Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: mogy on May 04, 2007, 05:00:19 pm
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Apart from the weight diference , i see a set of pointers in wood having some advantages over All , warmer to the touch , repairable , and cheaper.
Can anybody see any disadvantages Im missing ? ..............please dont evan mention WFP, I may go down there eventually.
Mogy
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From wooden ladders i`ve had splinters 3" long in my fingers before now,go for ali they last for years and years and you never have to repair them you only have to buy new feet for them and even then it`ll be ages before you have to.
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Ali - to warm them to the touch put duct tape round the stiles where you are likely to hold them with your hands.
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yeah my woodern 6ft ladder is starting to give me splinters think my change to a 8ft ally
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ohhh nooo
go wooden, you wont regret it trust me, i use a double 12ft wooden pointer wouldn't change it back to my old ali, it might be heavier but less chance of being blown off in the wind because of its weight
you wont get cold hands on the winter, because with an ali ladder you have to touch all over the ladder, and the feet on the wooden pointers are fantastic they grip the ground like no bodies business, i just bought a new wooden pointer, but my brother in law has had his for 6 years, and is still usable but her wants a new one so he has got one for spare
GO FOR WOOD
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I've got all woodens. Another advantage is your hands don't get greasy (I'm a big girl) but they need a lot of maintenance. I keep meaning to sand mine down and re-vanish them but I can find better things to do.
Simon.
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ohhh nooo
go wooden, you wont regret it trust me, i use a double 12ft wooden pointer wouldn't change it back to my old ali, it might be heavier but less chance of being blown off in the wind because of its weight
you wont get cold hands on the winter, because with an ali ladder you have to touch all over the ladder, and the feet on the wooden pointers are fantastic they grip the ground like no bodies business, i just bought a new wooden pointer, but my brother in law has had his for 6 years, and is still usable but her wants a new one so he has got one for spare
GO FOR WOOD
Thats very true they do stick to the floor
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yeah that's another point, you dont need to spend 10mins going to work on your hands scrubbing them with a nail brush. its been three days they still are not completely clean
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I used woodens for 3 weeks when I started 30 years ago and swore I'd never go near 'em again and never have. Too darned heavy for carrying around all day. However I've replaced them every 2-3 years no matter what condition they were in.
I'm not saying they are better than woodens just that I prefer them.
As for them being cold in winter, I just wear the Unger neoprene gloves for a while first thing whilst either I adjust to them or them to me I'm not sure which. I never leave the ladders on the car when when it's icy as they freeze up. I store them up against a brick wall and this prevents them from frosting up. I do like the duck tape idea
I've used youngman ladders for many years as I've found their rubber feet to be amongst the best all weather feet for Alis. The've even supplied me with new feet for free on one occasion as they seemed to think they'd worn out too quick.
Simon, when you say grease do you mean the black stuff that gets on your hands? I've never had trouble with grease other than when they're new. Then I just wash 'em down with detergent before I use 'em. The black stuff is a nusance though, I agree. Gets up your fingernails and on your cloths too.
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I never thought of washing the ladders down. So you don't have black hands then Mark.
Just a word of warning if you get new wooden pointers, I found that although the feet look amazing they slip easy when the ground is wet, once they've worn down a bit they are much better. I have double 10's and triple 12's and found that the feet were better once they had worn a bit (the serrated edge disappearing off the end).
Simon.
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Are woods now cheaper than aluminium? I hate the bloody things and go for wooden every time.
For window cleaning, I think aluminium ladders are dangerous. There's no weight or give on uneven ground. I wonder how many window cleaning falls are from ally ladders?
I also hate the sound of them when humping them about, the annoying clatter on the van and that irritating creak when climbing.
Not to mention the unwashable black, greasy hands and clothes - and they look horrible and tatty after a few months weathering.
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The feet on wooden ladders colapse sideways after a time,there only held on by a pin or rod and when they get lose look out.I`ve had ali ladders for over 10yrs before now with hardly any maintenance required.Also if wooden ladders are treated every couple of years they absorb the water and can double in weight.
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So you don't have black hands then Mark.
Hi Simon.
Yes I do get black hands. But I'd rather wash black hands than carry all that weight round all day. I did try a barrier cream once. It worked, but I didn't like the feel of it on my hands. Like, waxy grease.
Wasn't sure what you meant by grease though, as the only grease I've come accross is on new ladders. Thats when I wash them off, before I first use them.
Just a word of warning if you get new wooden pointers, I found that although the feet look amazing they slip easy when the ground is wet, once they've worn down a bit they are much better. I have double 10's and triple 12's and found that the feet were better once they had worn a bit (the serrated edge disappearing off the end).
I find the feet on the Youngman ali's are the same. Though they are good when new, they are at their best when almost worn right out. For my work anyway.
There's no weight or give on uneven ground.
Oddly enough thats what I like about them.
No prob when I'm on 'em as I've always been fairly heavy set and I hold 'em down. But I do have to
remember to stand or lay them safely when I'm not on 'em on a windy day.
I found the flexibility of woodens lulled me into a false sense of security as they wood (scuse the pun) flex to take
up un-eveness (is that a word) between floor and wall, then when I got near top, when more weight is transferred
to the wall one foot would pop off the floor. I guess that's when the pointies come into their own, but just looking
at pointies makes me feel unsafe. Can't put my finger on why, they just do. I know the principles as to why they are safer but they still make me feel unsafe.
Not to mention the unwashable black, greasy hands and clothes - and they look horrible and tatty after a few months weathering
What's all this about grease. My hands get black but not greasy. I rinse them during the day and then a bit of soap and water when I get home, no probs.
I also get cheeky customers saying to me "What! New ladders again. I must be paying you too much," when my ladders are 2 years old and I'm just about to replace them.
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Before going wfp I built my own 6' wooden ones that I had for six years, I never fell off them, they never blew over, and with proper maintenance they have another six years left in them, maybe even longer because they are now stored in the shed. with all my other ladders.
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Wow theres a few things i hadnt thought off, never thought off the noise , good un !! , except I find that quit usefull as i give some upstairs windows a good ladder rattle to anounce my arival.
Thanks all keep them comming !
Mogy
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Before going wfp I built my own 6' wooden ones that I had for six years,
I wooden have had that confidence... Sorry bout that. Couldnt resist. Oh dear this is sad.
Seriously though it seems woodens generally last longer than ali's.
never thought off the noise , good un !! , except I find that quit usefull as i give some upstairs windows a good ladder rattle to anounce my arival.
I've found the same. It can save a lot of embarrasment
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That`s impossible,wood will not last longer than ali.Wood rots in the end even if treated.
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Maybe it's cause I'm a heavy chap then. I wear right through the rungs after a few years. I once kept a set of ali's for seven years and by that time I'd had to cut them down twice as the bottom 2 rungs broke with no warning.
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are we talking about open ended or pointers?
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Ali for us, light, easy to use, relatively cheap and durable.
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Wooden ladders are heaviour, but I prefer them. I have known an alloy ladder to break without warning. They can get worn thin where they rest on metal roof bars.
Wooden ladders will flex into the job on uneven ground, and won't blacken your shoulders either. Dai
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To be honest I'd say the style of ladder is more important than the material. I'd go for pointers for almost every job. All mine are wooden all though I do have a double 6 alloy pointer set as well that my wife used to use. I don't think a wooden point would last much longer than an alloy point as they are both built well and to last. A set of monarchs will last a lot longer than a set from the local B&Q.
But if a ladder is your main source of income do you want to take it up-to it's life expectancy, if a ladder breaks when in use it's no fun for any one. Best get a new one every few years.
Simon
PS I hate black hands.
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Aluminium ladders for me, a decent set will last you many years, and they are not likely to snap either, I've been working off them for 33 years and I've never known that happen.
Don't bother with ultra light cheapo's, always buy good quality light trade ladders.
I'd generally go for Aluminium pointer ladders too, they last longer and are just that bit quicker to throw around.
On uneven ground, whether wooden or aluminium it makes little difference, you will always be able to ensure three points of contact.
The black hands are from aluminium oxide, you will always get it once the anodized surface wears off...thats if they are even anodized to begin with!
As for feet, well on my one set of Aluminium pointers I had those feet attached that look like hinged suction cups, absolutely fantastic adhesion to any surface, and no sinking into lawns or gardens.
Ian
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I had a set of alli triples blow over once. No damage apart from a small dent on the underside of the bottom section. about six months later I was using the ladder and it didn't feel quite right. When I looked for any problem, I was horrified. There was a break where the dent had been, The ladder was only held together by one thin strip on the top of the bottom section. I had used it for three floors the day before. Moral is, if you dent them then dump them. Another shiner had his ladders on a trailer. Every time he went over a bump, the ladder would clatter against the metal ladder rack. This eventually caused a weakness and the ladder actually broke while he was up it. Luckily no injury sustained.
If you use any ladder, it should be checked every week. Be especially careful with aluminium ones Dai