Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: lee_dewing on August 21, 2014, 01:03:29 pm
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Hi does anyone on here jet wash fascia soffits and outside of guttering?
I know you can wfp it.
But wondering if anyone has a cheap jet wash setup and where do you get long reach lances
From?
Must be quicker doing this way?
Thanks lee.
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I had a petrol p/w with a extendable lance, which i ised for washing out gutters.
Firstly the lances weigh a tonne and are very flexible.
Secondly they make a mess.
Thirdly set up time is longer
Fourthly wfp is quicky
So to sum it up, dont bother
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I had a petrol p/w with a extendable lance, which i ised for washing out gutters.
Firstly the lances weigh a tonne and are very flexible.
Secondly they make a mess.
Thirdly set up time is longer
Fourthly wfp is quicky
So to sum it up, dont bother
+1
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I sometimes blast them off with the lance then go over it with the wfp, but that's only because i have a pressure washer already set up in the van, its not worth buying a pressure washer and lance just for gutters etc you would be better off with a back pack for spraying chems.
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Lee,
For the mess and p poor finish you get stick with WFP, had to do several lately where some ones gone round with pressure washer, without the brush to agitate the surface they don't come up nearly as well as WFP
Darran
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lee just stick to using wfp mate.you can already clean f/s/g,conny roofs and solar panels with your existing set up without the added hassle/expense etc of other equipment that does the same job.
also are you getting a new van mate now you have a guttervac as i cant see it fitting in your escort van? ::)roll
personally i wouldnt bother.plenty of money in window cleaning and add on jobs that dont include gutter clearing.
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Thanks everyone will stick with wfp for f/s/g done a few just wondered if pressure washer is quicker but seems no :D
Daz, not got guttervac yet but it's coming looking to get the nisflik wet/dry vac £120 from machine mart 1800watt.
Gutter cleaning systems for Alu 30 ft poles and tools 6 x 5 ft poles and tools £160 and £40 for 51 mm hose and cuffs.
And optional wireless cctv camera ebay £76. (all prices incl vat).
I do need a bigger van and would like to get a citroen berlingo in the newer shape next year.
But for now the gutter vac and poles will fit in my ford escort maybe not with the window cleaning stuff altogether :-\.
Will do gutter work on saturdays mainly or some of the damper days i won't work in window cleaning.
That's the plan for now.
Lee
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ps,
Daz: forgot to say i hope that gutter clearing will bring in a higher hourly rate and an alternative income when the weather is poor.
Lee
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thing is lee how many gutter jobs will you have when we have a "once in a blue moon" bad day that you cant clean windows?
only 2 or 3 days this year that ive not been able to work due to very heavy rain/wind.
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Saturday is a good day for gutter clearing, there's always a few neighbours at home who
hear the gutter vac going and come out looking a price.
Iv seen days where I find it hard getting home as most of the street ask for a clean.
The only problem you will find with the gutter vac is some that of the gutters wont have the space to let the nozzle
in and some of the smaller nozzles that fit don't pick up the dirt that well.
The roof tiles sit out too far.
Iv priced a few, arranged a time but when I turned up couldn't clean them as I don't carry ladders, makes you look like
a right fool.
I also clean using the customers power only, I couldn't get the prices to make running and maintaining a
generator worthwhile.
So it might be worthwhile to put a few feelers out just to see what sort of prices you can get before investing in
too much equipment.
I still can make a lot more cleaning gutters in a day than on the glass so it is worth thinking about.
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thing is lee how many gutter jobs will you have when we have a "once in a blue moon" bad day that you cant clean windows?
only 2 or 3 days this year that ive not been able to work due to very heavy rain/wind.
Would also agree with this, don't get one as a alternative to cleaning windows in bad weather as they can be a nightmare
to use in wind and heavy rain.
To be honest if you can clean a gutter you can clean a window.
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Slipped tiles are no problem as you can push them back up with gutter vac pole
Darran
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Saturday is a good day for gutter clearing, there's always a few neighbours at home who
hear the gutter vac going and come out looking a price.
Iv seen days where I find it hard getting home as most of the street ask for a clean.
The only problem you will find with the gutter vac is some that of the gutters wont have the space to let the nozzle
in and some of the smaller nozzles that fit don't pick up the dirt that well.
The roof tiles sit out too far.
Iv priced a few, arranged a time but when I turned up couldn't clean them as I don't carry ladders, makes you look like
a right fool.
I also clean using the customers power only, I couldn't get the prices to make running and maintaining a
generator worthwhile.
So it might be worthwhile to put a few feelers out just to see what sort of prices you can get before investing in
too much equipment.
I still can make a lot more cleaning gutters in a day than on the glass so it is worth thinking about.
Hi Sean, if you don't mind me asking, how much or how do you charge for gutter clearing, set prices for different size
house's or by the metre etc, I'm going to start offering a gutter clearing service soon, just not sure about pricing.
Thanks
Lal
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Thanks very much for your advice sean.
Going to do as you do no generator.
Gonna get electric reel with built in r.c.d
As for work got 3 definates as they have their gutters cleaned already.
2 custies will have me twice a year.
I know what they pay.
Basically had chats with people on for pricing.
I think within 2 months I will have got 75% of my outlay back.
I sure when I mentioned it to alot of custie who have asked for this service
Will back out once I give a price of £75; as they want you to run up a ladder
And clear it all for an extra £10 ;D
The company gutter cleaning systems in Norfolk supply some good tools with
The poles.
As you said Sean narrow nozzles with over hanging tiles maybe
A problem.
Another learning curve ;D
Daz I understand where you live rains a fait bit :D
Maybe it's me but I certainly lose more than 2-3 days a year due to bad weather.
Wouldn't gutter clean in heavy wind..rain.
But I do get quite a bit of those days when your in and out the van.
Also thought might get a backpack as with a few barrels can gutter clean and window clean
Wouldn't need pumpbox and hose reel in van.
It is surprising my van is like a little tardis when it comes to fitting stuff in.
Forgot to say Sean what vac and pole setup you got?
Thanks again sean for tips.
Lee
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Hi Lal,
I have a minimum charge of £25 for a medium semi, front and back using the customers electric.
If the gutters are in a bad state or its a one off and in the middle of nowhere then you would need to charge more.
Like iv stated if your using a generator that wouldn't be enough but the local ladder guys charge this this so I
have to compete.
What I do it is target a certain amount of customers every week and book them all in for a Saturday at the end of the month.
Its mostly my window cleaning customers or neighbours that I target.
Iv done 20 £25 properties on a Saturday no problem and there's no way I could make that cleaning windows.
I don't get this every 4th Saturday but Iv never went out yet where I didn't at least equal my window cleaning
day rates for less work.
I don't think I could make a living full time cleaning gutters but its a nice add on for a bit of extra cash.
Add on.... Anything above two floors and you would also need to charge a lot more.
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Daz just read my post.
Not having a pop believe you have to work in the wet where you live.
As said I do my best with the weather but wouldn't work in weather
That required waterproofs other than a pac a mac.
Lee.
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Here's a tip if you want to check if you going to have problems with the gap in the gutters.
Cut a piece of plastic pipe that's the same size as your vac nozzle and screw it to a quick loq fitting or similar,then just connect it to your window cleaning pole and use it to check to see if it fits in the the gutter when pricing the job.
Good to know this because if your going to have to push tiles back and replace or mess about with smaller nozzles then your going to have to price higher.
Handy if you don't carry the gutter cleaning tools in your van at all times.
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Terry at JETMAC systems in ports down will sort you out a power pole etc. I always clean fascias with pressure washer and power pole. It's 4 times quicker and the results are also better. It's worth the investment as it makes life easier and more profitable!
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Terry at JETMAC systems in ports down will sort you out a power pole etc. I always clean fascias with pressure washer and power pole. It's 4 times quicker and the results are also better. It's worth the investment as it makes life easier and more profitable!
Power pole? If you mean a telescopic lance I wouldn't waste your money. If your working WFP you already have the best equipment for the job. When I pressure clean a roof I will clean the fascia of any dormer with the lance and believe me it's not as good as using a brush to clean it. When I drove HGV's I had the cleanest motor because nobody could be bothered using a brush between pressure washing. The telescopic lance is more for façades.
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Hi Sean,
thanks for your reply and advice about pricing appreciated, do you take the gutter rubbish away and dispose
of it or do you put it in the customers recycling bin.
Thanks
Lal
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Hi Sean,
thanks for your reply and advice about pricing appreciated, do you take the gutter rubbish away and dispose
of it or do you put it in the customers recycling bin.
Thanks
Lal
I prefer to take it away but you could put it in a customers recycling bin.
To be honest at times there wouldn't be a lot of stuff in the gutters so if the customers were to see this they might
feel a bit ripped off.
There a recycling rubbish disposal station near me and I dump it in there, it doesn't cost nothing as long as I don't
go in my work van.
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Terry at JETMAC systems in ports down will sort you out a power pole etc. I always clean fascias with pressure washer and power pole. It's 4 times quicker and the results are also better. It's worth the investment as it makes life easier and more profitable!
........and you can cover the next door neighbours property in water spray and muck as well.
Whether they like it or not. ;D
It's rare I use my pressure washer and extending lance for cleaning F/S/G's but I have done it on detached properties.
You really have to be mindful of NOT spraying the neighbouring properties, which on a windy day is not always easy.
It does a decent enough job and is easier on the arms, but on stubborn grime I find you still have to scrub a bit with the wfp brush.
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Have just watched a video on youtube, the guy sprayed a chemical cleaner onto the gutters
and then washed them using the customers tap water.
Not joking he hardly touched the gutters with the brush and the dirt just melted away I think he used Virosol.
Definitely looked a lot handier than a power washer.
Have a look its fascia cleaning by Mark Munro. Don't know if he's on here or not.
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Don't forget there is (should be by law) some sort of ventilation in fascias and soffits. It may be a grid built into the soffit but it can also be at the top of the fascia board where it can't be seen. Either way pressure washers are not really suitable unless you want large puddles of water in your roof space.
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Hi J.D what system did you get for doing the facias/gutters. Was looking on jet mac website there's a lot to choose from.
Regards
Stephen
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Saturday is a good day for gutter clearing, there's always a few neighbours at home who
hear the gutter vac going and come out looking a price.
Iv seen days where I find it hard getting home as most of the street ask for a clean.
The only problem you will find with the gutter vac is some that of the gutters wont have the space to let the nozzle
in and some of the smaller nozzles that fit don't pick up the dirt that well.
The roof tiles sit out too far.
Iv priced a few, arranged a time but when I turned up couldn't clean them as I don't carry ladders, makes you look like
a right fool. Simple you need to put the price of your window cleaning up :-[
I also clean using the customers power only, I couldn't get the prices to make running and maintaining a
generator worthwhile.
So it might be worthwhile to put a few feelers out just to see what sort of prices you can get before investing in
too much equipment.
I still can make a lot more cleaning gutters in a day than on the glass so it is worth thinking about.
Simple you need to put your window prices up :P
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Saturday is a good day for gutter clearing, there's always a few neighbours at home who
hear the gutter vac going and come out looking a price.
Iv seen days where I find it hard getting home as most of the street ask for a clean.
The only problem you will find with the gutter vac is some that of the gutters wont have the space to let the nozzle
in and some of the smaller nozzles that fit don't pick up the dirt that well.
The roof tiles sit out too far.
Iv priced a few, arranged a time but when I turned up couldn't clean them as I don't carry ladders, makes you look like
a right fool. Simple you need to put the price of your window cleaning up :-[
I also clean using the customers power only, I couldn't get the prices to make running and maintaining a
generator worthwhile.
So it might be worthwhile to put a few feelers out just to see what sort of prices you can get before investing in
too much equipment.
I still can make a lot more cleaning gutters in a day than on the glass so it is worth thinking about.
Simple you need to put your window prices up :P
If its my window cleaning prices you mean then I would need to double them, I don't think my customers
would take this very well as I do charge a higher than most in the area price.
If it gutter cleaning prices your talking about, Yes I tried to get higher prices at the start but found I was out
pricing myself.
So by not running a generator I could lower the price and make it more affordable which made me able to compete
with the local ladder guys and still give me enough to make it worthwhile.
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my generater cost me £85 secondhand off ebay and costs pennies to run
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Terry at JETMAC systems in ports down will sort you out a power pole etc. I always clean fascias with pressure washer and power pole. It's 4 times quicker and the results are also better. It's worth the investment as it makes life easier and more profitable!
Power pole? If you mean a telescopic lance I wouldn't waste your money. If your working WFP you already have the best equipment for the job. When I pressure clean a roof I will clean the fascia of any dormer with the lance and believe me it's not as good as using a brush to clean it. When I drove HGV's I had the cleanest motor because nobody could be bothered using a brush between pressure washing. The telescopic lance is more for façades.
I've used both and the lance is way better ! If you prefer to work harder and longer for the same money then that's up to you I guess.
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Terry at JETMAC systems in ports down will sort you out a power pole etc. I always clean fascias with pressure washer and power pole. It's 4 times quicker and the results are also better. It's worth the investment as it makes life easier and more profitable!
........and you can cover the next door neighbours property in water spray and muck as well.
Whether they like it or not. ;D
It's rare I use my pressure washer and extending lance for cleaning F/S/G's but I have done it on detached properties.
You really have to be mindful of NOT spraying the neighbouring properties, which on a windy day is not always easy.
It does a decent enough job and is easier on the arms, but on stubborn grime I find you still have to scrub a bit with the wfp brush.
I suppose if your a real buffoon then that may happen but I haven't come across it yet.
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Hi J.D what system did you get for doing the facias/gutters. Was looking on jet mac website there's a lot to choose from.
Regards
Stephen
I use a power pole / lance and a loncin 3600psi pressure washer. Both from jetmac systems
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Hi J.D thanks for reply. Do you run the power washer from your tank or from customers tap?
Thanks
Stephen