Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: [GQC] Tim on May 06, 2010, 05:44:39 pm
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That was the reply when canvassing yesterday, it sure was a period house, looked straight out of the national trust with what looked like the original leaded lights! Some of them looked a couple of centuries old. ;D
Anyway, I'm wondering if it's just a sales pitch, or if some businesses really specialise in period properties?
I probably would say wfp would be out of the question, since most properties that have old leaded windows leak already if they are 50 years old, let alone that old?!
Anybody out there who do jobs like that? :) :)
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Yes, I've some. My oldest is a five-hundred-year old mansion (or at least the main body of the house is that age) And those windows do leak, but I still WFP them! ;D
If they leak badly, I'll explain the issues and only clean them with an inside clean (Wor Lass starts on the insides ;D).
I reckon it's just a sales pitch.
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I have plenty of properties on my books that look about 500 yrs old.
Most were built in the 60's ;D
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I have plenty of properties on my books that look about 500 yrs old.
Most were built in the 60's ;D
;D ;D ;D
some times u gotta think.... y do u ave ur windys done on the outside when the in r mingin ::)
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Yes, I've some. My oldest is a five-hundred-year old mansion (or at least the main body of the house is that age) And those windows do leak, but I still WFP them! ;D
If they leak badly, I'll explain the issues and only clean them with an inside clean (Wor Lass starts on the insides ;D).
I reckon it's just a sales pitch.
Figured as much yea. Good stuff, I might opt for that if that leak that badly, have to employ the wife though. :D
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what the person means is the current wc uses wooden ladders from the war.
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what the person means is the current wc uses wooden ladders from the war.
To me a real window cleaner ONLY uses wooden ladders, specially made for the job :P
I have never understood why anyone would risk their lives using alluminium.
Just thought I'd say my piece ;D
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To me a real window cleaner ONLY uses wooden ladders, specially made for the job :P
I have never understood why anyone would risk their lives using alluminium.
Just thought I'd say my piece ;D
Why? Aluminium ladders are scientifically tested to specific safety limits; but of course you've got to use the right type of aluminium ladder for the job intended.
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I actually use this sales pitch. LOL
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what the person means is the current wc uses wooden ladders from the war.
To me a real window cleaner ONLY uses wooden ladders, specially made for the job :P
I have never understood why anyone would risk their lives using alluminium.
Just thought I'd say my piece ;D
A real window cleaner with half a brain would not use wooden ladders what cave have you been living in ? ;D :P
To keep on topic, have cleaned a few Churchs that are well old with the old leaded glass (god know the value of them :D ), maybe I should say we have a specialist church cleaning service :-\
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Picked up a couple last month in part of an old Manor Estate, where the stable block has been converted into apartments. The Large Manor burnt down years ago and that's all that's left. They came up very well, even if a few did leak a LITTLE ahem ;)
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Its this guy that specialises in period properties ;D
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A real window cleaner with half a brain would not use wooden ladders what cave have you been living in ? ;D :P
how very dare you.
i only use wood and I have an iq of 159 :P
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Period houses need to be done once a month, every month.
If you use wfp and they leak, use a towel. Or you could just rag them.
If you do get to do one,insist on a no strings agreement as I used to get in a foul mood just before I was due on the pad.
They can be a bleeding mess!
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That's it YWCS, some of us still use zink bucket and sponge ! Now, must get on, breakfast is the usual tripe with bread and dripping. Can't find my Donkey Jacket though. Bought it second hand off Dazmond. :D
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A real window cleaner with half a brain would not use wooden ladders what cave have you been living in ? ;D :P
how very dare you.
i only use wood and I have an iq of 159 :P
is that all :o ;D I rest my case :P
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Let's get back to technique etc.
What brushes do you use? A soft flocked one? Also, if you can't have somebody on the inside, how do the customers react when you tell them how bad they leak? I've got a customer which windows leaks here and there, but she doesn't seem too bothered. I can imagine they would be if it's a real old house, and they've got antiques under the window.
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I might be missing something here - but why should old leaded windows leak any more when being WPF'd than they do during a downpour on a windy day?
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I might be missing something here - but why should old leaded windows leak any more when being WPF'd than they do during a downpour on a windy day?
I guess the eaves of a house provides a lot of shelter of the windows; even in rainy and windy weather.
But when you put 2 lpm on old - real - leaded windows, the water will find itself on the other side of the glass, here and there.
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90 percent of the houses i do are very old most of the windows rattle in the lead i dont think i could ever use a water fed pole on them i prefer to use microfibre cloths damp one to wipe them down and a dry one to polish them up they come up like new some of the mansion houses i clean i have got them because they had window cleaners with water fed poles word is spreading rapidly as all these mansion house owners know each other on my mailshots i actually say i specialize in leaded windows and it is paying off i did a job last week on a massive country estate it took me 4 days to do all the windows by hand i charged them 1250 pounds they were so impressed they have asked me to go back in two weeks to do all the insides at another 1250 pounds i think there is lots of money to be made doing these big old houses by hand
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90 percent of the houses i do are very old most of the windows rattle in the lead i dont think i could ever use a water fed pole on them i prefer to use microfibre cloths damp one to wipe them down and a dry one to polish them up they come up like new some of the mansion houses i clean i have got them because they had window cleaners with water fed poles word is spreading rapidly as all these mansion house owners know each other on my mailshots i actually say i specialize in leaded windows and it is paying off i did a job last week on a massive country estate it took me 4 days to do all the windows by hand i charged them 1250 pounds they were so impressed they have asked me to go back in two weeks to do all the insides at another 1250 pounds i think there is lots of money to be made doing these big old houses by hand
fair play mate nice work
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thanks i try to do my best after 5 months i am getting into this window cleaning but i must say i am always knackered when i get home i thought it would get easier as i got used to it but no chance i try to just think of the money and soldier on i dont think i can see me doing this when i am 60 i am fifty now
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thanks i try to do my best after 5 months i am getting into this window cleaning but i must say i am always knackered when i get home i thought it would get easier as i got used to it but no chance i try to just think of the money and soldier on i dont think i can see me doing this when i am 60 i am fifty now
Don't worry - I'm 63 and WFPing daily. I must admit though at the end of some days, I really am tired. However - it's a nice kind of tired and I really sleep well these days. Previously in a high stress job - mental tiredness is evil - and causes sleep loss which makes the situation worse.
Stick with it Mark - you've a long way to go yet before you hang up your squeegee!!
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A real window cleaner with half a brain would not use wooden ladders what cave have you been living in ? ;D :P
I've only got half a brain and I don't use wooden ladders so it must be true! ;D
Furthermore I am not a complete idiot - there are parts of me missing!
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A real window cleaner with half a brain would not use wooden ladders what cave have you been living in ? ;D :P
I've only got half a brain and I don't use wooden ladders so it must be true! ;D
Furthermore I am not a complete idiot - there are parts of me missing!
i used wooden ladders for twenty five years and im a window cleaner
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I cant believe that proffesional wcs are using wfp on leaded lights
this property owner knows more about this than you and has gone to someone who will gaurantee that they will only use the right methods to clean
damp scrim and polish
simple as that
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I cant believe that proffesional wcs are using wfp on leaded lights
this property owner knows more about this than you and has gone to someone who will gaurantee that they will only use the right methods to clean
damp scrim and polish
simple as that
LOL! Haddaway! Leaded windows are a dream with WFP; easy peasy compared with handbashing.
And how would the 'property owner know more' than a window cleaner who does this for a living? Has the 'property owner' cleaned a large range of different types of leaded windows and noted the outcome for each type, then compared that against his own windows and concluded - based on the results of his experiments - that damp scrim and polish are the only way to clean his windows?
Somehow I seriously doubt that.
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yep they clearly know more about this than you and thats why they have gone to someone who will use the methods that suit the construction of their windows not the conveniance of the wc
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here here
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yeh mate i have a few but dont use as a sales pitch will do next week though 8)
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i have purposely targeted these kind of houses within a 30 mile radius of my house because quite often they are big jobs you dont need many of them to keep in work all the time most of them only want cleaning 4 times a year because of the sheer cost i am trying to stay away from terraced houses because of the time moving between them getting round the back etc with the bigger mansion houses there are no obstacles and you work in one place all day plus you get to have your dinner sat in some beautiful garden looking at the views the other thing i have found they are not bothered if it is raining they know you have a job to do and appreciate that and because the windows are recessed into the stone by about a foot they very rarely get wet when you are working in the rain i hope i havent bored you all bye bye
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thanks i try to do my best after 5 months i am getting into this window cleaning but i must say i am always knackered when i get home i thought it would get easier as i got used to it but no chance i try to just think of the money and soldier on i dont think i can see me doing this when i am 60 i am fifty now
I'm not surprised that your always knackered!! your making hard work of the job doing all those windows by hand, get your pole out and wfp them!!!! ;)
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LOL! Haddaway! Leaded windows are a dream with WFP; easy peasy compared with handbashing.
And how would the 'property owner know more' than a window cleaner who does this for a living? Has the 'property owner' cleaned a large range of different types of leaded windows and noted the outcome for each type, then compared that against his own windows and concluded - based on the results of his experiments - that damp scrim and polish are the only way to clean his windows?
Somehow I seriously doubt that.
Exactly!! I use wfp on loads of old houses with leaded lights, and although some of them leak a little bit, most are absolutely fine. Why make hard work of things messing about with a cloth ??? Sure some customers are skeptical when you first turn up and start using a method of cleaning that they are not used too, but they soon get used to it when you have cleaned them a few times!! ;)
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WFP is great for old leaded windows but you have to be very gentle with them. People have been talking about the fact that they leak - and they do but they also move, sometimes alarmingly.
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theres a very good reason that leaded lights leak when they are cleaned with wfp and dont leak with the trad scrim and polish
its the method of construction, the lead or the canes as they are called are cut and soldered to fit the glass, if it was fitted like this the windows would be draughty and leak
so they fill the joints with wax by waxing the panes and scrubbing wax into the canes sealing all the gaps
with the trad method of damp scrim and a polish the canes are kept flat against the glass and the dirt layer that embeds into and protects the wax is left undisturbed
the problem with using wfp is its strengths are its weakness in this case, im not going to go into a commentry on how wfp works, if you use it you dont need me to explain it to you but wfp is a very effective cleaning method, too effective for leaded lights, over a period of time the protective wax is removed and the windows fail
many owners of period properties choose the extra expense of buying and maintaining such a property for the pleasure of living there, they also consider thems custodians rather than owners
the cost of refurbishing these windows is high , so a niche market is created if you have the nouse to take advantage and charge accordingly
you could raise £1 a window to £5 or more per window with the right marketing
alternatively you can wait til the experts are called int to restore the glass and provide evidence that the damage was caused by wfp
its up to you, but I know how I have approached this and didnt need to share it with you
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with the trad method of damp scrim and a polish
you could raise £1 a window to £5 or more per window with the right marketing
I do charge between £1 and £5 a window, but I use wfp which is 4 times faster than messing about with a cloth!! ;D
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with the trad method of damp scrim and a polish
you could raise £1 a window to £5 or more per window with the right marketing
I do charge between £1 and £5 a window, but I use wfp which is 4 times faster than messing about with a cloth!! ;D
oh well
you can take a horse to water but you cant make it drink
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theres a very good reason that leaded lights leak when they are cleaned with wfp and dont leak with the trad scrim and polish
its the method of construction, the lead or the canes as they are called are cut and soldered to fit the glass, if it was fitted like this the windows would be draughty and leak
so they fill the joints with wax by waxing the panes and scrubbing wax into the canes sealing all the gaps
with the trad method of damp scrim and a polish the canes are kept flat against the glass and the dirt layer that embeds into and protects the wax is left undisturbed
the problem with using wfp is its strengths are its weakness in this case, im not going to go into a commentry on how wfp works, if you use it you dont need me to explain it to you but wfp is a very effective cleaning method, too effective for leaded lights, over a period of time the protective wax is removed and the windows fail
many owners of period properties choose the extra expense of buying and maintaining such a property for the pleasure of living there, they also consider thems custodians rather than owners
the cost of refurbishing these windows is high , so a niche market is created if you have the nouse to take advantage and charge accordingly
you could raise £1 a window to £5 or more per window with the right marketing
alternatively you can wait til the experts are called int to restore the glass and provide evidence that the damage was caused by wfp
its up to you, but I know how I have approached this and didnt need to share it with you
everything you said i totally agree with i have limited knowledge of window cleaning having only done it for 5 months but in this short time have come to understand everything you have said is true especially that these people know they are only custodians of these lovely old houses and will pay a good price to tradesman who also understand these old houses and what they need to be maintained properly