What Is Windshield Delamination?
Reviewed by the Skyview Auto Glass technical team — NWRD-, ASE- and DINITROL-trained technicians · Updated November 2026
Quick answer
Windshield delamination is the separation of the glass and plastic layers that make up laminated glass. It shows up as a milky or cloudy band, usually at the edge, where air has crept between the layers. It cannot be repaired — the windshield must be replaced once it affects vision.
What delamination looks like
A windshield is laminated: two layers of glass bonded to a plastic interlayer. Delamination happens when that bond fails and air or moisture slips between the layers, leaving a cloudy, milky, or white band where the glass has separated. The haze sits inside the sandwich, not on the surface.
It usually starts at the edge, where the laminate is exposed to the elements, and works inward. You may notice a hazy strip along the border that slowly widens, or a bubble-like patch between the layers that catches the light differently from the rest of the glass.
The cause is often age, moisture intrusion at a worn edge seal, or a manufacturing flaw. It is not caused by a chip or impact, and no resin or sealant re-bonds the layers once they have parted.
Myths about delamination
A cloudy edge is just dirt you can clean off.
If the haze is between the glass layers, no cleaning reaches it. It is delamination, and the windshield needs replacing.
Delamination can be repaired with resin.
Resin fills chips and cracks; it cannot re-bond separated layers. Once the layers part, replacement is the only fix.
Delamination is only cosmetic.
A cloudy band in your view is a visibility and safety issue, and it usually spreads.
Replacement is the only fix
Once the layers separate, the haze is permanent and tends to grow. There is no repair that re-bonds laminated glass. When the cloudy band affects your view, the windshield is replaced.
Signs the haze is delamination
- A milky strip along the edge that wiping does not clear
- The haze is between the layers, not on the surface, which is delamination.
- A bubble-like patch that catches the light differently
- Air has crept between the glass and the plastic interlayer.
- The hazy band is slowly widening
- The separation is growing inward from the edge and will eventually affect your view.
More questions about delamination
What is windshield delamination?
The separation of the glass and plastic layers in laminated glass. It shows as a milky or cloudy band, usually at the edge, where air has crept between the layers.
Why is there a white haze at the edge of my windshield?
It is likely delamination — the glass and plastic layers are parting at the edge. It cannot be cleaned off or repaired; the windshield is replaced.
Can delamination be fixed?
No. No resin or sealant re-bonds the layers. Once the haze affects your vision, replacing the windshield is the answer.
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