Blog – Page 11

Five Reasons You Could Be Arrested for DIY (Read this!)

March 24, 2022 by Carol S Leave a Comment

Don’t get arrested for a DIY window film project!

Have you ever gotten partway through a DIY project only to discover that you’ve bitten off more than you could chew? Or have you ever been stopped by the Window Film Police ™ because they’ve seen you trying to either install your own window film or remove someone else’s window film failure? If you’re a DIYer (or thinking about installing your own window film), read on. You’re likely to recognize yourself in some of these paragraphs. If not, well, consider it a cautionary tale. One that could easily happen to you.

Why is it a bad idea to install my own window film?

We do hear this question from time to time. There are many reasons why, actually. First of all, people hardly ever measure twice and cut once. It’s more like they sorta-kinda measure using an old magazine as a yardstick or a broken app on their phone. Or they use their arms because they saw someone do it on a YouTube Video! Then they guesstimate how much film they need. Eventually, they use their phone for its original purpose (phoning). Do you remember using your phone as a phone? It happens sometimes. Anyway, when people get around to calling us, they’re often embarrassed. Or crying. Or their friend or partner calls us in hushed tones when the guilty DIYer has left the house for a few minutes, begging us to come over. But what is that DIYer thinking? That no one will ever find out? By the way, we’ve written about how to prepare for window film installation before. You might like that article.

Removing the old film myself–what could possibly go wrong?

You already know the answer to this because you’ve probably tried removing some old film at home, despite the warnings not to. Using an old hair dryer and some rags from the Dollar Store, you’ve attempted window film removal. You start earlyish, leaving time for snack breaks and possible shopping trips. It looks pretty good until you touch the surface and realize there’s still glue all over the window! And all over you, too! Oh, no!!! Now what? If we had a flow chart, we’d go back to the part where you end up calling us. There could be crying.

Because of the last time you did a DIY

Do you remember the last time you tried something and it didn’t work out? Remember when you bought that broken-down dresser at that yard sale and decided to antique it and turn it into a combination bar/desk. It looked so easy on Pinterest, right? But then you were all covered in paint, paint remover, and again there were tears. Also, lots of cursing. And you’ll never get those jeans back. Those $300 jeans that you used to love. The Window Film Police would just love to hear about this!

Your friends know you and your past

Your friends have seen you looking at those pix of sleek remodels, and they know how your mind works. They’ve witnesses that optimistic squirrel brain thinking that you can do anything up to and maybe including flying. They know you like to take shortcuts when you DIY, and they’re embarrassed and scared. Which is why they could make a citizen’s arrest.

You don’t have the time or patience

Remember that full-time job you have? By the time you get home and change and watch 10,000 YouTube videos on how to install window film, you’ll be tired. So here you go: the Quick Residential Estimate. Simply fill it out and send it. Easy peasy. Really! You don’t have to do it yourself! And also: Window Works customer care is at 415.650.5200. Pick up your phone and enter our number! We really are very friendly, and we’ll answer your questions.

Stay out of trouble

We work all over the greater San Francisco Bay Area, from San Jose to the East Bay to the Peninsula and Marin! So stay out of trouble and give us a call!

Women In Construction 2022 Virtual Celebration – March 9 at 12:00 noon

March 3, 2022 by Carol S Leave a Comment

Our celebration is **March 9, 2022 at 12:00 noon PST**. Join us!

WIC Virtual Gathering

We’re meeting online via Google Meet on Wednesday, March 9, 2022 at 12:00 PST Noon. Here’s an agenda and how to join us!

How to Join us!

We’re curating who can join to help prevent trolls. To receive a calendar invite, please send an email to wicweek@windowworks.co. We’ll send you the link after you send us your details!

In your email, please include:

Subject Header: WIC Week
Name
Title
Company
Email

Agenda

We’ll be starting and ending exactly on time. We appreciate your arriving on time!

12:00 Meet and greet. Introductions. Tell us a little about yourself!

12:07 First topic (ice breaker) What’s the last great TV show or movie you watched? Of course, it doesn’t have to be about construction!

12:12 If you could learn one new professional skill, what would it be?

12:17 The zombie apocalypse is coming! Which 3 tools would you need?

12:22 Favorite new tool that you recently learned about? If you have it with you, show us!

12:30 Where do you like to spend your time, social media wise? Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or where?

12:35 Tell us about a favorite YouTube channel you’ve found (could be a great how-to channel for learning construction skills).

12:40 What motivated you to get into construction?

12:45 What would you tell another woman who wanted to get into construction?

12:50 What would you like us to add to next year’s Women In Construction meetup?

12:55 Wave bye-bye!

How to Prepare for Your Window Film Installation

February 23, 2022 by Carol S 1 Comment

Preparation for window film installation is a multi-step process

You might want to read the steps first, then call us. We can do most of these steps for you. And, of these steps, the first one (removing the blinds, drapes and window treatments), is probably the one easiest for you to do yourself.

Remove all blinds, drapes, and window treatments

Please remove all blinds, drapes, and window treatments prior to install. All furniture, fixtures and items must be moved four feet away from windows to give our workers space to move around. Window Works technicians do NOT move items without a fee–which is $150.00 per hour base minimum.

Window Works is not responsible for glass breakage due to improper glass installation, scoring from previous film install, existing damage, seal failure or other. When you sign our proposal, this indicates your acceptance/approval of all Terms & Conditions.

We use a water-based micro spray solution in your installation, so any water-sensitive items must be covered or removed before install. Window Works assumes no liability for items left which might be damaged. We want your installation to be as beautiful and perfect as possible, so please give us your cooperation!

Window film removal

If you have old window film covering your windows, unless you can do a superb job (as in you used to be a window film installer and had that job for ten years and won some prizes and stuff), the best thing is to let us do it. Usually what happens is people remove some of the film, but not all of it. They do some of the work, then get tired and bored. Then there are margaritas, and in some cases, whiskey. The removal gets mangled in some way, or the glue is still there. It turns into a big sticky mess and costs you more than if you just let us do it in the first place. So please don’t help with the window film removal because it will probably cost you more if you do! Plus you’ll have a hangover and who knows what else will happen?!

When measuring your windows measure twice, cut once!

Measure your windows

Measuring your windows is a lot like baking: you need to be exact and not stray from the recipe. If you took up baking during the pandemic, you know what we mean here. When you measure, take the width first. And remember the old adage: measure twice, cut once. Accuracy counts. Don’t round up or down–tell us the measurements accurately. If you need help measuring, we can do that. In fact, that might be a better idea for those of you who aren’t too accurate. Like if you substitute baking soda for baking powder in your cake recipe because they’re both white we’re talking to you!

Again, if you help but goof it up, it’ll cost more.

Need a quick window film estimate for your home?

Sure you do! We already have the form online for you to fill out. Here’s the Quick Residential Estimate. Simply fill it out and send it. Easy peasy. Really! But if you have questions,call Window Works customer care at 415.650.5200. We really are very friendly.

We work all over the greater San Francisco Bay Area, from San Jose to the East Bay to the Peninsula and Marin!

How to Choose the Best Window Film Installer?

February 4, 2022 by Carol S Leave a Comment

If choosing window film is overwhelming, how are you ever going to choose a window film installer? Aren’t there hundreds of installers available? Do you use your Magic 8-Ball? Flip a coin? No! Here are some ideas.

Check out their website

If you’re looking at a website, can you see clients, and do you know any of them? That is, do you recognize any businesses there? If so, you might take a look at the actual-in-real-life window film installations and see how they look! Some may be easily accessible. For instance, not to toot our own horn, but we have quite a few companies that you’ve (probably) heard of who’ve had window film installed.

Ask friends and neighbors

You could ask your neighbors if you want residential window film. Or you could go to social media sites. Personally, we like Google, and our Google site is here: Window Works. What do people say on those sites? Here’s a review we really like:

“These guys are really great. We live in San Francisco with windows all round on the second floor. Great views but it can become a greenhouse, especially as the climate warms. Window Works applied Prestige 20 to all our windows and it made a huge difference in the amount of heat retained. The staff was courteous and competent, Asia is extremely knowledgeable.”
~ Amir Najmi
Google Reviewer

By the way, sometimes reviews can be fake. We’ve seen quite a few on Amazon. And there are signs of fake reviews that you might already know such as really bad grammar, no profile pictures, or one-word reviews. How a company deals with negative reviews can tell you a lot, too. Here’s an article about Amazon Fake Reviewers by Business Insider.

Ask a few questions

Does the window film installer know their stuff? What kind of film would they recommend for your particular windows? Ask about heat retention of the window film, and ask about the staff, too.

Read their blog posts and check their social media

Is the window film installer you’re poised to go with active with their blog posts? Do they have social media and are they active there? Those are some good signs that you’re dealing with a reputable company. If they aren’t active, that could indicate a number of things: They might be too busy or too small to deal with their website/blogging/social media. Or they might not know how and want to get to it later. You could ask them when you call!

Trust your gut

What is your gut telling you about the company you’re about to hire? Have you ever known before that you shouldn’t hire someone and hired them anyway, and then regretted it? Same here! And you shake your head and say “I shoulda known!” Right? We’ve probably all had that experience!

Give us a call!

Call us and ask a few questions, as we’ve suggested above. We really are very friendly. We work all over the greater San Francisco Bay Area, from San Jose to the East Bay to the Peninsula and Marin! Call Window Works customer care at 415.650.5200 for pricing and more information.

Why Not Use Window Film for Patio Privacy?

January 20, 2022 by Carol S Leave a Comment

Recently, walking along the beach, I noticed a lot of balconies and patios surrounded by partial glass enclosures. Maybe people don’t realize that they could use window film to block the view people have into their patios or balconies? It seems like such a simple and elegant solution. After all, do you really want a bunch of strangers peering into your home while you’re having a barbeque?

Patio privacy on second floor balconies

If your patio set up is on a second floor balcony, using some window film to block the view can give you an extraordinary amount of privacy. Imagine the glass on the balcony above with window film. Not only would the view into your home be less cluttered, more importantly, you would not be so visible from outside. Here, as in many parts of the Bay Area, people can walk right up to the house and look into the windows. In many homes, there are no curtains or anything to keep prying eyes from looking inside and seeing everything you own. We’ve talked about privacy before: What Are the Best Window FIlms for Privacy?

Heavily trafficked areas

With all parts of the San Francisco Bay Area growing, there’s more and more reasons to look for ways to secure more privacy. You can hide your valuables, protect your family by making them less accessible to the eyes of strangers, and simply be less visible. After all, don’t you want to be free to say what you want and wear what you want while you’re relaxing at home? Do you really want a messy patio visible to the entire world?

Less goldfish bowl

We’re all visible more and more via social media. Everyone has a camera built into their cell phones now. And you’re likely to appear in many places, even if you don’t want to be featured in a video. People hardly even bother to ask any more if you want your picture taken, do they? While you might not want a completely curated existence, having more privacy allows you to control who sees what.

Here’s a patio enclosure we worked on (with window film!)

Don’t be a statistic

You might have seen the Google car driving around taking pictures of everything. If you live in the Bay Area, chances are you have! Your home and everything in it is on display for all the world to see. But you can exercise a little bit of control with window film. Nobody needs to see what you ate for breakfast or what you’re watching on your laptop while you’re on your own balcony. You probably also want to protect your kids from prying eyes.

It gets even easier!

If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area, we can offer suggestions. We work throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, from San Jose to the East Bay to the Peninsula and Marin! Call Window Works customer care at 415.650.5200 for pricing and more information. We’re very friendly!

Why your New Year’s Resolutions should include window film installation

January 5, 2022 by Carol S Leave a Comment

If your New Year’s resolutions don’t include window film, you’re doing it wrong!

You’ve heard about the usual New Year’s resolutions, all the ones you write down and promptly forget. But what about creating some New Year’s resolutions which are easy to keep and require very little work from you? What about those resolutions? Here are a bunch of reasons you ought to include window film installation in your list of resolutions. Not that we’re telling you what to do. But stick around and maybe we’ll convince you!

New Year’s resolutions should be easy

Seriously, when was the last time you had an easy resolution? Are you really going to lose weight in January, a time when every cell in your body is screaming at you to eat all the cupcakes and binge-watch Netflix? NO! And are you going to battle the gym right now, what with the new Covid restrictions? Are you going to triple-mask so you’ll feel safe? NO! But guess what? (If you were here, you’d say “What?!”) Window film installation is super easy!

New Year’s resolutions should improve your health

You might already know that window film reduces UV rays coming through your windows. And that those same UV rays are what cause skin cancer. If not, you’re hearing it here first. Window film can improve your health! It’s like having sunglasses on your house or office! But don’t take our word for it–check out the Skin Cancer Foundation’s excellent article Not All UV Rays Stay Outside: How Window Film Can Help Protect You.

Use window film with dots, patterns or stripes to make your office look snazzier

New Year’s resolutions should lower your heating and A/C bill

With Thinsulate window film, your temperatures will even out. That is, your place will be cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. So your heating and cooling bills will be lower. And doesn’t everyone want lower power bills? By the way, we’ve written about Thinsulate before because we love it so much! Why Use 3M Thinsulate Window Film: Five Good Reasons You Need to Know.

New Year’s Resolutions should make your home or office look better

Did you know that window films have improved a lot over the past years? There are many decorative window films that can add to the easy glamor of your place, with gorgeous designs that will make you the envy of your neighborhood. Take a look at some of our decorative window films here: Decorating with Window Film. 3M Fasara window film comes in a variety of designs. There are patterns, dots, and stripes.

So easy a kid could do it!

If your kid can pick up the phone and find us, and you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area, you could be done with your New Year’s resolutions! That’s not to say you should make your kid call us! All we’re saying is it’s that easy. We work throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, from San Jose to the East Bay to the Peninsula and Marin! Call Window Works customer care at 415.650.5200 for pricing and more information. We’re very friendly!

The Jungle Gold & Glam Window Works Holiday Party

December 21, 2021 by Carol S Leave a Comment

Everyone really enjoyed themselves, getting all dolled up for this holiday party at Morton’s Steakhouse in San Francisco. As you can see, lots of people wore RAWR (jungle prints) from their shoes and jackets to their hair scrunchies and dresses! And there was a LOT of gold, too! And in case you haven’t seen enough of either RAWR or the Window Works crew, here’s what happened last week: What Happens When the Window Works Crew Gets Together for Christmas.

Karaoke Galore

Although it’s tempting to post the drunken singing that happened, we’ve been sworn to secrecy on who sang the loudest and most out of key. There were a lot of renditions of Christmas songs, from Jingle Bells on out. Michael Jackson had a strong showing, too, as his songs are easy to sing. And there was some controversy, but supposedly the best and easiest karaoke song is Tequila, since there’s only ONE WORD to remember! And still some people would not sing! But we won’t embarrass them by calling them out.

The Ladies of Window Works

This year, we had problems deciding if the ladies or the guys had the better outfits! There were some fantastic shoes on both the ladies and the guys! But Asia and Donna definitely had more RAWR per inch (RPI), so because we made up that term and we’re the only ones voting, the ladies WIN!!! Sorry, guys! Besides, we had all the best shoes, too!

Then there were shoes

Yes, the ladies also win because we froze our toes off in the frigid December San Francisco night. And we wore heels while doing it. Debbie had the most sparkly shoes (she’s in the middle with those sparkly bows!). You needed sunglasses to look at Asia’s shoes (the gold heels on the end).

The Guys were very glam and also quite RAWR!

We had a great time comparing RAWR outfits and competing with the drinking and singing–sometimes at the same time!

Between the jacket, the shoes, and the balloons, he’s most RAWRful!

Honorable mention

This gentleman, above, was stopped in Union Square for his outstanding RAWR! Can that possibly be Brian behind that mask?

The Food!

Geez, the food was so good, but people didn’t take too many pix of food! The appetizers were all on individual plates, and SO DELICIOUS!!! As was the steak, the wine, the many drinks, the potatoes, the green beans, the bread, and the desserts! Oh, and the salads, too!

Gang Signs?

What’s easier? Making a sign that says “Live long and proper” or making Ws for Window Works? We’ll leave that up to you!

What Happens When the Window Works Crew Gets Together for Christmas?

December 14, 2021 by Carol S 1 Comment

We knew there would be ornaments. We knew there would be a tree. What we didn’t know was how the tree would turn out! It was so much better than anyone imagined!

Oh, Christmas tree! Oh, Christmas tree!

You’ve got to imagine some really bad karaoke Christmas music here because it’s obligatory, right? Not all Christmas music can be like the Charlie Brown Christmas Special music. Anyway, you can see Donna next to the tree, in this version. Yes, we had RAWR elements under the tree, in the ribbons, and with the decorations, too (RAWR meaning tiger striped)!

Last year, they said the trees were “too girly”

Some of the guys like to complain. Their complaint was about the Christmas trees being pink, if you can believe that! We loved the tone-on-tone Christmas look–it was so fun and festive! And so unlike anyone else’s tree, too! But they complained–and we listened. So this year the tree was a little different!

So we fixed the tree!

This year, because the guys helped decorate the tree, it was black (like their cold, cold hearts lol)! And we decorated it with plenty of RAWR. And also, if you look closely, you might see something else! Yes, that’s right–beer! We also had plenty of volunteers to help “decorate the tree” AKA drink the beer so we had enough “decorations.” Phew. That’s a lot of quotation marks!

The goodies

There were lots and lots of goodies. Here are just a few of them, above. And of course, we had RAWR plates, napkins, and a tablecloth! The chicken wings were fab, but somehow we didn’t get a picture of those because they were gobbled up! And also the salads–delish!!!

Happy Holidays to all and to all a Good RAWR night!!!

Maybe one of the only traditional things was our cake. That, and our best wishes for everyone for this holiday season!!! Have a beautiful, festive, and fun holiday, everyone!

The Window Works Crew at the Fabulous Northern California Facilities Expo 2021 in Santa Clara

November 16, 2021 by Carol S 3 Comments

Donna, Irene, and Asia in front of the Window Works booth!

On October 27th and 28th, 2021 the Window Works Crew traveled to the Facilities Expo Conference in Santa Clara. Here are some highlights! We had an amazing time at this live event and thought we’d share a few photos.

By the way, we’ve been to the Facilities Expo before, but that was in the Before Times! Anyway, if you want to travel in the Wayback Machine, here’s the article: Window Works at the Northern California Facilities Expo 2019. We also did the virtual event in 2020, and you can read about it here: Visit the Virtual California Facilities Expo 2020 November 18-19.

Ta-da!!! Booth setup is done and what a great job!

Setting up the Booth

The set up took a few minutes (and a few hours of planning), but we were up to the challenge, since everyone pitched in to help! You wouldn’t even believe how much of this booth would fit into one cart! And that’s lucky because the Santa Clara Conference Center is huge and there’s a lot of walking to do.

Luckily, not everyone is scared of public speaking! Go, Asia!!!

Behind the Scenes

There was a lot of joking around, talking and exchanging information behind the scenes. Also, lots of taking pictures and interviews. Since there haven’t been a lot of in-person conferences, this one was a welcome relief to meet and talk face-to-face.

Irene showing some booth visitors their choices in window film

During the Show

Yes, we got a lot of questions about window film (particularly 3M window film!) during the show. Luckily, we are all well-versed in 3M window film. And we often said “did you know that window film could do this?” Or “this isn’t your grandma’s window film!” A lot of people have outdated ideas about window film based on seeing someone’s DIY job on their car (purple, fading, peeling and just plain ugh!).

Happy Hour Hosting

After extensive research, we discovered that many people love beer! So guess what?! We sponsored the Happy Hour beer and snack cart and that made a lot of people verrrrrrrry happy! And that made us happy, too! We hope that next time, you’ll be able to join us.

Why You Need Colored Window Film

October 28, 2021 by Carol S Leave a Comment

Let your imagination run wild with colored window film

You may have been seeing all the new colors that have been out lately. Moody blues and grays have been all over the place, setting the mood for Christmas. And Better Homes and Gardens have set out all the newest colors of the year, from Sherwin Williams’ Aleutian to Breezeway by Behr. They’re dusty and we love them! You might love them, too. That’s why we want to tell you about colored window film.

Our monthly discount applies to colored window film

For each month of 2021, we’re offering special discounts on different window films. We are extending discounts to small businesses and homeowners each month of this year. For November, give us a call and ask for our discount on colored window film. Please mention that you saw this article so you can get the discount! Here’s our post about Window Works’ Ten Year Anniversary!

Colors go in and out of style

Do you remember what colors were fashionable when you were a kid? Maybe Forest Green, Burgundy, or even neon colors? Chances are, they’re much different than the colors that are around right now. For your home or business, having outdated colors can make your place look outdated, too. Why not freshen up your place? We’ve written about color before. You might like Focus on Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year.

It’s easy to change your style with window film

There are some easy ways to change up your colors and hence your style. You don’t have to remodel your entire house or business to make a change. Swap out the old cushions for blue ones, paint your cabinets a dusty blue, and of course there’s always window film to modernize your look! You’d be surprised at how much color can affect your mood. A change of palette will give you a lift! You could also change the hardware in a room (we love gold a lot!) for an affordable makeover.

Why not feel at ease in your place? Colors definitely affect your mood!

Light also affects your mood

If you’ve ever spent time in any place dark during the winter, you might know how your mood can change without enough light. So installing light fixtures and increasing the light inside your home or business can give your mood a boost. Of course, we’re firm believers in changing your mood using window film, too. If you want to see the world through rose-colored glass (do you see what we did there?), we can help with that! You might want to use a very light colored film to start with if you don’t have experience with making a big change.

Not sure where to start? Give us a call!

Changing your environment can be a tricky business! So call us for some ideas. We work throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, from San Jose to the East Bay to the Peninsula and Marin! Call Window Works customer care at 415.650.5200 for pricing and more information. We’re very friendly!