Starting a window cleaning business - Equipment you need, suppliers to use and trade organisations to join, etc.
cleaning windows with sloping porch roof........Posted by MB (Mark Betts), 21 January 2004
Have a coupole of houses now to do that have a porch with a tiled sloping roof right under the first floor window.
If i put the ladder up to the wasll oavoiding the sloping roof if u get my gist the angle of the ladder is too low and there is a danger of it slipping.
Try and get to from side but leaning over a bit too much!!
How do u handle these
thopught about standing on tiled roof!!! sloping but worried about either crackin tile or worse slipping.
Thanks
MarkPosted by STEVE71163 (Steve Lowe), 21 January 2004
Hi Mark
I either do it from inside or use a pole and failing that i would rather leave it than risk the ladder slipping 
StevePosted by MB (Mark Betts), 21 January 2004
Thanks Steve
Its that the woman said "well the other window cleaner done it"
but i cant see how he manage dit ahahha
Ta
MarkPosted by STEVE71163 (Steve Lowe), 21 January 2004
on 01/21/04 at 11:35:17, Mark Betts wrote:Thanks Steve
Its that the woman said "well the other window cleaner done it"
They all say that Mark 
Thats why the other window cleaner is not doing it now. He doesnt want to break his neck 
StevePosted by Bones (Bones), 21 January 2004
I have a some houses with i think the same type of obsatcle you are talking about.
If the ground is wet it is a big no no, knock 50p off, but if it is dry i do put my ladder up and put a sand bag at the base. I did have it slip slightly once before, but that was because i did not put the sand bag snugly round the base of the ladder.
MikeyPosted by denzle (Denzle), 21 January 2004
You could use a ladder standoff maybe, that will allow you to place the base of the ladder a little further back whilst still keeping a safe angle.
But stay safe, ain't no piece of dirty glass worth dying for.
DenzlePosted by sham33 (sham33), 21 January 2004
Best bet is pole work, putting things behind ladders or walking on the slope is all dangerous. Mind u i have a few of these myself but the angle is good enough to walk on. The ones that look too dodgy i use the pole on.
Most modern house's use this design now 
Posted by Majestic (Majestic), 21 January 2004
Dont bother doing it , just knock 50p off the price as Steve said why is the other window cleaner still not cleaning it , any window that you do not feel happy cleaning ,dont do it .Posted by pdhanson (Silly Philly), 21 January 2004
I would just leave it. If the customer moans, let them moan. They will be ok if you have an accident, but you wont.
Definately, DONT leave your ladder sticking up in the air and climb it unsupported. You really are asking for trouble to do that. The higher you go and further you lean, it'll be wanting to slip right away at the bottom.
I wouldnt even trust sandbags in such a situation.
SillyPosted by matt (matt), 21 January 2004
on 01/21/04 at 19:46:08, Silly Philly wrote:I wouldnt even trust sandbags in such a situation.
Silly
youve never seen my sandbag then 
2 large bags of floor grit into a Canvas tool bag, heavy as hell, my workmate calls it the "body bag"Posted by pdhanson (Silly Philly), 21 January 2004
The Body Bag, I like that.
If it prevents you going home in one, then its bound to be worthwhile!
SillyPosted by Bones (Bones), 21 January 2004
Basically in the end, it's your own judgement. Some of us cleaners on here will do it (taking the risks into account of course) and some of us cleaners won't. it's all down to what you think.
Mikey Posted by Londoner (Londoner), 25 January 2004
Like denzle says "there aint no dirty piece of glass worth dying for...."
The problem comes when there are streets and streets of houses all with the same style of porch roof.
The only way I would go up is if I had someone holding the bottom. I take it thats not possible.
I saw a guy cleaning the windows on a block of flats last year. the top storey were roof flats with little windows set in the sloping roof so he couldn't reach them from a ladder. In other words the same effect that you describe.
He just stepped off the ladder and walked up the sloping roof to get to the window. The thing is he was THREE STOREYS UP.
When he was done he strolled down the roof and climbed back onto the ladder.And it was a long whippy auminium ladder totally unsecured at the bottom.
I couldn't bear to watch it, I was literally going hot and cold.
It was the most stupid thing I have ever seen. Posted by windows_chepstow (windows_chepstow), 31 January 2004
I clean windows with my missis and her nick-name is "sand-bag" because she stands on my ladders when I'm frightened.
However, try putting your ladders above the window and cleaning them. It may sound obvious, but it wasn't to me who scaled porches like I was Spiderman.
Then when I got more sensible, I found alot of these windows could be reached safely by extending the ladders further above the window, rather than resting them at an acute angle on the window sill.
I'm a Geordie - that should explain a lot!
ToshPosted by windows_chepstow (windows_chepstow), 31 January 2004
PS - Silly Philly has the right idea. Let the customer moan. I wouldn't trust sandbags. I don't even trust my missis, who once yelled "you're slipping, I can't stop you!"
She'd only been holding my ladder on certain windows for about ten months, and when push came to shove, she wasn't doing it right!
She stood on the ladders with BOTH feet. She is WELSH mind you!
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