Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: top rung on March 05, 2006, 08:27:37 pm

Title: advice on detailing
Post by: top rung on March 05, 2006, 08:27:37 pm
I do nearly all w/f but have a few trad houses.After using squeegy i go round the edge of glass with an unger micro cloth or have tried scrim.Ialso use gg4 in the water and the glass looks perfect,but with this low sun in the mornings and evening , it shows marks around the edge of the glass where  i had detailed.when sun rises a little higher through the day they look  perfect again your experienced advice would be most appreciated.
Title: Re: advice on detailing
Post by: brett walker on March 05, 2006, 08:33:59 pm
Hi top rung

when i squeegy off i always detail with a dry microfibre or scrim always make sure its dry depending on the customer and how fussy they are.  I dont always detail these days


hope this helps

Brett



Title: Re: advice on detailing
Post by: top rung on March 05, 2006, 08:54:53 pm
Thanks Bret i do use both dry ive even got the brass clips in the end of sqeegy but they are still there and one of the customers is my wife .do you run your sqeegy across top of glass first .
Title: Re: advice on detailing
Post by: brett walker on March 05, 2006, 09:10:45 pm
Thanks Bret i do use both dry ive even got the brass clips in the end of sqeegy but they are still there and one of the customers is my wife .do you run your sqeegy across top of glass first .

I use an unger ergotec blade and dog-ear it, worse kind of customer to have - the wife, get her, her own equipment i have mine. ;D

What i could suggest to do is to wring your microfibre out like you would a scrim then wipe both sides and top, then soap window but not right to the top or sides and then squeegy off.
This will give you enough moisture round the sides, so your doing your detailing before hand. ;)

Im sure this a tip i picked up from Rog ( squeeky ) 8)

Brett
Title: Re: advice on detailing
Post by: Andrew McCann on March 05, 2006, 09:22:50 pm
Grrr Brett.  I was just starting to reply and got the warning that someone else had posted another reply  :)

Top Rung....  Try using pure water to make up your solution and use GG3. Its FAR easier to work with that way. Use just enough GG3 to give you good slip on your squeegee. Use your aplicator damp... not soaking wet. After applying the solution we use a clean rag and wipe around the edges of the glass.. this also wipes the frames down. Then a quick blade off without touching the edges. We find a "just damp" clean scrim perfect for a quick finish off FINGERTIP wipe around the edge. Honestly we have tried it all with scrims.. micros etc and found this way works best for us. We don't like micros for detailing coz they get wet very quickly and just dont ring out like a decent scrim.

Anyway.. this works fine for us.

Cheers

Andrew
Title: Re: advice on detailing
Post by: top rung on March 05, 2006, 09:25:42 pm
Bit dark now bret ill try it in the morning. what do you mean by dog ear it.
Title: Re: advice on detailing
Post by: brett walker on March 05, 2006, 09:43:24 pm
Dog-ear

at either end of your channel slightly bend the corner with some pliars in towards the rubber this will help on detailing



If anyone can explain this better for top rung or put any pics on please do thanks

Brett

Title: Re: advice on detailing
Post by: brett walker on March 05, 2006, 09:51:37 pm
Grrr Andrew

dont you just hate it when that happens  ;D

top rung, Andrew is spot on with the pure water gives excellemt results  8)

Brett
Title: Re: advice on detailing
Post by: KJG on March 06, 2006, 01:58:33 pm
A scrim shouldn't leave any marks in any light. Is it broken in properly, left to soak in boiling water then used as a mopping up rag for a few weeks, or are you trying to use it new, which would explain the marks.
Title: Re: advice on detailing
Post by: top rung on March 06, 2006, 07:47:47 pm
hi KJG got my wife to hot wash the scrim then tried using it. so i will boil it mysef this time and then use it as a mopping up cloth and see how we go from there.BRET have not dog eared my channel yet im going to try it on my short channel first in case i B....s it up.

thanks  a lot
 top rung
Title: Re: advice on detailing
Post by: rosskesava on March 06, 2006, 08:52:07 pm
Hi Top Rung

Also, don't use soap powder to wash your scrims even if they are filthy.

Just bung them in the washing machine and turn it on without any soap powder.

After a while you'll find that the gg4 already in the scrim will keep them clean enough.

Personally, I prefer a microfibre for detailing. (I am at present experimenting with Andrew's damp scrim + pure water way of working) What I do which is a bit extravagant is use a fresh microwipe for each job.

Cheers

Title: Re: advice on detailing
Post by: pjulk on March 06, 2006, 09:01:53 pm
This is how i do it traditionally and get no problems.

Wash the window with applicator keeping about 1/2 inch away from the edges.
I am using squeegie off at the moment as i quite like that but have also used GG3/4, unger liquid all good.

Then i wipe around the top and two side edges of the glass and the frames together pushing my fingers into the edge of the glass and frame.

Then i squeegie right up to the edges if you squeegie right there should be virtually nothing left.

Squeegie sill off then wipe with damp scrim.
Then just scrim the very edge of the top and sides if needed with dry scrim.

Paul
Title: Re: advice on detailing
Post by: top rung on March 06, 2006, 09:05:55 pm
thanks for that rosskesava ill try anything to achieve perfectionon detailing .

top rung
Title: Re: advice on detailing
Post by: top rung on March 06, 2006, 09:10:19 pm
ill try that as well paul.looks like it wont be tomorrow though heavy rain here. thanks

top rung
Title: Re: advice on detailing
Post by: g_griffin on March 07, 2006, 04:00:11 pm
I wouldn`t bother dog-earing a short channel.
 I think it`s mainly for longer ones because there is less pressure at the end of the channel so less water removed.

 A shorter channel will reduce detailing.

               
                       Gerry.
Title: Re: advice on detailing
Post by: windows_chepstow on March 07, 2006, 04:19:59 pm
I do nearly all w/f but have a few trad houses.After using squeegy i go round the edge of glass with an unger micro cloth or have tried scrim....

Top Rung,

Just out of pure curiosity, did you start window cleaning just using a WFP?

If so, what got you into window cleaning and straight into pure-water cleaning?

If my guess is correct, you've got some guts mate!
Title: Re: advice on detailing
Post by: Sir Squeaky on March 07, 2006, 04:34:20 pm
Im sure this a tip i picked up from Rog ( squeeky ) 8)

Brett
:D
Title: Re: advice on detailing
Post by: dish on March 07, 2006, 06:36:52 pm
I usually wash over then

Wipe across the top and left edges with a dry microfibre,

Squeegee off from left to right, wiping the squeegee between passes.

Microfibre the right edge and the bottom edge.


Downside - Making sure that I have a plentiful supply of clean dry microfibre cloths. I do take ages and wish I was a bit quicker.....



Title: Re: advice on detailing
Post by: captain lard on March 07, 2006, 06:44:14 pm
sesutton - when you squegee left to right do you do it in one continous sweep like going down the window in an s pattern or do you sweep left to right stop,wipe squegee and then continue with another left to right sweep below the first sweep and work your way down the window?

just curious mate!
Title: Re: advice on detailing
Post by: Dick on March 07, 2006, 06:50:39 pm
See my recent post re. low winter sun and marks etc.
Dick
Title: Re: advice on detailing
Post by: dish on March 07, 2006, 06:54:19 pm
Captain lard.

I do left to right, come off the glass, wipe and start again.

I just can't do that 's' thing.  I think i have a problem with my wrists and hands, they just wont move that way.

Wish I could do it though, that's why Terry always amazes me with his pretty circles.
Title: Re: advice on detailing
Post by: captain lard on March 07, 2006, 07:12:51 pm
Hi sesutton,do you get lines/smears across the glass or do you detail them off??
Title: Re: advice on detailing
Post by: gsw on March 07, 2006, 08:49:51 pm
Captain lard.

I do left to right, come off the glass, wipe and start again.

I just can't do that 's' thing. I think i have a problem with my wrists and hands, they just wont move that way.

Wish I could do it though, that's why Terry always amazes me with his pretty circles.


practice your s stroke on a patio door and when you have the movement change to a smaller window, you will get better results with a 10" channel to start with then when you feel more confident move up to a 12" channel. in the long run this is much quicker than the way you are doing it now. hope this helps.

try following these instructions......slowly!  http://www.wagtail.com/ergonomics.htm
Title: Re: advice on detailing
Post by: dai on March 07, 2006, 10:12:03 pm
I think i have a problem with my wrists and hands, they just wont move that way.
GET YOURSELF A WAGTAIL. the blade swivels not your wrist. hardly any detailing to do either. Dai
Title: Re: advice on detailing
Post by: captain lard on March 07, 2006, 11:06:49 pm
Thx lads-will check those out.