Window Tinting on Potrero Hill, San Francisco

Heat Control Film for Modern Potrero Hill Homes With Skyline Views

Over the last few decades, many lots on Potrero Hill have been rebuilt with contemporary houses designed around glass: full-height windows, sliding walls onto decks and roof decks with glass rails. Most face north or west toward downtown, the Bay Bridge and Twin Peaks. The west-facing ones take the afternoon sun straight in, and because the hill is usually clear when the west side of the city is fogged in, that happens often.

A spectrally selective heat control film is the usual recommendation. It rejects a good share of solar heat while keeping the glass close to clear, so the skyline stays crisp. These houses almost always have dual-pane low-E glass already, so we confirm the glass type and choose a film rated for it, and we check the window maker's warranty terms before installing. For rooms where people work at screens in the afternoon, a slightly darker neutral film can make the difference between using the room and drawing the shades.

UV and Glare Film for Design Showrooms Near Showplace Square

At the north foot of the hill, the Showplace Square area is home to furniture, fabric, lighting and design showrooms, many in older brick warehouses with large windows. Upholstery, rugs and sample books sitting in sunlit showrooms fade over time, which is a real cost when the floor samples are the product.

Clear UV film blocks almost all ultraviolet and leaves the light in the showroom unchanged, which matters to designers judging color. Where afternoon glare on the floor or on display screens is a problem, a light neutral solar film can be added on the sunniest elevations only. Back offices and sample rooms often get frosted film.

• Clear UV film for showroom windows
• Light solar film on west and south elevations
• Frosted film for back offices and sample rooms
• Security film on street-level glass

Window Film for Older Potrero Hill Cottages and Victorians

Between the new houses are the hill's older homes: small workers' cottages, Victorians and Edwardian flats, many with single-pane wood windows. They tend to have smaller openings, but on this sunny hill, south- and west-facing rooms still get warm, and floors fade where the light lands. Many have been modestly updated over the years.

These houses rarely need more than a pale heat-rejecting film, and sometimes just clear UV film. On streets like the crooked block of Vermont Street, which draws visitors, or on corners where front rooms face busy sidewalks, frosted film on the lower sash adds privacy. Gradient film is another option there.

Storefront Window Film on 18th Street and 20th Street

Potrero Hill's small commercial clusters on 18th Street and 20th Street have cafes, restaurants, a few shops and neighborhood services. Their glass fronts get full sun most days. Clear UV film protects window displays, and a light solar film makes window seats comfortable at lunch without hiding the room from the street.

Small offices and studios on the flats below the hill, toward 16th Street and the freeway, often need privacy film on ground-floor windows facing the sidewalk, and security film on doors that face quieter blocks after hours. Clear anti-graffiti film on the outside of the same doors protects them from scratching and tags.