No matter how quaint or grand your Bay Area home, it is your refuge from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. To increase its property value, protect your furnishings, and truly make it your private, secure haven where you can relax and entertain, you’ll want to have its windows tinted with high-quality, top-of-the-line window film. Selecting a professional residential window film company is easy if you follow these few tips:

Select a company that specializes just in window tinting.

There’s a saying – “Jack of all trades, master of none” – that should be remembered when looking for a residential window film company. By securing the professional services of a company that is focused just on window tinting for structures (whether a home or a commercial property) will ensure you are working with a company that has extensive knowledge of and experience with the industry’s best materials and options. A window tinting company that also happens to do roofing, plumbing, tree removal, and TV repair cannot possibly be as informed, experienced, and skilled in window shading as a specialized company can.

Choose a company that offers a free home consultation.

Your home’s windows get hit with the sun’s rays at different angles, levels, and times of the day from your neighbor’s. You may have trees on your property that block the sun from shining through some of the windows in your home. Moreover, how you choose to use each room in your home – whether as an office, a bedroom, or a game room – is going to influence the type of natural lighting you want in that room. While you can certainly get a general idea of the cost of window tinting by calling a company, obtaining a truly accurate figure that takes into account the number, location, and use of the windows in your home requires an onsite consultation. If a window tinting company refuses to come out to your home for a free consultation, find one that will! You shouldn’t have to pay for the initial inspection that is necessary in order for the company to recommend the best options and pricing for each room of your castle.

Pick a window tinting company that uses the latest and greatest materials.

If you are thinking about hiring a company that uses films with chemical dyes or the same traditional pressure-sensitive procedures from years ago, think again. You want to choose a company that uses metalized films and offers state-of-the-art, proprietary technology that provides the best results. Window tinting companies that partner with top-of-the-line film manufacturers like V-Kool, Madico, and Hanita Tek offer the highest-quality options for home windows.

Go with a company that offers generous warranties.

Whether it’s a decade-long warranty against bubbling or an impressive lifetime warranty on your window tinting product, you must choose a company that offers warranties. Any fly-by-night moonlighter off of a posting on the internet can install the wrong window tint – the wrong way – on your windows for pocket change. You won’t be offered a warranty and, should you start to notice defects with your newly-tinted windows, chances are you will have trouble getting in touch with that installer again. Like any other legitimate business that does work on your home, reputable window tinting companies offer warranties, too.

Hire a company that has been in business for decades.

A brand new window tinting company in the neighborhood cannot provide you with the same expertise, skills, knowledge, and confidence that a company that has been a mainstay in the community for over 30 years and that family-owned values can. There is just no comparison.