It just broke: what to do
How to Cover a Broken Car Window Until It Is Replaced
An open window lets in rain, pollen and anyone walking by. A good cover takes a few supplies and a little care. Here is how to do it so it holds and does not wreck your paint.
Heavy plastic and the right tape will hold for a short stretch. It is a stopgap, not a fix.
Clean the opening first. Before anything goes on, get the loose glass off the door edge, the seat and the sill. Wear shoes and gloves, and use a vacuum with a hose if you have one. A stray pebble of glass under plastic will cut it, and cut plastic is how a cover fails in the first rain.
Pick the right plastic. You want something heavy, like a thick painter's drop cloth or a heavy contractor bag, not a thin trash bag. Thin plastic tears at the creases, drums in the wind and lets water through the first small hole. Cut it a couple of inches larger than the opening on every side so you have room to tape.
Tape from the inside when you can, and from the outside when you have to. Taping to the rubber seal around the opening and the inside of the door frame keeps the tape off the paint, and it keeps the plastic sealed from the weather side. If you must tape the outside of the door, use painter's tape or a tape rated for exterior surfaces, check the label, and keep it off bare paint as much as possible. Strong tape left on paint in the Georgia sun for days can be a headache to remove, so do not leave it longer than you need to.
Build it like a roof, not a lid. Start at the top of the opening and tape down, overlapping so water runs off the outside instead of into the seam. Pull the plastic snug, not drum-tight, with a little slack so wind does not tear it. Press the tape down firmly along the whole edge, because a corner that lifts becomes a flap.
Know what a cover will not do. It does not make the car secure, so do not leave anything valuable inside. It does not hold up to highway speed, where plastic will flap and pull its own tape off, so keep to slow, local driving if you have to move the car and read our page on driving with a broken side window first. And do not run a car wash or roll the window while the cover is on.
If the broken glass is still partly in the door, do not try to lower the window to make the plastic fit. Pieces are in the track, and running the motor grinds them in. Cover it as it is. When you are ready for the real fix, text us a photo and your VIN for a free estimate. We come to you, so the cover only has to last until we do.
What you need
- Heavy plastic: a thick painter's drop cloth or heavy contractor bag
- Tape rated for the surface, applied to the rubber seal and door frame where possible
- Gloves, shoes and a vacuum for the loose glass
- Scissors, and a helper if the opening is large
The cover costs whatever plastic and tape cost at the hardware store. The real fix is a glass replacement, and we give a free estimate by vehicle. Text us a photo and your VIN and we work from there.
Questions Drivers Ask
What tape should I not put on my paint?
Strong tapes made for sealing boxes or heavy repairs can leave residue and pull at the finish, especially after sitting in heat. Painter's tape or an exterior-rated tape, and the rubber seal instead of paint where you can, is the safer way. Check the label for the surface it is made for.
Can I drive on the highway with a plastic cover?
We would not. Plastic flaps and pulls loose at speed, and a flapping cover blocks your view and your hearing. If you must move the car, keep it slow and local, and read our page on driving with a broken side window.
How long will a plastic cover last?
That depends on the plastic, the tape, and the weather. A summer storm or strong wind can undo a weak cover, so check it often and replace it if it starts to lift. Treat it as a stopgap.
Do you replace the window once it is covered?
Yes. We replace door, quarter and back glass, and we come to your home or workplace. Text us a photo of the damage and your VIN for a free estimate.
The Service That Handles This
- Car Door Glass Replacement in Cumming, GA Mobile replacement of broken door and side window glass, common after a break-in, with full cleanup of every shard.
- Back Glass Replacement in Cumming, GA Rear window replacement with defroster-grid reconnection and complete shard cleanup, done at your location.
- Quarter Glass Replacement in Cumming, GA Replacement of the small fixed quarter-glass panels, bonded and sealed to factory spec at your location.
Broken Side or Back Window?
Call or text a photo and we will tell you straight what your window needs and what it costs. We come to your home or work across Cumming and Forsyth County.