Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: wayne zabel on July 21, 2010, 07:28:50 pm

Title: Nailing down a BW to clean it
Post by: wayne zabel on July 21, 2010, 07:28:50 pm
Last week I posted on here after doing an Axminster and had it pull of the door plate and appear to have shrunk a little.At the time I was worried ,anyway since then I never heard from the customer and have cleaned her daughters carpet and had a recomendation to another relative that I visited tonight to do a quote.

The job was 2 BW's!!!!!! Having learnt my lesson from last week I did all the checks I should hav done and didnt with Axminster.Parts of the BW werent very well attatched to the grippers.

I explained the situation to the client and told him that one possibility was to nail the carpet to the gripper bars and then clean the BW,he has agreed to do this before I arrive.

Will this work and at what distance apart should the nails be placed?

Thanks Wayne.
Title: Re: Nailing down a BW to clean it
Post by: JandS on July 21, 2010, 07:34:59 pm
I clicked on this 'cos I thought it said BMW?
There still some of these about?

John
Title: Re: Nailing down a BW to clean it
Post by: clinton on July 21, 2010, 07:44:12 pm
Wayne make sure the grippers are stuck down to the floor too mate as it might still curl up..

Title: Re: Nailing down a BW to clean it
Post by: Doctor Carpet (Ret'd) on July 21, 2010, 09:26:59 pm
Be careful you don't wet the nails and then they leave rust marks in the carpet which you are called back to remove-hopefully, successfully!
Title: Re: Nailing down a BW to clean it
Post by: richy27 on July 21, 2010, 10:08:36 pm
the way i see it is this.

are you being payed well to clean it.

are you un sure how the BW is going to react to HWE

is LM cleaning or dry an option.

remember disclaimers are not worth the paper they are written on if you shrink it you or your insurance will be paying for it .

all these questions you need to ask yourself it may not be worth it.

yes i can see that you want to do it if possible because you have been recom by a third party but you have to weigh up your options.
Title: Re: Nailing down a BW to clean it
Post by: Steve. Taylor on July 21, 2010, 10:20:30 pm
Wayne roger has made a good point regarding rusting  nails ect.

Dont be afraid if you have taken on the axminster and learned from that.

i use 1" batten galv nails 3 nails in a 2 foot length plenty of dry passes running the snail blower at the same time.

I clean a indian restaraunt every 6 months bw dont get it to wet and get the air moving on it. your be fine :)
Title: Re: Nailing down a BW to clean it
Post by: jasonl on July 21, 2010, 10:26:13 pm
I really cannot believe I am reading this
Title: Re: Nailing down a BW to clean it
Post by: Ricky M on July 21, 2010, 11:14:04 pm
pad it and you will ticketboo
if its a really old 1, 8 years + then lift it re-fit with fresh under lay and new gripper rods where needed, if its concrete floor
 ( quick stick, drill , concrete nails, door plates ) then leave it for 24 hrs to cure adhesive.

charge accordingly !!

we have done this for other reasons twice now and the clients where very happy  ;D

 
Title: Re: Nailing down a BW to clean it
Post by: wayne zabel on July 22, 2010, 07:18:27 am
I really cannot believe I am reading this

Why ???
Title: Re: Nailing down a BW to clean it
Post by: Nobby on July 22, 2010, 09:03:12 am
Wayne,  I have been an occasional observer of this forum since I decided not to post on it many years ago but I just can't ignore your request for advice and let you, potentially, suffer the consequences.  I would have to advise you not to do as you propose as it really doesn't matter how firmly the carpet is fixed to the gripper if the gripper is ripped out of the floor by the force of the shrinking carpet.  If the floor is concrete then simply hammering in the nails will loosen the grippers and make matters worse.  If you are not confident of cleaning this carpet without shrinkage my advice would be to decline the work, you will gain far more respect than you would if you damaged the customers carpet and floor.

Nobby
Title: Re: Nailing down a BW to clean it
Post by: Ian Gourlay on July 22, 2010, 05:07:12 pm
As you are new I should walk

I got hit for £250 two years ago  for a carpet worth £100 by a  Big Lotto Winner  who changed into one of those new money type horrible people

People are grateful of your help but it goes wrong sometimes
 You may clean it and it is ok

But eventually  you crash and burn
Title: Re: Nailing down a BW to clean it
Post by: Steve Chapman on July 22, 2010, 05:46:23 pm
i'm not sure about you, but if one of my customers came in and saw me hammering nails into there carpet im sure they'd have a heart attack  ;D

Not the best look for a carpet cleaner in action  :o

steve
Title: Re: Nailing down a BW to clean it
Post by: brianbarber on July 22, 2010, 05:49:06 pm
Just done two today, informed custy of risk, just about to start and she said she had cleaned with a rug doctor.......so I nuked em......a
Its all good !!

Mr B
Title: Re: Nailing down a BW to clean it
Post by: Dave_Lee on July 22, 2010, 06:12:04 pm
The simple way of dealing with BW's is to explain that due to the pile content and method of manufacture, they are prone to shrinkage, end of, no argument. I then tell them that although I dont usually have problems with them providing they are well fitted on secure fittings, I will only do the job at their risk.
They then usually ask, how much will it shrink if, it does. I tell them that is not possible to estimate. Before they have chance to say anything else, I tell them that it is best to decide whether it come to the point that it definitely needs to be cleaned and if it has then perhaps they need  to take the chance.
They always go for it and are delighted when there is no problem, but without them taking the risk I wouldn't do it, simple as that.
Dave.
Title: Re: Nailing down a BW to clean it
Post by: cleanability on July 22, 2010, 07:21:20 pm
Bleeping hell !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  hammering nails into a customers floor lolllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll I've heard it all. As logical as it sounds I'd rather not do the job if you're that worried.

Chris
Title: Re: Nailing down a BW to clean it
Post by: gwrightson on July 22, 2010, 07:32:58 pm


So please can you guys who have shrunk a bw , why have you not got a decent carpet fitter who you can call on , with a power strecher?

I have shrunk one a few years ago, and had a good idea it would shrink on inspection, custy ok,d the clean after i explained possiblity of it been restreched. 
carpet fitter did not have a problem, the same as another custy who had already got a shrunken bw, he streched and refitted for her.
let the bw relax for a few days and Most , i say Most of the time it can be rectified.

Now I am not saying dont take the usual precautions, all i,m saying if the worst happens it is not the end of the world,

geoff
Title: Re: Nailing down a BW to clean it
Post by: wayne zabel on July 22, 2010, 07:59:37 pm
Bleeping hell !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  hammering nails into a customers floor lolllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll I've heard it all. As logical as it sounds I'd rather not do the job if you're that worried.

Chris

I'm only asking for advice,I have read on this forum and been told by others that this is a common thing to do on a BW to prevent shrinkage.

A few months ago I posted on here that I had informed a potential client about the risks of claning BW's and was told that I would be losing lots of potential jobs by doing so.I have since done 3 BW's with no problems.

I had a scare last week with an Axminster so as a newbbie I'm being cautious again.
Title: Re: Nailing down a BW to clean it
Post by: Steve. Taylor on July 22, 2010, 08:15:33 pm
I'm only asking for advice,I have read on this forum and been told by others that this is a common thing to do on a BW to prevent shrinkage.

A few months ago I posted on here that I had informed a potential client about the risks of claning BW's and was told that I would be losing lots of potential jobs by doing so.I have since done 3 BW's with no problems.

I had a scare last week with an Axminster so as a newbbie I'm being cautious again.

Wayne you have hit the nail on the head this time lol
Do your checks and you should be fine mate.

common sense and good communication with the customer then make your own mind up

some will say they can shrink to the size of a postage stamp danger scary beware run for the hills ;D
Title: Re: Nailing down a BW to clean it
Post by: Ian Gourlay on July 23, 2010, 01:25:45 am


So please can you guys who have shrunk a bw , why have you not got a decent carpet fitter who you can call on , with a power strecher?

I have shrunk one a few years ago, and had a good idea it would shrink on inspection, custy ok,d the clean after i explained possiblity of it been restreched. 
carpet fitter did not have a problem, the same as another custy who had already got a shrunken bw, he streched and refitted for her.
let the bw relax for a few days and Most , i say Most of the time it can be rectified.

Now I am not saying dont take the usual precautions, all i,m saying if the worst happens it is not the end of the world,

geoff

My understanding and I could be wrong is you can stretch them one way but not the other

Anyway mine would not stretch back

I did talk to them about riskbut did not get them to sign
Title: Re: Nailing down a BW to clean it
Post by: Simon Gerrard on July 23, 2010, 06:12:06 am
I'm with Dave Lee on this one. Explain the risks to the customer and if they are willing to take the risk then do it, if not, walk.
What you learn over time is that is better to leave certain jobs than take them on knowing there is a risk. And if you take them on and there's a problem your client quickly turns into the customer from hell and you end up kicking yourself for not have listened to the alarm bells that were ringing in your head in the first place.

Simon

Title: Re: Nailing down a BW to clean it
Post by: richy27 on July 23, 2010, 12:16:57 pm
I'm with Dave Lee on this one. Explain the risks to the customer and if they are willing to take the risk then do it, if not, walk.
What you learn over time is that is better to leave certain jobs than take them on knowing there is a risk. And if you take them on and there's a problem your client quickly turns into the customer from hell and you end up kicking yourself for not have listened to the alarm bells that were ringing in your head in the first place.

Simon



spot on