Spectacular Window Film that Will Save You Money

October 31, 2018 by Carol S Leave a Comment

Spectacular Window Film that Will Save You Money

You’re probably wondering how window film can help you save money. Aren’t you? You will see some cost savings immediately. However, the more important, critical benefits will help you in the long term. Seriously–how do you put a price tag on your health?

Lower Power Bills

With window film, you can save money during both the hot months, with less air conditioning costs, and during the cold months, where your heating bill will go down. Using 3M’s Thinsulate evens out the temperatures year round, saving you money no matter what time of year it is. We’ve written about Thinsulate before, and you might like to read our most recent post: How Does Window Film Help You in the Winter?

Spend Less on Your Health in the Long Run

The science is clear: UV rays cause skin cancer. Most people feel safe indoors, without realizing that UV rays can pass straight through glass, damaging your skin, your eyes, and more. Your family deserves to feel and be safe in your home. So why not invest in your long-term health the way you invest in health insurance? To read more about UV rays and cancer, read more about window film and skin cancer at The Skin Cancer Foundation.

Saves Your Floor, Rugs, and Furniture

Do you love your floor, rugs, and furniture? How about your other belongings? UV light not only damages your family’s skin, but it damages much of your furnishings. Window film can prevent damage to your valuable decor. You’ve probably seen damaged rugs and flooring, but with window film, you can hold onto your cherished possessions longer. Losing the lovely pieces you’ve spent days curating saves you not only money but headaches. Save Money and Beautify Your Home at the same time.

Preserves Your Photographs

Certain of your valuables may be irreplaceable, such as your family photographs. That’s why museums use window film to protect heirloom photographs. You may not be able to put a price tag on your own family heirlooms. Why not protect them with window film so that your family can enjoy them for years to come? Check out Houzz’s excellent article “A Surefire Way to Prevent Sun Damage Indoors.”

Have Questions?

We have answers! Give us a call! We’d be glad to help. Call us at 415.623.8700 to discuss window film!

Window Works USA Received 3M’s Regional Dealer of the Year Northwest Award

March 20, 2018 by Carol S Leave a Comment

We’re very proud to announce that Window Works USA recently received 3M’s Regional Dealer of the Year Northwest award! The award is for Leadership, Sales Volume & being #1 in Customer Service.

Joanne Schultz from Tropic Tint with Asia Bautista

Regional Award

The Regional Dealer of the Year Northwest Award is a Regional Award given to the Dealer at the 3M Prestige Dealer Conference.

One Award in the Four Regions

There is only one award per region. 3M awarded us for North West at the most recent National Prestige Dealer Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.

Brian Rosenberger of Sun Control of Minnesota who won Dealer of the Year National Award

It’s An Honor And Privilege

The conference is full of the top Prestige Window Film Dealers only, from across the United States. And since 3M window film dominates the window film industry, it is a huge honor and privilege for us to receive this award.

Why Window Film Makes You Healthier and Why You Need to Know

January 25, 2018 by Carol S Leave a Comment

Maybe in the past you’d always thought of window film as a luxury, or something for people with too much money. But what if window film improved your health? What if window film could help block the UV rays that cause skin cancer? News Flash! Window film does screen out the UV rays that can cause cancer! Here’s how the sun and UV cause cancer from Cancer Research UK.

Your Eyes and Your Skin Need Protection

You eat healthy food, you drink plenty of water, but do you protect your eyes and your skin as much as they need to be protected? Probably not. It’s strange to think that you might need to wear sun screen indoors! But UV rays travel right through glass. So you might want to know How Window Film Protects Your Skin. Because maybe no one told you before.

Skin Cancer Rates on the Increase

Did you know that skin cancer rates have been increasing every year? And that over the past three decades, more people have had skin cancer than all other cancers combined? Take a look at more statistics about skin cancer from Skin Cancer Facts & Statistics from the Skin Cancer Foundation. Prepare to be terrified!

UV Rays Travel Through Clouds

While you might not get quite as many UV rays on cloudy days, UV rays do indeed travel through clouds. So fog won’t protect you, people of San Francisco! Take a look at these Six Common Sun Myths, Exposed, by CNN. 80% of the sun’s rays travel through clouds, which is why you’ll still get burnt on a cloudy day unless you take steps to protect yourself! And 80% is a B (not for you, but for those sneaky UV rays!).

Want to Live Longer and Better?

Preventing UV rays from reaching your skin can prevent wrinkles and premature aging as well as preventing cancer! We’d all like to look better as we grow older, right? Not to mention, we’d like to keep our eyesight in tip-top shape! Here’s an article about protecting your skin that you might like: Spotlight on Skin: Six Ways to Protect Yours Now.

Convinced Yet?

Give us a call! We’d love to talk to you about which kind of window film might be best for you!

Surprising Uses for Window Film You Need to Know

January 11, 2018 by Carol S Leave a Comment

Think you know window film? Think again! The technology has been moving forward rapidly, with so many new uses and designs. You’d be amazed at the ways that window film has grown up over the years. Here are just a few of its uses!

downtown glass photo — Photo by paul bica

Create Privacy in a Crowded Space

Do you share a tiny office space with a few people? You can shield yourself from others with a glass conference room wall covered with window film. Or you can cover part of the wall to cloak the people, and let the light shine through without anyone feeling exposed. Or if you have kids and you want to shield them from prying eyes, you could use window film as this DIY Curtain Alternatives article proposes. (Although we do recommend using a professional installer for window film.)

Shower in Peace

Now that there are kids running in and out of your bathroom, wouldn’t you like to shower in peace? While they brush their teeth, you can relax in the steam behind some beautiful glass covered in window film. Isn’t that better than trying to grab a towel?

Window Film Installation in Marin County

Add An Outdoor Design Element

We simply love the outdoor install we did recently in Marin County, above. Here, window film covers a wall and becomes a design element in the landscape. It also provides privacy.

Add a Rice Paper Look in Glass

A hanging glass window covered with a 3M™ FASARA™ Glass Finish in Altair gives a rice paper effect that can separate diners in an elegant, upscale restaurant. Create a wall without resorting to building something that blocks light and air flow. For more about 3M™ Fasara™ Glass Finishes, see our recent series:

blurred image photo — Photo by nicocordes

Don’t Give ’em Something to Talk About

Keep nosy neighbors at bay with half windows covered in window film. Or cover the full window with window film. Either way, you keep your corporate secrets a secret. Even if you’re just watching TV, do you want everyone knowing what you’re watching?

Let Us Know What You Need to Know!

Would you like to help us decide what kind of window film would be best for your home or business? Give us a call! We’d love to talk to you!

3M Fasara Decorative Window Film: Dotty for Dots

December 6, 2017 by Carol S Leave a Comment

You may already be a big fan of dots for adding energy to your designs, but did you know that you could use decorative window film and there are hundreds of patterns available?

Series on 3M™ Fasara™ Decorative Window Film

By now you’ve probably committed to memory our previous post, 3M Fasara Decorative Window Film: Stripes Forever. Just kidding. If you haven’t read it yet, it’s a good one! This is Part Two of our series on 3M’s Fasara decorative window film. Keep your eyes on this space for the next in the series.

Why Dots?

Dots have the ability to create fun and to make us feel happy. They evoke images of poodle skirts, pop art, and large fanciful wall patterns. Using polka dots can make an interior peppy and smart. If you don’t believe us, take a look at this article, Decorating Your House Interiors with Polka Dots. And here is a fascinating look at the history of polka dots.

Dotty Window Film for Interiors

Dots can take an ordinary-looking interior from “meh” to marvelous, and boost the energy of your interior faster than you can say “Dot’s what I’m talking about!” You can change the colors and sizes of the dots, add throw pillows, or curtains with dots as well as adding window film with dots.

Exterior Window Film

But dotted window film is not just for interiors–window film can also modernize an exterior window, too. For ideas about glass designs, you might want to check out 3M Building Window Solutions.

Commercial and Residential

If you want a modern-looking office or commercial building, dots have a timeless feel. If you want more energy in your home, dots work there, too. Add dots to a rug, paint them on a wall, and then finish the look with dots on your windows.

Where to Use 3M Fasara Decorative Glass Finishes

You can use the film anywhere you’d like to add some playful energy, such as:

Conference Rooms
Bathrooms
Living Rooms
Elevators
Retail environments
For more ideas, see 3M Fasara Decorative Glass Finishes

Where Do You Use Dots?

Do you want to use dots in your designs? Let us know how we can help you!

3M Fasara Decorative Window Film: Stripes Forever

November 28, 2017 by Carol S Leave a Comment

You might be wondering about the many types of window film there are. Window film is available to block out UV light, but did you know that you could use decorative window film and that there are hundreds of patterns available? This is Part One of our series on 3M™ Fasara™ decorative window film, which is a family of polyester, decorative films for glass surfaces. You can quickly transform your interior with modern and energetic designs.

And in case you missed it, here’s our last post: Window Film: A Quick and Easy Way to Save Money?

Series on 3M Fasara Decorative Window Film

For those of you who are fans of decorative window film, this is part one in our series. We’ll be following up with two others:

3M Fasara Decorative Window Film: Dotty for Dots
3M Fasara Decorative Window Film: Patterns

Before we go any further, there are a few reasons to use 3M’s Fasara decorative window film.

Control Light and Privacy

Who decides how much light you have in your home or office? If you leave it up to chance, you’ll be taking your chances! You may need a lot of lighting in one area, and very little in another. If you have a conference room or a bath, you might like to control the privacy. In both instances, 3M™ Fasara™ is a good option.

We suggest you use 3M™ Fasara™ any place you want to control light and privacy, such as:

Conference rooms
Bathrooms
Reception areas
Kitchens
Break rooms
Private offices

Use a Combination of Wide and Narrow Stripes

Use Wide or Narrow Stripes

If you’re one of those people who has difficulty choosing, the good news is that you don’t have to! You can get a combination of wide and narrow stripes and your glass will look perfectly chic! Of course, you could also just use either narrow or wide stripes. You might want to mirror what’s outside your window by choosing something similar for your interior.

Cost Savings Will Be Yours

Avoid the expense of custom curtains or window shades when you opt for 3M™ Fasara™ window film.

For more inspiration, see new designs here: 3M™ Fasara™ Glass Finishes.

Give Us a Call!

We’d love to discuss any kind of window film with you. We’re all over the San Francisco Bay Area, from the South Bay to San Francisco to Marin to the East Bay.

Window Film, Holiday Savings, and Hidden Rewards

September 30, 2017 by Carol S Leave a Comment

Keep Your Hard-Earned Cash

You’ve spend a lot of your hard-earned cash to keep your home or office heated. And the bills just keep getting higher! Why not do something today to save all that energy and keep the heat in your home longer? With new 3M™ Thinsulate™ window film, you can do just that!

Did You know?

Now there’s a window film that helps stabilize your temperature by keeping the heat in when it’s cold out and the cold in when it’s hot outside! Yes, it’s like insulation for your windows! And in case you didn’t know, Thinsulate™ also has other uses, such as insulating the Porsche Boxster! There’s more about Thinsulate™ on Wikipedia: Thinsulate.

Thinsulate Insulates Your Windows

We’ve written about Thinsulate previously, so you might like these articles, too:

Saving your money is not only good for the environment, it’s good for your wallet, too!

Keeps Your Home Clutter-Free

Do you enjoy a clutter-free look at your house? If you do, then you’ll love Thinsulate™ window film because it’s as thin as a skinny piece of paper! No curtains dragging on the floor and collecting dust! We like the modern look of window film since we, like everyone else, always have so much stuff.

So Zen

Strangely, Thinsulate™ window film makes your home or office seem quieter, and I’ve no idea why that is. Maybe glare and heat add to the noise inside our brains. Anyway, you need to experience it firsthand to realize it’s true. If you’d like to hear more, you can get it straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak: 3M™ Thinsulate™ Window Film Climate Control Series for Residential.

Holiday Savings

The holiday savings are what you get when you have Thinsulate™ window film on your windows during the fall and winter. Use the savings to buy yourself something else! Maybe that fancy towel warmer you’ve been wanting? You probably have some good ideas for the savings! And by the way, you’ll also save money in the spring and summer, too!

Call Us!

We’d love to hear from you if you have questions about Thinsulate™ window film! Or any other kind of window film, for that matter! We work all over the San Francisco Bay Area, including Silicon Valley, the peninsula, and Marin County!

Window Film’s Superior Technology Boosts Bottom Line, Makes You More Secure

August 9, 2017 by Carol S Leave a Comment

If you own a home or business in the San Francisco Bay Area, or any metropolitan area, chances are you worry about your home or business when you’re not there. Even when you’re in the building, you might worry about people breaking and entering. You could hire armed guards, but what’s a simple thing you can do to increase your security and make you worry less? And by the way, did you know that window film can make you happier?

silver office glass photo — Photo by mkosut

Security Window Film

Did you know that there’s a security window film that will help hold the glass together in case someone tries to break a window and enter your building? Yes, there is!

From Break-ins …

Some neighborhoods have lots of break ins, while some might have lots of accidents. If your commercial building is unattended on evenings and weekends, you might feel nervous about having a glass storefront. But with security window film, there’s an extra layer of security to help give you peace of mind. We’ve written about the theft deterrent properties of window film before (you might like to read about it).

… to Accidents

People who live near parks where kids play might get a lot of baseballs coming through their windows. The same holds true for those who live on the edges of golf courses. Of course, no one is trying to break your windows, but accidents happen sometimes. And 3M security window film can hold the glass together in case it does break, and prevent flying shards that can hurt your coworkers or family.

Kitchens

From restaurant kitchens to corporate kitchens, security window film can keep your clients and coworkers safe. Because security film holds glass together, if by chance the glass above your chefs or diners should break, it will hold together and prevent splinters or shards.

What Kind of Security Window Film is Best?

There are three types that we can recommend:

For more information, give us a call! We’re happy to answer any questions.

How to Help Fed Up Employees Stay Cool in the Summer

July 7, 2017 by Carol S Leave a Comment

We know what you’re thinking: what do you mean fed up employees? How are they so fed up? If you’ve ever seen people wearing sunglasses indoors, then you know how hot an office can get in the summer. And with many employees working longer hours, offices can get awfully hot and stuffy!

Recent Window Film Installation at Some South Bay Fruit Company

Here are some pictures from a recent job in the San Francisco South Bay. We can’t reveal the name of this fruit company, but we will say that their fruit is highly regarded.

South Bay Fruit Company Window Film Installation

With that said, here are some hints to keep employees (and you!) happy in the summer time heat.

Ice, Ice, Ice

Keep plenty of cold beverages on hand, and an ice machine or three around so everyone can have a cold beverage.

Go Old School

If you don’t have an air conditioner–and we hope that you do–you can use strategically placed fans. This surprisingly simple solution can really help to keep you cool. For more tips, here’s a good Wiki: 3 Ways to Cool Yourself Without Air Conditioning.

Microclimates in the Bay Area

If you’ve lived here in the San Francisco Bay Area for awhile, you know how much temperatures can vary from one neighborhood to the next. Downtown and South of Market could be 15 degrees hotter than out by the beach.

The East Bay, Marin, and Peninsula

If you go the East Bay or to Marin County, the temperatures can be much hotter than downtown. San Francisco is generally cooler in the summer.

San Francisco MicroClimates

While tooling around the interwebs, we found this neat app for discovering microclimate temperatures within San Francisco: Mr. Chilly.

Back to Keeping Employees Cool

In buildings, there are also microclimates. One side of the building can be quite cool, while the people on the other side of the building can be complaining about the heat. And in case you think you don’t need window film in San Francisco, you might want to read our recent post: Why the Hell Do I Need Window Film in San Francisco?

Fans, Hydration, and Window Film

Our last suggestion to you is window film. Window film helps even out the temperatures and keep everyone happy. Window film also protects your employees’ health. In fact, window film is one of the ten best ways to protect against skin cancer.

Got Microclimates?

We’d love to talk to you about your building’s microclimates! Give us a call!