Window waterproofing

Increasingly, automakers are using windshield hydrophobization technology. What is it about?

Hydrophobization is giving the material a slight adhesion to water by coating it with a special substance. In the early 90s, the Japanese were the first to launch cars with factory hydrophobic windows.

Hydrophobic coatings are mainly applied to windshields and, in the case of more expensive vehicles, also to side windows and rear windows. It is also possible to apply coatings yourself. Some services offer such services. One trick is to freeze the glass with chilled nitrogen and then spread the substance over its surface to fill in any irregularities, making the glass much smoother. This reduces the adhesion of dirt to it and makes it easier to drain the water.

– For a water stain of about 15 cm² focuses fairly quickly at about 1 cm² creating a large blob that either blows off the windshield while driving or slides off the windshield under its own weight,” says Mariusz Kocik, Head of Marvel Łódź.

The hydrophobic coating retains its properties for about two years. The cost of applying it to all windows in a car is approximately PLN 300-400.