Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: garry on September 18, 2005, 08:05:30 pm

Title: ladders
Post by: garry on September 18, 2005, 08:05:30 pm
help whats the best ladder to get for window cleaning iv seen some in B&Q cost about £55 are these any good.
Title: Re: ladders
Post by: Sir Squeaky on September 18, 2005, 08:15:37 pm
Nope, no use for this job.

The main problem is square rungs which aren't tilted towards you.

It means you're standing on edges when it's leaning towards the house.
Title: Re: ladders
Post by: brett walker on September 18, 2005, 08:36:12 pm
www.laddercentre.co.ukhttp://

You want the D shape rungs, i think the ones from B&Q, wicks and focus are the square rungs. Its better to pay a bit more for your safety.  Never go for a cheap ladder

Brett.
Title: Re: ladders
Post by: brett walker on September 18, 2005, 08:38:52 pm
Or before anyone mentions it the best route is wfp im working on it slowly.  8)

                                Brett
Title: Re: ladders
Post by: thewindowcleaner1 on September 18, 2005, 09:41:12 pm
B&Q have d shaped rung but are no good for this work.

This daft w/cleaner bought a set...
3 mtr double ladders with a max work load of 15 stone (I,m 14.9 stone on a good day)

My mistakes always seem to cost Me money...
Title: Re: ladders
Post by: Chris Cottrell on September 18, 2005, 09:45:32 pm
now whats wrong with B&Q? i bought a ladder from them it cost me £70.00 or there about the rungs are D shape its rated for 18 stone person  good ladder allround complies with all standards too

Chris C
Title: Re: ladders
Post by: thewindowcleaner1 on September 18, 2005, 09:48:30 pm
Quote
now whats wrong with B&Q? i bought a ladder from them it cost me £70.00 or there about the rungs are D shape its rated for 18 stone person  good ladder allround complies with all standards too

Just my luck I must have bought the bargin basment vershion....
Title: Re: ladders
Post by: gaza on September 18, 2005, 11:20:21 pm
b.q ladders nearly killed me,they collapsed on me after 18 months
fell 16 ft head first into a yorkshire stone brick wall.Iwas at work the next day,these ladders for£55 are for diy use only.

gaza
Title: Re: ladders
Post by: brett walker on September 18, 2005, 11:26:30 pm
Gaza

Hows the wall did you do much damage to it?  Hitting your head on it would explain a lot

Brett ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: ladders
Post by: rosskesava on September 18, 2005, 11:28:59 pm
Well done Gaza.

Get that anti ladder plug in anyway you can.

The difference between pro and diy ladders is about 2 stone weight load bearing properties.

Personnaly, I've found B & Q ladder too springy and as a result, I didn't trust them although they never collapsed. We did use B & Q ladders for about 2 years but now we use ramsay ladders and pay much more for them.

They feel more solid.

Cheers
Title: Re: ladders
Post by: Ian_Giles on September 19, 2005, 06:27:44 am
Search for a ladder manufarturer and go for a 'Light Trade ladder'.

Steer clear of cheap DIY ladders, because DIY is really all they are good for.

you are going to spend all day, every day on them, £100 or so very well spent if you get a good ladder.

But don't go for the 'square rungs' Horrible to stand on >:(

Regards,

Ian
Title: Re: ladders
Post by: windows_chepstow on September 19, 2005, 07:57:06 pm
Your ladder should conform to BS EN 131.  They are heavier, but sturdier, will probably last you longer and you'll feel much safer at the top of them.

Also make sure you change the feet regularly (which reminds me to get some more new feet).

A Rojak ladder stopper (around £40) is an excellent peice of equipment too, particularly if you'll be working by yourself.
Title: Re: ladders
Post by: gaza on September 19, 2005, 10:41:13 pm
ROSS :Im not anti ladder at all pal,they both ave there uses.I still use ladders quite alot on domestic cleans,but never on commercial.

 GAZA
Title: Re: ladders
Post by: rosskesava on September 20, 2005, 12:42:28 am
Sorry Gaz

It's just you tend to post quite a few ladder diasters and such topics.

Maybe I'm becoming a forum paranoid nerd.

I maybe read things that aren't there in the words.

With regards B & Q.....

We are now 40% WFP's and the rest traditional. For anything over a nice and safe 1st floor - it WFP's and as we're new to wfp's - it's a serious learning curve and I've spent ages on this forum going back over previous wfp postings.

Back to B & Q ladders which we at one point used because it was all we could afford but now we use diiferent make ladders.

A neighbour asked me to remove a dead bird from his gutter. He'd got the gitters half way up thinking it was not high but as he progressed up the ladder his veiw of 'high' changed and he bottled it.

I used his B & Q ladder as it was there and saved me going to the hearse and getting the ladder off and all that. Half way up, I bottled it also. It did not feel safe. I'd forgot just how bouncy they are. Any ladder that bouncy cannot be safe to my mind. It had all the safety stamps so it was safe but it did not feel safe.

I got our nice 2 extention ladder (which cost nearly £200) and done the job no effort. Apart from the fact that I've been a veggie for 35 years and I don't like picking up bits of rotten dead decaying meat that was once a bird.

Ugh.

B & Q ladders (sorry B & Q - they are safe as they are kite marked and this is my opinion) or anything of that ilk, never again but ... to start with..... they are just too bouncy thinking back and just how many other cash strapped would be w/c will do what we done to start with? B & Q or what ever. You buy acording what your money allows.

Cheers




Title: Re: ladders
Post by: DJCcleaning on September 22, 2005, 07:16:26 pm
I was just about to put up a similar post,

I normaly just use the old youngman square rung ladders that I got from my friend when he packed in his window cleaning business (very light but very bouncy)

With the bad winter weather and strong winds just around the corner I was thinking about getting a few sets of ramsey ladders as they are a lot heavier and much more sturdy, but cant seem to find a supplier.

Sorry to hijack this thread, but does any one know of a good site that sells Ramsey Ladders?

Cheers
Dave
Title: Re: ladders
Post by: rosskesava on September 22, 2005, 07:38:46 pm
We ordered ours through our local cleaning supplier.

I gave up searching for them on the net. Also, we wanted to see the ladders first before paying out the dosh.

I think we may have paid a bit over the odds but it was hassle free buying.

Cheers
Title: Re: ladders
Post by: DJCcleaning on September 22, 2005, 07:42:00 pm
The only supplier I know of is also, my local window cleaning supplier.

I was just hoping to find a more direct supplier as the cleaning shop is a bit pricey.

Cheers
Dave
Title: Re: ladders
Post by: alan_t on September 22, 2005, 09:51:10 pm
soap nation sell ramsey ladders