Before You Buy

Window Film is a visual product. Make sure that your sales person always installs samples so that you can see what you are buying and how it compares to other films that you may be considering. Look at the film from the inside and outside of the window. Look at it during the day and at night. How reflective does it look? Does it enhance the appearance of your property or detract from it? Is it optically pleasing or does it look purple or blue? Look through the film sample at an angle. Poor optics and purple/blue/red “color-shift” is indicative of poorly stacked layers and dyes that can discolor in time.

Ask about the film warranty. How long is the product warranty for? Premium residential films carry Lifetime Warranties that cover the replacement of product and cover the labor as well. Good quality Commercial Films will have at least a 15yr warranty. All residential and commercial films should have at least a 5 yr “Thermal Breakage Warranty” that covers glass breakage in the unlikely event that the window cracks. Thermal Breakage Warranties all vary in coverage limits. The industry standard is $500.00 maximum replacement per pane. The better warranties will cover up to $2,000.00 maximum replacement costs per pane. Always ask your salesperson to show you a written copy of the Manufacture Warranty. Never rely on a salesperson’s word that you are covered.

A great window film is only as great as the skill and workmanship of the person installing it. Ask about an installer’s experience. Ask for references, a good company will have plenty, in fact they will usually be proactive in offering you references and local projects to go look at so that you don’t have to ask. Sierra Window Tinting has been in business for over 2 decades and our installers are highly spoken of by our customers. Some of our employees have been with us for over 20 years!

Ask to see a copy of a company’s licensing and liability insurance. Good companies will be properly licensed and carry liability insurance for your protection. Don’t risk it, always check!

Beware of heat lamps and BTU Meters. This is a common demonstration used in window films sales. There is a large body of evidence that proves that BTU measurements and infra red rejection claims are a misrepresentation of the sun full energy spectrum. Good performing window films will have their performance specifications certified by the NFRC, a leading neutral 3rd party organization that rates window performance. Measurements such as the “solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) and “total solar energy rejected” (TSER) are total performance measurements and serve as the most reliable basis to compare one film’s energy performance to the next.

A good window film company will be a resource first, always endeavoring to educate consumers so that they can make informed decisions. Sierra Window Tinting is dedicated to doing so even if it ultimately costs us the sale. We truly want our customers to be satisfied with their purchasing decisions and we feel that it is much more important to carry the reputation of being a solid and reliable resource that consumers can count on rather than simply selling a job and moving on. Beware of companies that simply offer significantly lowers prices and do very little to educate you on how to make the best window film choices. If someone’s pricing is significantly lower, it is time to investigate “why” that is so.

Choose people that you enjoy doing business with! Your intuition is a powerful resource. If you every feel uncomfortable with us or any other company, take a step back and review that above suggestions once again. If all of the qualifications are met, you should ultimately be comfortable in your decision, if not, continue your search for a good company to work with.