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!

3M Fasara Decorative Window Film: Stripes Forever

November 28, 2017 by Carol S 2 Comments

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: a Quick and Easy Way to Save Money?

November 14, 2017 by Carol S Leave a Comment

Energy costs have been skyrocketing. Every year, they go up, and especially during the winter. In fact, according to ABC news, winter heating costs could rise an average 10.5%, with heating oil expected to rise even more dramatically. So what’s a poor home owner or business owner to do?

ELECTRICAL INSPECTOR photo — Photo by Seattle Municipal Archives

Home Energy Audit

A home energy audit can tell you where your house is drafty, and give you ideas on what to improve. Insulation can help most homes be more energy efficient. A home energy auditor can help prioritize all those projects, especially if your building is older and there are quite a few projects! The Energy Saver Guide from Energy.gov, has been updated recently, and is chock full of information.

Insulation

Many professionals will have you begin with insulating your home before doing anything else. For instance, before applying solar panels, you’ll need to know roughly how much energy your home uses. Once you’ve insulated your building, you’ll have a much better idea of your energy usage. Plus, you’ll save money overall after insulation your property.

Window Film

Of course, we recommend window film, particularly 3M Thinsulate window film. Not just for its aesthetic appeal, but because it saves you energy. You don’t have to hide your beautiful view with curtains once you have window film. And not only do you save energy, but you also gain or regain your view! With window film, single pane windows act like double-pane windows, and double-pane windows? They’re like triple pane windows once window film is installed!

Isn’t Window Film Best Only for the Summer?

You might have heard about how well window film works to lower the temperature, but can you also save money in the colder months? Yes! 3M’s Thinsulate window film acts as insulation for your windows, keeping you cool in the summer as well as warm in the winter! Here are a few articles about Thinsulate that you might like:

Questions About Saving Money with Window Film?

Give us a call! We work all over the San Francisco Bay Area, from Santa Clara, to San Francisco, to Marin County to the East Bay!

What You Need to Know About 3M™’s Daylight Redirecting Film

October 24, 2017 by Carol S Leave a Comment

We’re very excited to show you some images of 3M Daylight Redirecting Film that we installed recently, and to explain how the redirecting film works. Here are the images of the installation first, with the explanation below of how the film works below the images.

San Francisco Redirecting Film Installation

In the image above, you can see our technician putting the finishing touches on an installation in San Francisco. Great job to our technicians Soe and Coco! We couldn’t do it without them!

Daylight Redirecting film After Installation

In the next image, above, you can see how the Daylight Redirecting film moves the light further into the office. Obviously, we’re very excited by this new material, and we’d love to come and install some for you!

Avoid Depression

Say you have a dark office, with only a small amount of light coming in through the window. Now that could lead to a lot of your coworkers being depressed during the darker months of the year (or even the lighter months if you’re in a foggy place like San Francisco). And you wouldn’t want that, would you? By the way, you might like this recent article: The Best Window Film Installations You Might Want to See ( a compilation of recent installs!).

Sunlight Increases Productivity

Sunlight increases productivity, enhances mood, and gives us a sense of well being. In fact, an article from Harvard Medical School outlines the ways that sunlight affects your mood: Let the sun shine: Mind your mental health this winter. Not only that, but more light has been shown to decrease absenteeism. Not to mention, with more light inside, you can avoid those fights for the window seats!

Be a Magician and Bend the Light!

So 3M™ Daylight Redirecting Film actually changes the way light enters a room and can let the light penetrate into the inside of a room. Daylight Redirecting Film uses many micro-prisms to redirect the light. We think that’s pretty cool!

Redistribute the Light

Instead of putting shades on the windows, thus blocking the light for everyone in an office, you can use Daylight Redirecting Film to redistribute the light. That’s right: light sharing has entered the sharing economy! And if you don’t think you need window film in San Francisco, you might want to read this: Window Film in San Francisco!

Other Reasons to Use 3M Daylight Redirecting Film

Here are a few reasons:

Requires no special hardware
Requires no special infrastructure
Does not need additional maintenance or cleaning
Works at all times of the day, even when the sun is low in the sky

We’d Love to Talk to You

No matter what kind of window film you’re curious about, we’d love to talk to you! So give us a call. We work all over the greater San Francisco Bay Area (and even outside the area at times).

How to Dramatically Cut Back Sun Glare: 10 Ways

September 12, 2017 by Carol S 1 Comment

The weather has been frightful lately. With temperatures upwards of 100 degrees in San Francisco, the heat has been terrible. The glare for most people has been awful, too. And our eyes can be harmed by the UV rays and glare from the sun! So what can you do?

Window Film

Our go-to for glare reduction is window film. Your eyes will thank you by not squinting all day. Not only that, but you won’t have to wear sun glasses indoors any more! If you don’t believe us, you might want to read this terrific article on Houzz: A Surefire Way to Prevent Sun Damage Indoors.

Thick Curtains

Curtains are a good choice, but they can be a little unwieldy. Still, they do work to cut back on the glare. If you have a smaller house, or want a clean, uncluttered look, thick curtains might not be your best bet.

Awnings

Awnings can be a good option, depending upon the angle of the sun. Awnings probably are not going to block all the glare for you, though. We do really like the idea of an awning that could also generate electricity, as you can see in this article from the Department of Energy: Energy Efficient Window Treatments.

Plantation Shutters

These are popular in certain types of homes. If your home is more rustic, like a cabin, then you might enjoy plantation shutters. They also remind us of some homes in the tropics or Hawaii.

Drapes

Drapes can be beautiful and dramatic, although cleaning them is never fun. They seem to attract dust! And also, the slatted types often let in a piercing line of bright sunshine. Not exactly the way to prevent glare.

Trees and Shrubs

Shrubs can help cool the house as well as prevent glare and clean the air. We’re big fans of trees and shrubs. This low-tech way of preventing glare can also dramatically lower your energy bills. A little study of where the light hits your house and when can really help!

Blackout Shades

You could use blackout shades, but then why have windows? But if glare is giving you a big headache, this option will certainly work.

Aluminum Foil

You probably have some foil left over from that hat you made, right? Just kidding! There are some other nifty ideas on this Wiki How to Make Your Room Pitch Black During the Day.

Insulated Panels

Panels can be made of foam core or styrofoam and inserted into the interior of a window. And, like blackout shades, you might have to ask yourself why even have windows if you’re going to such desperate measures to block them.

Storm Panels

While not popular around the San Francisco Bay Area, storm panels can indeed help with glare. Many people simply use plywood as protection against storms. But there are also lightweight panels available.

How Do You Protect Yourself Against Glare?

Have you thought of a solution that we haven’t thought of? We’d love to hear from you!

How to Protect Your Family’s Health with this Quick and Easy Solution

August 23, 2017 by Carol S Leave a Comment

Life can be so complex sometimes. Just ordering a coffee requires that you make 33 different decisions from the kind of creamer to whether you want toppings. So when you come across one decision that helps everyone in your family to be healthier, why not jump on it?

Healthy Choice

When you look at a possible purchase as a healthy choice, rather than a luxury item, doesn’t it make sense that it comes out of a different financial bucket? That is, choosing window film is an investment that will protect your family’s health for years to come. And we can install it easily once you make the decision. It’s like flipping a switch!

Insurance for All

Health insurance has become such a political minefield. Yet one thing we all have in common is the desire to be healthy. And sometimes knowing what to do isn’t that easy. But, like insurance, once you have window film, you’ll feel that you made the right choice. You’ll feel protected, and that in turn will make you sleep better at night. By the way, here’s an article you might like: Why the Hell Do I Need Window Film in San Francisco?

Skin Cancer and You

Some types of cancer can be prevented to a large extent. Skin cancer is one of those that you can prevent. And skin cancer rates are rising. Take a look at these numbers from the Skin Cancer Foundation! So what can you do, aside from slathering yourself with SPF 50 and wearing a big hat? Plenty, that’s what! Well, in addition to wearing big hats and using sunscreen, that is. There are after all, at least 10 Quick and Easy Ways to Prevent Skin Cancer.

Once You’ve Decided You Want Window Film

What now? You’d probably like someone with experience who’s worked with people just like you. We’ve worked with homeowners as well as large corporations in the San Francisco Bay Area. And here’s why you should choose to work with us: Need Commercial Window Film? How to Choose the Best Company! We also install residential window film, by the way!

We’re a Phone Call Away

Give us a call! We’d love to help you decide what kind of window film is right for you!