Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: paul alan on May 07, 2012, 09:07:09 pm
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i saw some videos on youtube of a bloke doing traditional work upstairs with a pole,he seemed to be doing a good job and im seriously considering getting a decent pole and binning the ladders! i have just bought a wagtail and believe it can be done to a good standard. has anyone got any experience doing this kind of work? i hate ladders so im going to give it a try anyway but would like some advice if anyone has any. dont want a water fed pain in the axxe,thanks.
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I've got some advice for you Paul,go water fed pole ;D,best thing you'll ever do :o,you'll wonder why you did'nt do it sooner ???.
Brian.
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Wagtail on a pole ain't as easy as it looks.
Big windows like shops r Easyer but wouldn't
fancy smaller ones like on houses don't think you
Would have happy customers with the end result mate
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my gang and i use a pole+ wagtail everyday on the hard to reach stuff and it works great . as said it takes a lot of practice and if you get tired the results suffer on the afternoons
in icy conditions a pole is a safer bet than the ladders
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my gang and i use a pole+ wagtail everyday on the hard to reach stuff and it works great . as said it takes a lot of practice and if you get tired the results suffer on the afternoons
in icy conditions a pole is a safer bet than the ladders
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i dont use a long pole for top windows (trad style) but a mate of mine does and he swears by it . a good option to have imo
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Hey. There was a guy wandering around with a pole and using a lambs wool and blade without ladders in a street where I have got some work last year. One of his customers came out to me cos she was sick of the bad job he was doing. So she asked me if I would use a ladder and clean them traditionally cos that's "the best way isn't it" she said. So I said "sorry don't use a ladder use reach and wash" she was very reluctant cos she thought it would be as bad as the last one using a pole lol. She said she would try it once. Anyway, cleaned them and went back 6 weeks later for another clean and she said it was fantastic never been cleaned as good!! She never looked back. So go the wfp route man, it's safe and excellent results. Cheers ;D
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I used an ettore reach pole and a ettore backflip for around 10 years, didnt even possess a ladder. It worked really well for me and I had one complaint in that time, I think after somebody on here said they were doing .... houses a day so I rushed into the next days work.
Also done a fair bit of commercial with the trad pole, again no complaints.
Although i now produce my own pure water and use wfp, I still do a lot of my work with the pole.
Before wfp I think it was the most missed opportunity, low cost, faster than ladders, the pole will fit into a car so no need for a roof rack etc.
A lot will say ' you will get runs from the top' but if you learn to 'cut' the top edge and wipe the blade after every two pull downs you will not get complaints.
I would endorse getting a wfp if you can afford it. It does wash the frames as well.
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Hey. There was a guy wandering around with a pole and using a lambs wool and blade without ladders in a street where I have got some work last year. One of his customers came out to me cos she was sick of the bad job he was doing. So she asked me if I would use a ladder and clean them traditionally cos that's "the best way isn't it" she said. So I said "sorry don't use a ladder use reach and wash" she was very reluctant cos she thought it would be as bad as the last one using a pole lol. She said she would try it once. Anyway, cleaned them and went back 6 weeks later for another clean and she said it was fantastic never been cleaned as good!! She never looked back. So go the wfp route man, it's safe and excellent results. Cheers ;D
Wot 'e sed!
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thanks guys,am considering it but where would i start looking for a decent kit capable of doing a small amount of upstairs work? and do they break down much? how much would i have to spend on a backpack/small trolley system full kit ready to go?
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Up to first floor you're OK doing this but you'll struggle to get a great finish anything higher. Best method is applicatoer, squeegie then scrim in one of these: -
http://www.wintecs.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=57_29_69&products_id=221
The other thing at height is the weight. I did this on one block of apartments for well over a year with 30 windows at 35' + and it's a killer. Ended up reverting to ladders for top floor and now we use WFP.
These are the poles I used, still have them but doubt they'll get used again, especially the one.
For the higher jobs: -
http://www.wintecs.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=445&osCsid=54a7aqu0g21ihg338m36533e06
http://www.wintecs.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=477&osCsid=54a7aqu0g21ihg338m36533e06
http://www.wintecs.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1150&osCsid=54a7aqu0g21ihg338m36533e06
http://www.wintecs.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=474&osCsid=54a7aqu0g21ihg338m36533e06
And for lower work: -
http://www.wintecs.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=664&osCsid=54a7aqu0g21ihg338m36533e06
+ three add on sections. This is actually a good and fairly easy to use pole, but won't reach third floor work.
Also happy to recommend Wintecs. I've used lots and always been happy with them on price and service.
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Don't mention this to Dazmond. I thougt we'd heard the last of his 'trad poles' !
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We clean internal windows on a bus station up to 30ft, we have a gardiners superlite modular with an 18" wagtail on the end.
We take the brush of our CLX and replace it with a mop, one lad mops and then another blades off, does a good job as well, some of the windows are fairly small and fiddly but still manage ok.