and security of your car. It can open your car up to thieves and also let weather in to ruin your belongings and interior. Instead, work with a glass specialist to get your car’s quarter glass repaired or replaced as soon as you notice an issue.
What is Quarter Auto Glass in Houston?
Quarter glass is an important piece of auto glass in Houston for your vehicle. You may have noticed these small, triangular pieces of glass in front of the front side windows and behind the back side windows. In most makes and models, they sit right above each wheel. These pieces of glass get their name because they’re about one-quarter of the size of the side windows.
A lot of people wonder what the point of quarter glass is. They’re quite small and don’t generally move in most cars. However, quarter glass was of huge importance for comfort back in the day and still offers many benefits to modern drivers, which is why car manufacturers keep it in the design.
This Auto Glass in Houston was Essential Before Car Air Conditioning
Many of us will remember the olden days before A/C became standard in cars. If so, then you probably already know why quarter glass was originally installed by car manufacturers. For those that don’t know (or are blocking it from their memories), here’s a quick history lesson about how vital quarter auto glass in Houston was for cars:
The first car equipped with factory air conditioning was the 1940 Packard. However, this wasn’t a standard choice for most car manufacturers and was often pretty expensive. Even by the ‘70s only about half of all new car models had air conditioning as a standard feature.
Now, imagine driving around in the car without any air conditioning in the middle of summer. Obviously the sweltering heat would be ridiculously uncomfortable. This is where quarter glass shines and becomes a real life-saver.
Car manufacturers used this important piece of auto glass in Houston to help provide some relief to drivers and passengers driving around in hot weather. You used to be able to tilt open the quarter glass to let some air stream into the car as you drove around, creating a nice breeze to help beat the heat.
As air conditioning got better (and cheaper) to factory install, car manufacturers began to make quarter glass stationary. This is because, though a great solution for the poor souls who had to drive around without A/C, tilt-open quarter glass affected the aerodynamics of the car. This, in turn, made fuel efficiency drop.
Quarter Glass Still Helps us Today
Why didn’t car manufacturers get rid of this piece of auto glass in Houston after A/C became standard? Were they just too lazy to change designs after quarter glass became obsolete? Not necessarily. Today, most cars still have quarter glass because it helps with visibility.
While you may not even notice the quarter glass in your car, try imagining having a solid auto body panel covering each of the four small windows. It may not seem like a big difference, but this can actually create some pretty major blind spots while you’re driving. Without those quarter glass pieces, there’s a good chance you wouldn’t even be able to see out of your side mirrors. So, though they no longer help keep us cool, they’re definitely not obsolete. They help enhance safety while driving by improving visibility.
Is Glass Repair in Houston Possible for Quarter Glass?
Now we’ve talked about how important quarter glass is, what should you do if yours is cracked or broken? Unlike your windshield, quarter glass is usually made of tempered glass. While this type of glass is stronger than what you probably have in your home’s windows, glass repair in Houston by filling the crack with resin likely isn’t possible. Instead, you’ll likely need a replacement panel installed by our glass specialists.
Tempered auto glass in Houston goes through a special heating and cooling process to make it stronger and also make it break into small, round pieces when it does break. If you notice a crack in your car’s vent windows, then you should take care of it straight away. Cracked tempered glass, like on quarter glass, can shatter at any time because the glass has lost its structural integrity.
However, it’s important to check what type of glass the car manufacturer uses for your quarter glass. While rare, some auto manufacturers do use laminated glass in quarter glass and side windows. If this is the case, we may be able to fix the crack much like Houston windshield repair – by injecting the chip or crack with special resin to seal the glass surface.
Also, it’s important to note that the price of replacing or repairing quarter glass depends on many different things. For example, the size and shape of the glass. In addition, if your car has functional quarter glass to help with ventilation, then it may cost a little more to fix compared to stationary quarter glass. Fortunately, we offer affordable pricing and convenient auto glass repair options to help you keep your car safe.
Visit Our Glass Experts at Apple Glass Company
When you need quality, budget-friendly auto glass services, choose our team at Apple Glass!. We deliver a full range of repair and replacement services for cars, homes, and businesses. Whether you want to visit us in-shop or need mobile services, our technicians offer the highest quality service. Call us today at (713) 680-1400 in Houston or (281) 296-0600 in The Woodlands to get a free quote for your glass needs!