[drew86]

Hi all got my first clean on a comercial tomorow, otside wfp, inside trad, only prob is for me is going to have to do main reception area with an extender pole at about 3 meters, never had to use an extender pole before, had a practise on my upstairs windows today but kept getting smear lines.
Any advice from you trad boys would be appreciated, also do you detail when working like this, if so how.
Drew.

[Clear Vision]

Make sure there Is plenty of suds on the glass and use a new rubber!!!!

Don't soap up right to the top. Leave a gap of about 1 Inch.

If you don't feel that confident to start with wipe your squeegee with a slightly damp cloth after every downwards pull If that makes sense?

Matthew

[Jeff Brimble]

and put a slightly damp  folded scrim on the pole after and wipe the top 1"

[drew86]

Thanks guys,yes Mathew I get what your saying, I was actualy doing that almost when practising today, but I was useing a dry scrim to wipe, will damp it tomorrow.
Should I leave a gap at the edges to as I seem to leave a loy of suds in this area.
Drew.

[james cairns]

new rubber and gg3 keeps suds down

if not available keep an inch in sides and top

jinky

[drew86]

Hi Jinky cheers, got gg4, hard water here in cambs.
Drew

[geefree]

oh no
you mean to say that i can do the windows over porches  etc, where i cant get a ladder... with an extended pole with applicator and sqeegie... all this time i been avoiding them houses with my leaflets too.

[james cairns]

gazza try and get one of the lads on the forum to take you out for a day

it will advance you miles and stop you pulling your hair out trying to work out solutions


hope this helps --- alll you have to do is ask

jinky

[captain lard]

I got an unger telescopic pole a couple of weeks ago,it worked well on 2 bedroom windows over the top of a conservatory but then tried it on another bedroom window and it didnt work well at all but this was a much bigger conservatory and the pole was extended more and it just wouldnt  sqeegee as I couldnt get an angle to apply enough pressure.


Good luck mate,without a conservatory in the way you will be laughing!!

[geefree]

thanks you two, yes i do struggle sometimes , i am gaining customers steadily with all your help and ideas,

but i really should go with someone for a day..... any offers west yorkshire?.......lol.

GARY.

[drew86]

Shouldn't be that difficult 42 panes set together each pane about 3 foot square, I love this site as when you are a newbie like me and you come up against something you haven't done before you just ask and you learn the little secrets that can make the job easier that would take you years to learn.
Thanks Drew.

[captain lard]

oh no
you meam to say that i can do the windows over porches  etc, where i cant get a ladder... with an extended pole with applicator and sqeegie... all this time i been avoiding them houses with my leaflets too.

Dont talk to me about porches,lady who I clean for told me her daughter lives on a new estate and no cleaner,lads keep starting up and vanishing,so I say i will go round ,am driving over thinking this could make me,posh estate,no cleaner,I am going in and am going to price them right and reap the rewards of hard work and householders gagging for a clean.Get there and as soon as I look around its a nightmare.Porches over front doors,porches over garage doors and locked back gates.
Total access nightmare.
i have a pole but it is in my inexperienced hands awkward to use and the results a re a bit iffy,having said that practise will improve it but its going to really add to the job time.There was a handful of houses where there was no porch issue but they didnt want to know as I think the dole brigade must have been before and done them for nowt and tainted it for a proper cleaner.

[geefree]

im sure it will get easier with practice, im off to get one tomorrow,,, but i agree all new estates are full of them.... i drive round for ages just avoiding them .when canvassing

Gary.

[david68]

Gazza was the one of the first things i brought.

All i do with squeegee is come down in straight lines and wave the pole in the air a little to get rid of access water.
I never go on any pitch roofs always use unger extension pole.

But now i have a wfp system....

Dave

[james cairns]

gazz i do a lot of modern estates with window above the door and one above the garage

if you can spend the following it will save you a lot of hassle, I know it is a cost when starting out but it saves hassle

backpack - cleantech £175
container on small trolley- for both £25
small di fitted to trolley for refilling as you go from cleantech vessel plus resin £35
and pole  18ft wintec £80

total ££315- and just do the windows that are  dangerous with wfp
the others with ladders
 with only doing say one or two windows per house the resin will last you ages and the customers accept wfp easily because of safety and you are not breaking tiles,, so you do not need a ro system as you are only doing a few a day and the other windows are being done with ladders

we dont use small ladders now but only carry the one ladder, and have a small 2 foot pole on the belt and treat it like a shop window, so we stand and do all the bottoms and it reduces the equipment you carry

hope the above helps

jinky

traditional window cleaner will clim on roofs and miss windows above conservatories with glass roofs

[geefree]

hi dave i thought unger extention poles were part of wfp .... oh well  not suprised i struggle lol , hanging from gutters like a monkey


got to get easier then i reckon.

gary.

[AuRavelling79]

Sorry if there is an obvious answer - but why can't you use a short ladder inside?

[geefree]

inside where malc

[P®oPole™]

Yea try use a ladder inside, if not follow all the tips above but also tap your blade a couple of times on the bottom sill or top frame lightly to get rid of the excess water before your next stroke.

[geefree]

thanks jinky, thats really does sound like the way forward for me, i thought i had to spend thousands to buy wfp, but if that is the basic set up i can live with that, instead of breaking my neck each day,... thanks jinky it really does help.

gary.

[james cairns]

to use an sweegee on an extention pole do the following

at top of glass pull the pole several time down about 2 inches taking the excess suds from the top of the frame
 pull down go to top pull down twice about 2 inches on the third pull down and put a slight pressure on the pole and pull down quick keeping the pressure the whole way to the bottom

hope this helps

jinky

[geefree]

Im sorry for sounding stupid, but use a ladder inside ?  i dont understand

[james cairns]

never use a ladder inside this is a bo bo always poles

jinky

[P®oPole™]

easily done, I often do ladder work inside.

[P®oPole™]

never use a ladder inside this is a bo bo always poles

jinky

Why?

[Paul Coleman]

oh no
you mean to say that i can do the windows over porches  etc, where i cant get a ladder... with an extended pole with applicator and sqeegie... all this time i been avoiding them houses with my leaflets too.

Gazza.
I was working that way for years on the odd awkward window - until I went for WFP.  I don't think I achieved as good a job by applicator on a pole as I did manually but it was acceptable considering safety could be an issue.

[P®oPole™]

what about if there was lovley white painted walls below the windows, what you gonna do then?

Theres a tool for every job, use what you need!!!

[geefree]

sorry lol, couldnt resist

[P®oPole™]

Lol GAZZA, if thats the case you have a sly look when up the ladder 

[james cairns]

if doing insides use poles to bring the water to height level then sweegee as normal

you use ladders inside then you enter all types of safety issues on commercial
and even domestic

access problems getting passed desks etc
slippy vinyl  floors etc ,
chances of breaking things with the ladder
and hitting someone with the ladder

only time ladders come inside if the window is made up of several small 4 inch panes

jinky

[david68]

Gazza u need to look on the internet sites what sell window cleaning equiment.

You will see the types of poles where you can clip your applicator on too.

Then change it over to your blade.

Or even buy the applicator with the sqeegee all built into one so all you have to do is spin the pole around.

You can even buy a clamp which i brought to hold a scrim or sponge if cleaning fascias.

Exstension pole cost me about £24 and large clamp £14.

I know do any window that sometimes a can reach with ladders.

Of got a mtr pole and it exstends to 2 mtrs, but you can get them to go 30 ft.

But as Jinky as a better answer, maybe i wished i went this way before buying trolley version.

Gazza use your credit card its a must buy.

Did u read my first commercial quote i posted??

Would have been great to have taken u their.

Dave

[david68]

Monday i have to quote a Collier Showroom,
I have not seen the job yet but i would imagine the windows are as tall as a house.
Would i do the inside with a pole and applicator of a good set of step ladders.

Dave

[P®oPole™]

Obviously if theres to much hassle bringing a ladder in you simply dont do it.

I have jobs were I use a ladder inside and I tell you now, theres no way you would use a pole inside. Im talking expensive propertys million pound+, mint white walls and cream carpets below gallery windows, you would be taking a high risks cleaning these with such metohds it cannot be done without getting dirty drips down the walls.

I wouldnt even consider using a pole under conditions like that, if I couldnt get my ladder in I wouldnt touch the job, its not worth it.

USE YOUR HEAD NOT YOUR INSURANCE POLICY!!

[james cairns]

david if marks can be noticed  at height using poles then take in step ladders but follow safety procedures when using them

if no height is involved then use poles but use gg3 or gg4 to keep suds to a minimum and helps reduce streaks

but poles can give you as good a result if in the right hands

jinky

[james cairns]

your right propole you need to weight up yhe situation, concidering the work youare talking about then allowance would be made for ladders but i was more talking of commercial buildings with windows at reasonavle heights

jinky

[david68]

At the moment i am using a chemical called sqeegee off.

I have no gg3 or gg4

Could i use pure water with applicator and squeege?

Dave

[geefree]

well done dave in getting jobs like that so quickly,

personally i know i wont be ready for commercial work until i have mastered my speed and quality,

but thats me being cautious,

go for it dave full steam ahead , and with these guys helping you,

how can you fail....( i bet your stomachs turning though)..

mine would be.. it was on my first domestic job lol.

[james cairns]

pro lets clarify this a bit better for the lads

if going inside commercial with say roof height 10ft and the water can land on the sills for clean up then use poles

if going into sites like pro mentioned with windows above walls then use ladders but make them step ladders== is this ok pro

jinky

[james cairns]

david any off them can be used it is just to reduce the suds for clean up that you would normally get from fairy

jinky

[david68]

Yes your right stomach was turning.

Did you see picture i just posted , it even as it own Hotel.

Mind you i do have an insider help...(The Wife)

Dave

[P®oPole™]

Your right jinky every job is different.

If the windows come down to a sill at a height were you can reach, or even if the sill is quite wide you can pole them.

but if the windows are above a wall or set into a wall and its painted be carefull.

[david68]

Ok Jinky thanks
I will try my best, but i didn't realy want this type of work yet.
Still struggling do a house....lol

Dave

[david68]

Jinky & Propole you both seem to have got your message acroos to me.

Great way of sorting this out,,,,,,,,Well Done Lads.

If that kind man squeaky starts posting you both would have be in trouble ...lol

Dave

[P®oPole™]

No worries David glad we could help 

[P®oPole™]

and not a step ladder jinky, you wouldnt get me on one of those ever, pointers only mate.

[james cairns]

I use both pro determines on the situation you cant use pointers incase of marking the wall, maybe throw a sheet over the top, but you can still mark

as you said depends on the situation

would hate to meet you in a pub debate lol

jinky

ps david see if a cleaner on the forum would go in with you for the first time

[david68]

These pointers sound great i am going to get me a set.

Should i buy say a 6 footer of double?

Dave.......

[P®oPole™]

Jinky,

I only put the pointer on frames mate, but like we have both said it all depens on the job, every window is different and you have to use whatever method you think is right for the job in hand

David,

Get yourself a pointer mate they are worth it, make sure you take a good look at the job before you start and use jinkys an my advice, weigh up the situation and work out a plan of attack, dont rush you will be fine, try my tip of tapping your blade it works.

Good luck mate.

[david68]

Will do guys.......Thanks....    

[M4RK]

When Using squeegee on a pole:

1. Don't wet the top edge when you mop. (Leave a 5ml gap, ie. get close)

2. If the window is wider than a couple of squeegee lengths, then start on the left side and do one sweep of the squeegee along the top at an angle across to the right side and then pull it down.

3. Tap the squeegy on the window somewhere to get the excess water off rather than wave it in the air   Unless you have an unger locking cone you'll find it will end up dropping on your head.

4. Cut into the dry bit at the top at an angle, and then pull the blade down at an angle eg: / so you have a dry edge and you'll find it doesn't leave lines. (Not that steep an angle, but you get the idea.)

Hope that helps

[james cairns]

david over the years I have had several pointers and always found that I used the 8 footer the most, if for first pointer, and keeping costs down this is a good size to start with, over a six footer you would be surprised how often you need that extra 2 feet larger and smaller come later once you are making cash

jinky

[david68]

Great 8 ft then

dave

[david68]

After that i better start looking for plenty of work.

Spent more money on equiment before i have the customers

Only 45 properties at present

Also best get a transit van....lol

Dave

[geefree]

is this any good lads.


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Window-Cleaning-Extension-Pole-For-High-Windows_W0QQitemZ4452064899QQihZ001QQcategoryZ11702QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[david68]

Looks good to me.

My applicator clips over a cone so will not fall off.

Dave

[geefree]

just bought a pole . tried it its horrid leaves smears everywhere on upstairs window at home, and there is no way of getting them offg apart frm doing it from the inside......god knows what will happen if i use it on a customer ... no amount of pressue or lack of etc will bring them off.

gary

[james cairns]

gass play with it for an hour or so  get the feel of it etc

jinky

[jeff1]

Gazza I use a four section unger pole on three bungalows (yes Bungalows) and you do need to get the hang of it.
Like Jinky said play around with it, angles & pressure they all play a part in getting it right

[P®oPole™]

GAZZA do what mark says, thats exactly how I do it.

Dont wet the top, start from the left keeping correct weight on the pole its hard to explain but you will get it eventually, rember to tap your squeggee on the glass or bottom frame after each stroke.

[drew86]

Hi all job done £120.00 5 hrs 1 hour spent haveing safety induction, health and safety requirment, wont have to do that again tho.
Working with the pole went Ok, took my time and followed advice given to me last night, manged to overcome the streaks but did have a couple of smears which i managed to buff with a scrim wrapped around my squegee.
Only other problem was i misjudged the height of 2 windows which could only be accessed from the reception area, all other windows accessed from stairs, so the Ettore pole(£24.00 from BQ) wouldn't reach so I removed brush head from residential 18ft pole and lo and behold with plastic goose neck still attached mop and squegee fitted like a glove, job done. Drew.