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Window Cleaning Issues - Canvassing, pole systems, pricing, problems, etc.

Detailing - how do you eliminate it?

Posted by g_griffin (g_griffin), 14 January 2004
Peter F,
       You said you eliminated detailing from your work.
What`s the best way to do this?
I use gg4 and its been greatly reduced but still find I`m going round with a scrim after partly through habit and partly just to make sure.
 I`d appreciate any help.

    Gerry.
Posted by peterf (peterf), 15 January 2004
Gerry it seems like you may not need any help, you may just need to get out of a time consuming habit.  I will have a go at trying to explain for those who may need help.

Practice on a window, clean the window normally but do it very slowly, watch what is happening when you go across the top and down the sides, the marks that you are leaving behind are not there because of bad luck, they are there because something is happening to put them there.  Sometimes you will find on a particular window you leave nothing behind, this is not good luck, it is because of certain rubber mouldings keep the end of the rubber on the glass.  Now the times when you do leave something behind look very close and see why, the squeegee rubber is riding up on to the mouldings, this causes a gap between the glass and the squeegee rubber, which in turn leaves solution behind.

First off make sure you have a soft rubber, hard is no good it will leave marks down the sides.  Probably the easiest way is to go across the top and down the sides at the proper angle, you want to go down the left side at this angle/ and down the right side at this angle\.  Now see what is happening

Like I said it depends on the window, they are all different, if you can see, and understand what is causing the marks that you leave behind, then you are halfway there, it is just a case of perfecting your squeegee technique so that nothing is left behind.

This is quite hard to explain in an email it would be much easier if I could show you.

Good luck,

Peter

Posted by STEVE71163 (Steve Lowe), 15 January 2004
Hi Peter
           Out of interest what rubbers do you use Huh

Steve
Posted by peterf (peterf), 15 January 2004
on 01/15/04 at 12:33:39, Steve Lowe wrote:
Hi Peter
           Out of interest what rubbers do you use Huh

Steve


I used Pullex.  I did use Ettore for years but their quality control was non-existent, too many bad rubbers that were only fit for the bucket, the rubbish bucket that is. You wouldnt notice anything wrong with the Ettore rubber if you wipe it every time before putting it on the glass, but who wants to do that.

There is very little difference between the hard and soft rubber, unless you had both together you wouldnt notice the difference, but it makes a big difference when it comes to leaving a mess behind.

If you are not sure which ones you use order one of each and let the same amount hang over a table, the soft rubber will hang down a bit lower.  

Peter

Posted by STEVE71163 (Steve Lowe), 15 January 2004
Thanks Peter
                   Will the Pulex rubbers fit in the Ettore blades the same Huh

Steve
Posted by peterf (peterf), 15 January 2004
on 01/15/04 at 13:52:58, Steve Lowe wrote:
Thanks Peter
                   Will the Pulex rubbers fit in the Ettore blades the same Huh

Steve


Yes

Posted by STEVE71163 (Steve Lowe), 15 January 2004
Thanks Peter.
                    I will give them a go and see if it helps with a bit less detailing Wink

Steve
Posted by g_griffin (g_griffin), 15 January 2004
Thanks Peter,

  You explained that clearly and I know what you mean about angling the squeegee.
 I`ll try it out and I should have worked it out myself as some windows required no detailing and others did.
 Regarding soft rubber, when I got my first lot in 36" pieces I could tell straight away that it was more supple just by touching it.

       Thanks again,
                      Gerry.
Posted by peterf (peterf), 15 January 2004
on 01/14/04 at 22:28:41, g_griffin wrote:
Peter F,
       You said you eliminated detailing from your work.
What`s the best way to do this?
I use gg4 and its been greatly reduced but still find I`m going round with a scrim after partly through habit and partly just to make sure.
 I`d appreciate any help.

    Gerry.


Gerry when you say changing to gg4 reduced your need to detail, do you mean down the sides of the glass or in the middle?

If you mean in the middle it could mean you use the Ettore rubbers, and due to the fact that you have reduced the amount of soap, less water is now passing over from the working surface of the rubber, over the back, and back onto the glass.

Peter


Posted by peterf (peterf), 15 January 2004
on 01/15/04 at 14:35:19, g_griffin wrote:
Thanks Peter,

 Regarding soft rubber, when I got my first lot in 36" pieces I could tell straight away that it was more supple just by touching it.

       Thanks again,
                      Gerry.


What king of rubber was it?

Peter

Posted by g_griffin (g_griffin), 15 January 2004
Peter,

I meant down the sides when detailing with  gg4. You get little specks of water with gg4 that just need a faint touch with a scrim but you could probably get away with leaving these and I may not get them at all if I use your technique all the time.
 Fairy, on the other hand ,is a lot thicker and I found needed more effort. I would sometimes go round with a scrim more than once,especially when the scrim was getting damper.It would also leave a white mark along the edges of the window if not detailed afterwards (Fairy that is).
  I use Pulex rubber,soft.

 Gerry.


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