Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: [GQC] Tim on October 28, 2008, 10:47:21 pm
-
I've got one or two houses where the frames are terrible, I tried wfp on them two times, last time it was still really badly leaching from the frames (25 year old conservatory, with black frames, and degraded seals) and then rest is really badly oxidised painted frames. I told the lady this, but she wasn't very happy with it, it's such a job getting them up to standard, rinse rinse, don't touch the top frame etc. A real pain.
So now for downstairs windows, I just squeegee them off. I tried this with just the pure water on the glass, but couldn't get on.
So what I do now is just put the bucket on a belt under the van port, fill it up half way, put a couple of drops of Squeegee off in there, and just do them by hand, so much easier if the frames are in poor quality. Upstairs is still wfp though, no ladders for me anymore, except for access.
Strange, because you can be so fixated on using wfp, and how to make it work on bad windows, that you can totally forget that it's actually 'fine' to just do the bottoms by hand, didn't take me long at all, perhaps even faster (I'm a fast trad cleaner), it's almost like you need to prove that even on bad windows wfp works. It does work, but it takes too long I find, and it's just too tricky sometimes.
I always have my pouch on my belt anyway with wfp, have a sill cloth in there, and one for detailing (quick wipe over the top seal if the drips keep hanging after you wfp'd them), and one to wipe my hands with if the hose gets mucky, so it's just a matter of clipping the boab on. If you half fill it, there's plenty of water in there to do a full semi detached anyway.
I guess sometimes you just have to almost swallow your pride, and then do them by hand, but it's all between the ears, a tool is a tool, the goal is to get a window clean, and use whatever means necessary, whether it's squeegee, wfp, spray and buff with microfibre, it doesn't matter. It was quite satisfying to do some blading anyway, even though I regularly do insides, outside trad is always easier, not being careful with carpets etc.
Anyway, I find that wfp works great on the vast majority of windows, even if they are a little bit milky, but with some you just need to do whip out the old squeegee.
Well, that was my experience anyway.
-
you got it in one there i think, recently i bought a trad round of shops and with that came a few houses as they had always been done trad i carried on this way and it was a sharp reminder that trad can sometimes be just as quick & in some places quicker
-
Totally agree,70% of my work is WFP but on some houses I prefer doing them trad because it is actually quicker!
-
Polish makes many good windows h phobic and its easier to blade them off after wfp.
Its usually where the custy has been out with "never clean your windows again" stuff or petroleum based polish :'(
-
Your right doing the odd house or job by hand can be quicker but you do a morning trad after being WFP for ages and then see if you think the same,i had to trad for a morning last week because of problem window`s but never again will i trad so many in a row it really made me realise how much quicker WFP is.
-
I have a couple of jobs myself with with leaky frames. The customers didn't like the water coming through. So we compromised. We agreed that for safety's sake I would WFP the tops with a low flow rate and that I would trad the bottom deck. It just means that after I've been, they clean the upper inside windows plus any seepage on the sills. They're OK with it and it's no real hardship for me. Takes a bit longer like that but no problem.
-
Your right doing the odd house or job by hand can be quicker but you do a morning trad after being WFP for ages and then see if you think the same,i had to trad for a morning last week because of problem window`s but never again will i trad so many in a row it really made me realise how much quicker WFP is.
That's true actually, I don't know what it is, but if you go from wfp, to trad, and do a good half an hour or so, it seems like an hours work, very odd. Even if you work quickly. :)
-
Your right doing the odd house or job by hand can be quicker but you do a morning trad after being WFP for ages and then see if you think the same,i had to trad for a morning last week because of problem window`s but never again will i trad so many in a row it really made me realise how much quicker WFP is.
That's true actually, I don't know what it is, but if you go from wfp, to trad, and do a good half an hour or so, it seems like an hours work, very odd. Even if you work quickly. :)
That`s exactly what i meant to say,it seems to take ages and actually does in most cases working trad when used to working WFP.
-
Agree 100% WFP is brill but sometimes Trad comes in handy as an extra tool (and we are all ladder monkeys at heart!) ;D
-
Agree 100% WFP is brill but sometimes Trad comes in handy as an extra tool (and we are all ladder monkeys at heart!) ;D
nah I hate ladders now will only use for access only, wfp or cya I did have a customer try to dictate what I was doing they now have dirty windows..
-
As I said, ladders are a useful extra tool and we will always need them like it or not, as long as the need is minimal
-
As I said, ladders are a useful extra tool and we will always need them like it or not, as long as the need is minimal
I agree with you 100%, I just hate ladders was my point ;)
-
I did a conservatory(upvc, no problem) last week and the windows for first time. Woman said windows might be a problem. They were the original metal ones with white paint on, so now knackered. White water everywhere. Anyway perserverered and windows not too bad, only a few spots. Woman very happy.
But as I never trad outdoors since WFP, never thought of doing it, although I have 10 yrs experience of trad.
Shows that one mustn't be too blinkered.
Next time will trad the bottoms, save lots of time rinsing. Did charge a good price so not a problem.
-
I look at my ladders now........ and i growl.,, :( they are my enemy ;D ;D