Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: bernlyn on March 08, 2008, 08:44:08 pm
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i need some advice
i have just started out [trad] and went to clean a friends house and they have a little roof thing above thier front door. the problem is i cant get my ladder to the window above it.
do i have to invest in a: extension pole
: Angled Adaptor and what else do i need
which 1 should i get also how to use the squeegee on it and how do i use the scrim so that i can wipe the excess water around the edges.
there are loads of houses extenstions or conserv at the rear of house but how do you reach the windows above these. i dont want to turn down work because i cannt reach them
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you need a wfp ;)
or a extenion pole just put your sqeegee on the end
brett
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I normally extend the ladder to the height of the top the window and place the ladder at one side of the canopy , so you can climb up and reach across to clean it ;D
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bernlyn,
can you get to the window if you have someone "footing" the ladder, basically standing at the bottom of the ladder to make sure it cant slip backwards. this enables you to have your ladder at a lower angle which may enable you to reach it
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get a longer ladder and a m8rix to go a the bottom to stop it slipping or extension pole and wra scim round it after to wipe the sides.
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i will be to far from the window if put the ladder next to it
bernlyn,
can you get to the window if you have someone "footing" the ladder, basically standing at the bottom of the ladder to make sure it cant slip backwards. this enables you to have your ladder at a lower angle which may enable you to reach it
there is not enough space to take the ladder further back so that i can lower the angle because of the front wall
i tried putting the ladder on the front of this roof but i was then about 1.5 meters away from the window and could not reach
how would you solve this prblem with houses that have extenstions or conserv at the rear of house but how do you reach the windows above these. i dont want to turn down work because i cannt reach them
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i used to use long ladder andplace it over porch thenSTAND ON PORCH ROOF,HOLD SILL AND CLEAN ONE HANDED ::) ::) :o :o,i dont really think thiss is very good advice tho ;D
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sorry for being stupid but what is
wra
G O A
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haha, i would not do a window over a conservatory if it was high just explain and price accordingly,there is one house i do where i put a board onto two supports of con roof and reach the window that way but only do it cause its a well paid job. ;D
probabally also not good advice dont thin insurance would like it :-X
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sorry for being stupid but what is wra
G O A
meant to say wrap scrim round. ;)
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i used to use long ladder andplace it over porch thenSTAND ON PORCH ROOF,HOLD SILL AND CLEAN ONE HANDED ::) ::) :o :o,i dont really think thiss is very good advice tho ;D
where you in the sas mr thorpe ?
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yeah STUPID AND SKINT ;D
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i used to use long ladder andplace it over porch thenSTAND ON PORCH ROOF,HOLD SILL AND CLEAN ONE HANDED,i dont really think thiss is very good advice tho
Still have two houses that I do that way, I'm always afraid someone sees me doing it lol. Kinda cowboyish. ;D :P
It's not a porch, but it's a tiny little angled roof. Put ladder up, with laddermatrix. Ladder rests on brickwork above window, when I get near, I step off the ladder and on the roof, and grab the sill.
For the topic starter. Get an Unger 20' pole. Will last you ages, and you can easily upgrade it to a wfp.
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yeah STUPID AND SKINT ;D
your not skint ;D
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serious tho,try a pole (ungers are good and take lots of different heads) use applic,blade then scrim in a scrim clip ;D
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serious tho,try a pole (ungers are good and take lots of different heads) use applic,blade then scrim in a scrim clip ;D
have to agree i have did all the above methods walking up roofs, holding sills, ladder to top of window but a ladder to porch with pole applicate blade and scrim. personally i just wrap scrim round pole end never bothered with attahments as far as windows above cons etc i just never did them and dropped price but now i just use wfp so dont have these problems. but any way bit of practice with a trad pole and you will be fine
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i used to wrap scrim round pole ;D,but clips are a good tool.Soap do an ally one ,dead tough but can mark glass if tou are careless,unger is plastic but less robust....either way thy both under 15 quid ...at least they used to be
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I used to do it this way, for guttering, I also used to use 2 sets of limpets, and another way i used to do it, was to lay the ladder so it was layed flat on the roof and have someone foot it for me.
Safety devices won't walk off on you when there mobile phone rings ;D
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i know loads of people will think i know nothing but......THOSE "LIMPET" THINGS LOOK THE NUTS , :)WHERE FROM AND HOW MUCH ???please
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i know loads of people will think i know nothing but......THOSE "LIMPET" THINGS LOOK THE NUTS , :)WHERE FROM AND HOW MUCH ???please
Last week on the academy auction I sold a brand new set for £10 :'(
Here is the link
http://www.laddatec.com/
If your a member of the academy we can give you 10% off the price you see.
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Thats still a hell of a lean to the right to clean the window. WFP all the way for me (did some silly cleans as a trad, scared myself with some of the stuff i did to get to windows.)
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Why risk spending the rest of your life in a wheelchair. Refuse to do the dangerous windows, if u r trad. You only live once. If u do the windows it will always be on your mind every month that u have to go back.
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i need some advice
i have just started out [trad] and went to clean a friends house and they have a little roof thing above thier front door. the problem is i cant get my ladder to the window above it.
do i have to invest in a: extension pole
: Angled Adaptor and what else do i need
which 1 should i get also how to use the squeegee on it and how do i use the scrim so that i can wipe the excess water around the edges.
there are loads of houses extenstions or conserv at the rear of house but how do you reach the windows above these. i dont want to turn down work because i cannt reach them
When working trad, I used an extension pole with applicator and squeegee for such windows. I wouldn't soap up to the very edge though except for the first clean. Occasionally I would wrap a bit of dry scrim around the end cone if there was surplus liquid but I would never soap up to the very top as it can run down after. Sometimes it is possible to get to such windows by extending the ladder to rest on the facia - thus reducing the angle but you need to take care with your angles and take account of whether the ground is slippery or not. Also, sometimes there is too little gap beneath the guttering so rest the ladder solidly and if the ground is damp, the ladder can sink a bit making the top of the ladder slip off the bottom of the facia. Better to use a pole I think. They may have to accept that, in the interests of safety, the quality of the clean for a difficult window will be reduced.
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When I took some houses over from the previous cleaner, he told me that he stood on a porch roof. I tried it the first time and, because of the steep pitch of the roof, scared myself silly.
Every time since I have used a combination tool on a pole. ;D
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i need some advice
i have just started out [trad] and went to clean a friends house and they have a little roof thing above thier front door. the problem is i cant get my ladder to the window above it.
do i have to invest in a: extension pole
: Angled Adaptor and what else do i need
which 1 should i get also how to use the squeegee on it and how do i use the scrim so that i can wipe the excess water around the edges.
there are loads of houses extenstions or conserv at the rear of house but how do you reach the windows above these. i dont want to turn down work because i cannt reach them
You need to take note of things like this when you first price up and explain to the customer that due to health and safety rulings you can't reach certain windows with normal methods, but you can with an extension pole, but cannot guarantee that the quality of finish will be as good as the others. Do not turn work down without trying, just cause you can't reach a window! Speak to the customer and perhaps if they are in when you clean they will let you clean from the inside? Many different ways to get around these situations, you just have to think on your feet whilst quoting.....just one thing do not compromise safety with a couple of extra quid....not worth it.When you are more established you can think of WFP, but this still cannot reach everything ;D
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1) Do NOT lean over to clean the window (stupid advice.. Altho I used to do it)
2) Dont climb on the porch roof.
Use a pole or knock off a pound and dont clean it.
Bob
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i use a stand off bracket and a ladder base mate stabiliser, very secure and safe i bought mine from midlandsladders
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I watched a trad cleaner the other day cleaning a window over a conservatory by splitting his ladder and hooking one half over the pointed plastic decoration on the apex of the con roof. He then climbed up to the edge of the con roof with the other half, climbed onto the half that was layed on the con roof and walked up it to the window steadying himself with his hands on the wall. Scared me silly just watching him. It supprises me that the custy was happy for him to do it.
As for windows over porches, I used to use an extn pole with my trad tools attached. If I felt the slightest bit at risk I would leave it out and explain the safety issue to the custy. If they made an issue over it I'd drop them. It's not worth risking your neck for the sake of cleaning a two or three feet square piece of glass.
I took what I considered to be a small risk once and it cost me a severely broken ankle. It could have been worse. I'm grateful it wasn't.