You know Mindy Leary for the fine articles she writes for The Mountain-Ear covering the activities of our Timberline Fire Protection District and sometimes other Gilpin County organizations. Probably some of you also know Leary for her role in her “day job” – as owner and sole employee of Chips and Cracks Windshield Repair, based in mid- Gilpin County.
Leary was looking for some kind of business she could create and participate in while she was pregnant. In 2008, she found a technician operating out of Monument who offered to teach individuals how to repair windshield cracks and chips, as well as creating his own tools for the job. So she traveled to Monument for a few months to learn the trade. She opened her business on January 1, 2009.
Just as the name implies, Chips and Cracks Windshield Repair fixes chips and very small cracks – and these have to be very new and small because fixing cracks is tricky. After doing this for 13 years, Leary has become an expert in her field.
Most of her business is mobile; she and her high-pressure injector tool and other dedicated instruments travel throughout Gilpin County as well as to parts of Boulder County, Clear Creek County, and Jefferson County. What she loves most about her job is traveling to new places and meeting new people.
Leary tells us that her company “has been about the same for the entire time that I’ve had it, but if I decide to offer windshield replacement then I’m sure that it would grow.” She has no such plans at the moment, though.
Meanwhile, Leary wants to remind all of us, faced as we are with driving miles of local gravel roads that offer many opportunities for more chips and cracks, that there are a few things we should know:
If you get a chip be sure to call as soon as possible to get it fixed to avoid having the chip become a crack.
One way to avoid cracking is to park in the shade and avoid major temperature changes – not that easy up here these days.
If you have full coverage insurance, then the deductible is waived and the service is free to you.
The bottom line, Leary insists, is that glass is unpredictable. However, Chips and Cracks Windshield Repair is not – she will always be there for you.
You can reach Chips and Cracks by phone at 720-891-8926. The business has a Facebook page at chips and cracks windshield repair. The physical location is at 445 Beethoven Drive, Black Hawk, and inquiries can be mailed there. Additional inquiries can be sent to chipsandcrackswindshieldrepair@yahoo.com
Sponsored by Gilpin County Commissioners, with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.
