Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Lee GLS on July 12, 2013, 05:36:00 pm
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I've got a new van and at the moment i do not have a rack to carry my ladder, i bought one screwfix little giant equivalent ladders, which for £80 is brilliant but a little heavy, just incase i need to clean a conny roof ect.
I am toying with the idea of not actually bothering to get a rack, a just use my combi ladder when a ladder is needed.
i have about 2 houses where i need to go on a flat roof, and i am happy to use the combi ladder for that (i dont need anyone to tell me not to, that they are dangerous thank ;))
So i just wondered wether everyone else carrys a ladder.
I did search for this question and couldn't see it covered before, but i appologise to those in advance that may get offended by a repeat question ;D
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i got a new van a few weeks back and the roof rack to purchase was £190.00, i have one customer were i do it traditional,i have stopped doing gutter clean outs,so decided to explain to the customer( they wont do WFP ) that they need to get someone else and like you i use a folding ladder for any access problems
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some wont carry ladders because they have never been trad & are scared of heights.
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some wont carry ladders because they have never been trad & are scared of heights.
+1
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Carry a 12 foot telescopic ladder behind the front seats of my truck. Access for flat roofs and low balconies - any higher and I'm not interested.
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I carry a multi position ladder its extends to 4.6 m and folds down to 1.2 m
Stands upright at the back of my Dispatch van taking up hardly any room.
Great for flat roofs getting over gates and removing bristles from 2nd floor frames.
Wouldn't be without it.
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I haven't got a roof rack on my dispatch and carry ladders in the back of van for certain jobs. It stretches from the rear doors up to the windscreen though.
I only really stopped carrying them as a fuel saving and then next van had no roof rack so stick with it.
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telescopic only
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I went up and down ladders for the best part of a decade. Our trucks are now not even fitted with racks to carry them.
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We carry ladders. It's to be expected, we work at height, there are times when there's no alternative if you are to offer the full remit of services.
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yep.3.5 metre 2 section trade ladders and an 8 ft single pointer.they do come in handy a few times a week for the odd flat roof and opening gates.
to be honest id be lost without them.also occasionally if customers windows have been egged or had some painting done you need to get up close to the glass with a scraper.
regards
dazmond
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We carry ladders. It's to be expected, we work at height, there are times when there's no alternative if you are to offer the full remit of services.
We kept ladders after going wfp for about 3 years. The problems started when employees who were never full time on ladders needed to use them. They were not as proficient, despite spending considerable time and money on training.
The last straw came when a now former employee used his ladder to access a balcony. He left the ladder unattended and it fell and landed on the customers brand new golf gti.
We had a very small percentage of ladder work 1-2%. Maths dictated that it wasn't cost effective to continue with ladders. We lost hardly any of the customers that were effected. In fact it became apparent that there were other ways of doing many of the windows we thought were otherwise inaccessible.
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some wont carry ladders because they have never been trad & are scared of heights.
Don't feel safe on ladders, can trad just fine and don't mind heights but just uncomfortable on ladders. Don't know why, just the way it is!
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I carry ladders - please don't tell anybody though!
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some wont carry ladders because they have never been trad & are scared of heights.
i dont carry ladder on my van, my round is 98% wfp and a few commercail jobs that use squeegee for, and i use that on the end of a pole as reach is only a few feet short. no point carrying and using ladders if you dont have to.
but i do use my 9m (29ft) set of ladders at times when i need to. so for me its not about scared of heights, just the fact all my work can be dont without them! window cleaning wise.
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I carry my old set of aluminium ladders I used when trad. I cut them down to a size that just fits into the van (across the top on a couple of wooden rails I made which also hold the poles). I only actually need them for one job!!
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I have a decent combi ladder that fits in the van nicely, but for a couple of jobs every 8wks or so I chuck the bigger ladders on the rack
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I carry ladders - please don't tell anybody though!
Same Here.
Especially as I have a ladderless cleaning badge on the side of my van.
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yep.3.5 metre 2 section trade ladders and an 8 ft single pointer.they do come in handy a few times a week for the odd flat roof and opening gates.
to be honest id be lost without them.also occasionally if customers windows have been egged or had some painting done you need to get up close to the glass with a scraper.
regards
dazmond
Do you remove the paint on the glass?
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Read my avatar sig. line ...
(But I have a 2 metre cut down ladder with ladder mitts for gate hopping.)
Like Soapy Souter - I spent 10 years going up to 3rd floor on ladders - not any more!
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I can't really vote as none of the options really apply to me as i carry ladders as and when i need them...
And like you lee, that's few and far between. I suppose i only take the ladders off because A) it cuts down on weight B) There diy ladders so i'm a bit embarrsed if i'm honest ;D and C) The noise they make when driving at speed does my head in after a while!
Oh yeah and D) i can get in (virtually) any car park without them on cos my van is only a small vauxhall combo
Oh yeah and sorrry, E) They will definitely not get nicked if there not on the van :P
George
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Steps/1st floor ladder combo thingy always in the van.
Roof rack and ladders goes on as and when. No more than about once a quarter ish though...
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Yes I carry ladders , The Point is used on internals , The Double Point , only used for getting on roofs now a days ..
Both served me well in the past though
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some wont carry ladders because they have never been trad & are scared of heights.
+1
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some wont carry ladders because they have never been trad & are scared of heights.
I was trad for 15 years and now just rely on the telescopic 12 foot as I have no interest in high work whatsoever now that I have WFP
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I don't carry ladders in my van for the same reason I don't carry a lawn mower or a washing machine. They're all bulky and take up room.
After going WFP, I have found no need of them.
Before going WFP, I needed them on every upstairs window without exception.
If I can't access a window with the pole, I can't access the window.
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I don't carry ladders in my van for the same reason I don't carry a lawn mower or a washing machine.
How do you wash your grass then?
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Naaa stuff that. Stopped carrying ladders when i stopped working trad.
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Shocking result that.
Window cleaners have ladders.
Who'd have thought!!!