window film – Page 8

Will Window Film Make My Life Better?

September 14, 2022 by Carol S Leave a Comment

We get questions like “will window film make my life better?” all the time! Believe it or not! And our answer, without hesitation, is “it sure does!” Because what other product blocks UV light (which causes skin cancer), provides privacy, holds glass together in case of earthquakes, etc., and keeps you cooler? None that we know of! So there. Pretty soon, you’ll feel like the guy in the picture above. The guy in the middle–not the guy over on the end.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways

We can only say we love window film because it’s true. We all use it at home as well as at work and on our car windows, too. Once you’ve had window film, you can’t go back to not having it. And if Bob Vila thinks it’s great stuff, then who are we to disagree? You might like Bob Vila’s The Best Window Films of 2022. Bob Vila says “A significant consideration when shopping for the best window film is functionality. Determine what’s important in terms of privacy, decor, light/darkness, UV light blocking, and energy saving.”

Stop the sensory overload

The world keeps getting noisier and noisier–both in terms of actual noise, but also loud colors, ads, etc. If you get sensory overload, window film can certainly help give you that moment of zen you need. And speaking of zen, we’ve talked about zen before. You might like: How to Have a Zen Experience with Window Film. Because if you see your neighbor’s ugly backyard every morning, that’s not a good way to wake up! So why not block that view with window film?

Decorative window films make you an insta-decorator!

That’s right, there are decorative window films. There are many of them. So not only can window film provide you with privacy, but you can get a beautiful effect at the same time. Some of them are incredibly beautiful–we love the Japanese washi paper ones, for instance. Want to know more about 3M glass finishes? Check out the dichroic glass on the 3M site, too! By the way, Window Works is a certified 3M dealer, so we can help you choose one (or more) glass finish to prettify your space!

Fragment Retention

Another terrific feature of window film is that it can retain window glass fragments, as we’ve written about recently. Fragment retention window film: five reasons you need it. Large sheets of glass are more susceptible to breakage, and if you’re a homeowner or business owner, you don’t want people to get hurt.

Give Us a Call!

We’d love to provide window film for your home or office! Give us a call at 415.623.8700 when you’re ready to discuss window film and make your life better! We’d love to talk to you and answer all your questions! We work all over the greater San Francisco Bay Area, from San Jose to the East Bay to the Peninsula and Marin.

Window Film Ideas for High Tech Companies You Need to Know

August 31, 2022 by Carol S Leave a Comment

So you know some or maybe even most of the high-tech companies we support and do business with. One is a Fruit Company, another you use to search when you don’t know something, and a third is where you pin all the things! If you still don’t know what we’re talking about, you can take a look at our website! Yes, we do get around, but we don’t like to brag. Much. Anyway, if these high-tech companies use window film so much and so often, chances are good that you could also use the same ideas. Right? For example, in the image above, you can see that this space is very homey like a living room, yet is a company shared space.

Window film blocks the light

Is the sun blasting right into your eyes, or is the light simply too bright? Have a more comfortable work day with window film. You can use the same window film on your home that you do at work. And if you’re working from home, why not create a more soothing environment? Since people aren’t traveling as much, they like to have a staycation atmosphere at home. After all, you don’t want to have to wear sunglasses indoors, do you?

Window film helps prevent skin cancer

We’ve talked about window film and skin cancer many times before. Window film blocks the UV light that causes cancer. In fact, the Skin Cancer Foundation recommends window film. In their blog post, Not All UV Rays Stay Outside: How Window Film Can Help Protect You, The Skin Cancer Foundation proclaims “Those UVA rays account for up to 95 percent of the UV radiation reaching the Earth’s surface and are quite good at finding you. They can bounce off reflective surfaces like water and, most relevant during the workday, they can penetrate window glass. If you’re sitting next to a window on a sunny day, those UVA rays hitting your skin are doing damage. (Window glass filters out most UVB rays.)” Yes, we’ve discussed how window film blocks light and prevents skin cancer before.

High-tech companies use window film for privacy–you could, too!

High-tech companies are letting people work from home

Many people are working mostly from home if they can. So don’t sit at the dining room table you share while your kids do their homework and squint all the time! One of our recent blog posts was about this blending of work and home: Trend Alert: Why the Blending of Home and Work Life is the Next Big Thing.

Got questions? We’ve got answers!

Maybe you don’t know exactly what you want. We have a lot of experience working with high-tech companies! If you want to chat about your work-from-home options, give us a call! 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.

We work all over the San Francisco Bay Area, and would love to talk to you!

Dark and Moody Interior Glass: How to use it and why!

August 17, 2022 by Carol S Leave a Comment

Why would you want to use dark and moody interior glass? Not simply because it’s trendy, right? This trend began last year, when images showing dark interior glass starting bubbling up all over the internets. In our experience with local San Francisco Bay Area businesses, glass office fronts are all going tinted AND combining with dark patterns — so for the first time in years we are seeing dark interior window film. If you want to know why you might want to start using darker and moodier interior glass, stick around. We’ve got some ideas and examples for you!

Because it’s mysterious

We all need more mystery in our lives, don’t we? The moody and romantic sight of this dark glass will make you curious about the space. Who lives or works here? What do they do all day? Would you like to have a similar space? These are questions which may start swirling around in your mind when you see a space like this!

Magic and mystery appear side by side with this dark film against the marbled floor

The new dark Fasaras have a special magic

Last year, the new dark 3M Fasaras started to appear with the blue and gray cloud dual gradients. With this year’s patterned window films thrown in, we can see a different story line building. By the way, we’ve written about Fasara window film before. You might enjoy some of these:

As you might be able to see, we’re huge fans of 3M Fasara! And if you’re wondering what the heck Fasara is: “3M™ Fasara™ is a family of polyester, decorative films for glass surfaces that transform an interior’s ambiance with finishes that have depth, subtly, modernity, energy, precision and more. Created in collaboration with leading designers from across the globe, the new, trend-setting collection will give you even more ways to create stunning visual effects on interior glass surfaces, as well as add privacy and control light.” So there’s that.

Check out this dark and moody bachelor pad!

Dark and moody glass plays well with others

As you can see in the image above, the dark, moody glass gets along with others. Look at all the different textures, such as this mottled stone in the bathroom and kitchen. It combines well with wood, tile, and many other materials, too. Color might be a consideration, as you’d want your glass have similar tones, but not be too matchy-matchy.

A space for relaxation…and more

Maybe you need a special place to unwind at the end of the day with your music and big leather chair. Or maybe you could use this room-within-a-room concept, above, in your office. You could even have an office at home that’s completely enclosed from the rest of your home.

Give Us a Call!

Maybe you don’t know exactly what you want yet. We can guide you! If you want to chat about your dark-and-moody options, give us a call! 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.

We work all over the San Francisco Bay Area, and would love to talk to you!

Trend Alert: Why the Blending of Home and Work Life is the Next Big Thing

June 29, 2022 by Carol S 1 Comment

Recently, we traveled to NeoCon in Chicago to hear all the big designers talk about trends. One trend that kept cropping up is the blending of home and work life. Why now? You might ask. Stick around for a few minutes and we’ll tell you. By the way, we’ll be talking more about trend alerts in the upcoming blog posts, so be sure to watch this space!

Curves and the softening of modern design

Before the Pandemic, modern design was all sharp edges, corners, and more black and white–both in design and in actual form. Now there are curves everywhere. From sofas to office chairs to ceilings, curves delineate the new designs. There are even entire buildings that are made of curves! While we don’t recommend retrofitting an entire building to make it curvier, you could make your office or furniture curvier–with great results!

Ahead of the curve

With the curvaceousness of new design, cocooning is the order of the day. people want to be surrounded by softness, which they have more at home. And they’ve been at home for two long years, so they’d like some of those creature comforts they have at home, but at work! People might not always be able to bring their fuzzy fuzzy pets to work with them, but they can have more of the soft and fuzzy designs.

Can you imagine how relaxing this furniture must be?

Window film is softer, too

So many designs now have the soft gradients in window film. There used to be hard lines, with bands of window film. Now there are no more bands. There is softness everywhere. Harsh lighting is gone, too. Not only are these lights curvy, but their light casts a soft glow, too. And the colors include more grays, roses, and oatmeals. All colors you associate with home and not with work.

Lines, from lighting to furniture to artwork, is softening

Modular and inclusive furniture

Furniture that includes and can expand or contract is a huge trend right now. Being able to easily add more chairs or include a latecomer to a meeting is so critical. We need flexibility in design as well as in our thoughts!

A move from the global to the local economy

People want to work from home. And if they can’t work from home, they’d like their offices to look and feel like home. There’s a socioeconomic implication to modern design. Between the Corona virus and everything else happening, certain personal accoutrements have softened up. Everything’s comfy. We need to soften our stances, too. The entire shift right now is going local. Farmers markets are big. It’s more modest, more local, and more real. There’s a huge element of comfort and sincerity, which comes out in more soulful design. Shipping is expensive. Local economies, handmade stuff, all are incorporated in design. Design is the acceptance of the collective unconscious.

Highlights from New 3M Fasara Patterns

May 31, 2022 by Carol S 1 Comment

Here is one highlight from the new 3M Fasara Patterns

By now you’ve probably realized that everyone at Window Works is a huge fan of 3M and Fasara window films. And if you haven’t realized that, then you’re in for a treat! Because we’re going to share some of the newest, funnest, most gorgeous window films and some of their uses. Prepare to be surprised!

Here are some of our favorite new Fasara patterns.

3M™ DI-NOC™ Architectural Finishes

3M Fasara Di-Noc architectural Finishes bring you the beauty of hundreds of natural elements with additional new designs, Premium Wood, Metallic Palette and Artisanal Design, to inspire your masterpiece. And at Window Works, we can work with you to help you discover your palette and bring your space to life!

What is 3M™ Fasara™?

Straight off their website: “3M™ Fasara™ is a family of polyester, decorative films for glass surfaces that transform an interior’s ambiance with finishes that have depth, subtly, modernity, energy, precision and more. Created in collaboration with leading designers from across the globe, the new, trend-setting collection will give you even more ways to create stunning visual effects on interior glass surfaces, as well as add privacy and control light.” By the way, we’ve written about 3M Fasara before. You might want to check out those articles here:

Matte Series offers fingerprint resistance, matte texture, and an outstanding tactile feature

The Matte Series offers realistic texture by converting incident light into diffuse reflection and suppressing specular reflection. Specular reflection is a type of surface reflectance often described as a mirror-like reflection of light from the surface. The matte finish offers a softer lighting, without blinding people coming into your space. This series also provides fingerprint resistance. Explore the new world of design possibilities with 3M Matte Series.

Abrasion Resistant Series

3M™ DI-NOC™ Architectural Finishes Abrasion Resistant AR Series are decorative surface finishes for interior applications in high-traffic areas. The abrasion resistant top layer reduces the visibility of scratches. So, if you have a surface that routinely gets scratched by people wanting to “leave their mark,” you can use the abrasion resistant series on those surfaces. Check out the table below for an example!

3M™ DI-NOC™ Architectural Glass Finishes

3M™ DI-NOC™ Glass Finishes can be used behind many glass surfaces and provide an opaque dimensional look when viewed from the front glass surface. The current Product line can be found in the 3M™ Glass Finishes Product Catalog. Ask us for more information.

Whiteboard glass finishes

Last, but not least is this new whiteboard glass finish. The 3M Whiteboard finish can be used to turn glass into a whiteboard, transforming a plain office wall into a learning opportunity! This architectural finish can convert interior surfaces into creative and collaborative environments. It’s compatible with most dry erase markers.

Check out 3M’s spec sheet for all the details.

Questions or comments?

Need help choosing? Or want to chat about your options? Give us a call! 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.

The Southern California Facilities Expo: Five Best Reasons to Visit!

May 10, 2022 by Carol S Leave a Comment

Just a few of the exhibitors at the Southern California Facilities Expo!

Recently, the Window Works staff attended the Southern California Facilities Expo, at the Anaheim Convention Center. From the SCFE website, “The Facilities Expo provides FREE valuable learning and networking opportunities in a unique format serving the southern California region. Bringing together the facilities engineering, MRO and green building communities, Southern California Facilities Expo attracts a diverse audience of facilities managers, maintenance managers, and energy managers from a wide variety of industries including food processing, government, healthcare, manufacturing, education, wineries, utilities and others.”

Here are some images and highlights from our time at the facilities expo! By the way, we’ve written about other facilities expo’s before. See some of the other highlights here:

Asia Bautista and Kashmir Uppal, from Atlas Copco Compressors, LLC

Seeing friends

We tend to run into some of the same people at facilities conferences, whether we’re in South California, Northern California, or Modesto (Central California). Above, our fearless leader Asia meets with friend Kashmir Uppal, from Atlas Copco Compressors, LLC. Kashmir Uppal is San Francisco Bay Area · CTS Regional Sales Manager for Atlas Copco, in case you were wondering. Meeting long-lost friends is probably our favorite part of the Expo.

Seeing even more friends

We love reconnecting with friends! Don’t you? Here we are with some of our bestest buds, above. That’s Nick MacArthur, brother John MacArthur, and Bobby Slingsby from Graffiti Shield. Since Graffiti Shield is in Anaheim they didn’t have far to travel. And that beer certainly can’t hurt (more on the beer in a minute). Also pictured: Asia and Donna from Window Works!

The Giveaways and Swag!

Look at that cute little promo truck from 1-800-GOT-JUNK, above! McKendry and Affinity also did some top-notch branding with their giveaways. We love having all these reminders of our time at the Expo! They’ll have a special home in our office.

The Happy Hour

The Happy Hour, co-sponsored with Atlas Copco Compressors, LLC, was one of our favorite parts of the Expo! Yes! We had happy hour in our booth which meant we didn’t have to drive home, since we were already there! You know what we mean. But actually we were happy for more than just the Happy Hour–we’re super happy and friendly all the time.

Making new connections

Of course, making new friends is super easy when the reception is in your booth! You can see just a few of our new friends in the photo above.

Did we forget anything?

If you were there and we forgot something, or even if you just want to chat, give us a call! 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.

Fragment Retention Window Film: Five Reasons You Need it

April 27, 2022 by Carol S Leave a Comment

If you’re a building or facilities manager for a high rise building, you definitely need fragment retention window film. After all, safety is a top concern for most facilities managers. Here are a few reasons you need it.

Prevent glass shattering

You’ve all seen the YouTube videos where glass falls and shatters everywhere, injuring people close by and even bouncing and hurting people across streets. And those tiny shards of glass are difficult to see. So cleanup is a mess. Fragment retention window film helps to keep glass together when it breaks. Glass still breaks, but with this window film it doesn’t explode all over, as it would without the window film. 3M has an article that discusses why fragment retention window film is a good choice for schools. We think it’s an even better choice for high rise buildings!

Keep bad glass from shattering everywhere

For those unfortunate scenarios where there’s globally sourced glass (we’re talking to you, facilities manager on a budget), using the right window film keeps everything together. If you’ve acquired cheap glass, you need fragment retention window film more than ever, since cheap glass is more susceptible to spontaneous shattering. By the way if you’re a facilities manager, we’d love to connect with you at one of the expos or conferences for Facilities Managers, like this one: The Window Works Crew at the Fabulous Northern California Facilities Expo 2021 in Santa Clara.

If you have large glass windows, they will be more susceptible to stress

Tornadoes, hurricanes, and weird weather are becoming more common

We don’t have to tell you that the weather is changing. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, we’ve had all sorts of heat waves, droughts, and downpours. We’ve even had the occasional tornado, if you can believe that! If you’re somewhere that has tornadoes, hurricanes, or even bomb blasts, fragment retention window film can help. When your big windows get hit by bad weather, you want your glass to stay together and not explode into a million pieces.

It’s easy to install

What is that old saw about an ounce of prevention versus a pound of cure? That applies here. The window film is your ounce of prevention. Also, since it’s easy to install (for us, that is), you don’t have to spend days, weeks, or months remodeling. Right now, you may hear from your contractor that building material is stuck on ships or impossible to get.

Size Matters

If you have large glass windows, they will be more susceptible to stress. So if you’re in a high rise, those large windowpanes are at greater risk of shattering from temperature fluctuations, especially during the spring and fall when temperatures tend to change more. For those large windows that are more at risk, use fragment retention window film, in case one of your large windows shatters. Read Bob Vila’s article about the drawbacks of thermal pane windows.

Call us for more reasons!

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!

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!

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!

« Previous Page
1
…
6
7
8
9
10
…
15
Next Page »