Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Steve Mac on April 17, 2006, 01:25:25 pm
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Just a quick question,
What's the purpose of point ladders, or A frames as i think they're called? Is it alot safer?
If so, i want one.
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never tried one myself steve but a mate of mine who had a serious fall now swears by his A Frame.
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Under the new H&S rules they are 1 type of ladder you can use without having to have tie ins as the point gives the ladder tremendous stability when "fixed" into a bulding properly. Reassuringly Expensive :) I like the wooden ones but alu are light. Will lst a lifetime. You usually have to buy one abot 18" longer than you first thought.
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This all sounds well and good, but i don't actually understand what you do with the pointy bit! ( no jokes, please)
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well if i was the mate,the point would have a horseshoe or a rabbits foot tied on. ;D
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STEVE MAC
We use 8ft point ladders downstairs, they have a rubber point and fit in the corner of the window frame
we got then because if the ladder slips you do not srcatch the glass
which happened regular with small standard aluminium ladders
for upstair no point unless you are doing fanlights above doors of pubs etc
and the ladder has to go into a corner
downstairs first class investment would not use anything else
jinky hope this helps
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Cheers Jinky, thanks for shedding some light on that 4 me. ;) Is access to the window not sometimes a bit restricted compared to a stepladder??
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NEVER use stepladders...apparently one of the most common pieces of equipment involved in falls...I use a 6ft pointer and it is excellent..you can put it on frames and into corners and safely access vast areas of glass.
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the bigger A frame ladders were used in commercial with high door entrances etc but now in commercial due to health and safety everything is done with poles etc.
The small A frame ladders are used in domestic when 2 people are working together, 8ft being an inbetween size for everything and adaptable for 6ft heights without buying too many ladders.The A frame is placed in the corner of the frame leaving the window accessable for cleaning, their is no chance of ladder slipping over the glass as the ladder gets jammed with the weight of standing on it.
when working yourself on domestic you just use 1 big ladder and adapt when needed/I carry a small 2 ft extention pole on a holster and when I come to windows i use the pole to reach areas I can not reach, I pole to about half way then finish of with normal sweeguee
equipment carried
unger belt with harness, you need to take this and get it aitered to fit correctly
on the belt is 2 pockets for scrims 1bucket on belt 16 inch sweegee and 14 inch winwash in bucket on a belt , 2 holsters 1 for 2ft pole 1 for 22 inch sweegee for conservatories if needed.sounds a lot but it is quite light
window cleaning is all about keeping the flow going to get the numbers
like driving coordination without thinking -- it increases reactions, relating to increasing earnings. with step ladders you start - stop to change ladders
also carrying an additional set of ladders= time of clean drops dratically
its the same with wfp thinking the job out before you approach speeds time safety and earnings
hope this helps
jinky
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if you go for one get the rubber mold on the top we use a compamy in manchester
called corwood you will get their number from nfmwc dont have it at the moment,
wooden outers, alu steps about £100 for 8ft = good investment once tried no going back
we have used them for about25 years would not use anything else
but only buy the 8ft tried the 6ft to small for some situations and the 18 ft , not needed now also just found them unadaptable
jinky
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I've used a domestic stepladder from b & q for years now, but they can be a bit of a balancing act at times. Gonna try leaving it at home and just taking one ladder to work for a bit. If i can't get on with it on some jobs, then this 6ft A frame sounds like a good investment.
I am quite concious of my step being designed for light domestic use only :-\, but my dad used them when i worked with him. Old habits...
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who we use vale royale tel 0160643351
blackpool ladder centre 01253304403
lansford access 01179515682
hope this helps
jinky
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go for the 8ft not the 6ft the 6ft limits you when some of the bottoms get high
jinky
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Thanks for the advice mate. Am i right in thinking you use a backpack for WFP? Thinking of getting one after reading some old threads. Can you recommend one? I've got alot of random small domestic stuff.
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yes have 2 backpacks and a trolley system built the trolley myself
do your traditional window cleaning and leave the dangerous or aukward windows like windows on roofs with steepness windows also windows above decking if slippy and windows above unjetted mono or slabs that feel slippy
go back clean these windows with backpack, the backpack will last for about 20 windows so over a day say 35 houses 20 unsafe 1 window per house
backpack will sort it out you have already reserve time from not doing these windows during the day so 20 mins at the end of the day sorts things out
and keeps you safe.Some people do all tops with wfp some people do all windows with wfp, but the amount of water you carry for this is unreal
imargine 25 litre to 25 kg per 3 houses x 12 to do 36 houses you are carrying
300 kg of water with you is equal to 3 grown men in your vehicle
now imargine 2 guys working with you and carrying their water as well
you need a bloody big vehicle I personnally use a trailer for carrying the water
the weight in the vehicle would do it in
so if a few working they do the easy stuff and the hard stuff with the wfp results in a few containers each
I believe this is the way for domestic - commercial and industrial differnt then you hook up a trailer with large tank dont believe in carrying 1000 litres in the back of the van, what if the van breaks down are you off the road, with the trailer you hook upto another vehicle- so when fitting a tank make sure the backup vehicle can tow it as well
hope this helps jinky
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backpack cleantech
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Thanks. Since finding this forum, i've done so many windows and thought : " That would be so much easier with WFP....I know it was a completely unrelated topic, but had to ask. ;)
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I used to use steps, but in the end i built my own A frame ladders there only 6' made from timber,
they are the best ladders, never fell of them, they have never twisted, and if the top is in the way you can pull it away from the window with one finger.
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I've used A frames for a year both for 1st floor and ground floor.
I would never go back to using a standard ladders. A frames are so much more stable and quicker and you never need ladder mats.
As for step ladders, I personally think they are down right lethal for window cleaning.
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What about bay windows? I have several that the top openers need to be cleaned at full stretch in those circurmstances is it safe to place the point onto the frame of Ist floor windows? sorry steve for hijacking your thread but may as well bring the questions into one.
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Hi Chris
With bay windows all I do is have the ladder up higher if it's a problem reaching the tops but that doesn't happen very often.
How I use the A frame is to have the top about half way up the side of the frame if there is something for the rubber bit to grip onto.
In the last 16 months I've only twice had 1st floor windows that couldn't be done but they're now done with that rotten wfp thing that we use.
A while back I did a neighbours windows using his ladder which was a bog standard 2 extention ladder. It did not feel stable compared to an A frame. Also, I'd forgotten how close to the glass you are with a standard ladder.
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Thanks Ross I think that may be the next thing to buy then, I do get fed up with my nose against the glass clinging on and frightend to sneeze