Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: elite mike on December 03, 2009, 05:54:10 pm

Title: repaired sealed units warning
Post by: elite mike on December 03, 2009, 05:54:10 pm
was cleaning a custys windows  a few  weeks ago

and i noticed 3 holes covered with a bit of plastic

as i was cleaning one bit fell off ;D

custy comes out in a blind panic, and says you have not cleaned that window have

you. me yes and a bit of plastic fell off

her  i meant to ring you to tell you that that pane was not to be cleaned for 6

weeks ???

she had a company who so say fix misted unit ::)

by drilling 3 holes in the glass and inject  something, to stop it misting

she said it cost her £60

she wanted me to pay really ;D yeh right

i told her that it was not robust enough, if it could not stand a clean ::) ;D

anyone else come across this ?
Title: Re: repaired sealed units warning
Post by: GWCS on December 03, 2009, 05:56:59 pm
Ive heard of those fixing measures.

I was considering doing it, but i cant be bothered to follow it up :P



Still why should you pay if she didn't tell you not to clean it? Some people heh.. blame others for their own mistakes.
Title: Re: repaired sealed units warning
Post by: matt on December 03, 2009, 07:10:32 pm
for people who want to replace PVCu units, just pop along to your local PVCu supplier and explain to the guy behind the trade counter that your a window cleaner and a customer has asked if you could give her a price on a new unit, he will give you a tool to measure the thickness of the glass ( whilst still fitted ) and a few tools to take the beads out, no more than 25 quid

then offer it as a sideline

measure the thickness of the glass, measure the size of the PVCu opening , the opening that the beads sit in, then you can measure and order the double glazed unit without taking it out, then when the unit is ready, pick it up, take out old unit and fit new

its all very easy, if you want to do it in a serious way, i will, take some pics and explain in more detail in a bit of a guide

i know what i am on about as this was part of my job for a council in south wales, i headed a specialist PVCu team that did the work for the council ( the amount of courses i went on for this was frightening  ::) but a good laugh at the time )
Title: Re: repaired sealed units warning
Post by: Clive McDonald on December 03, 2009, 07:24:03 pm
I got all excited about this matt but when i thought about the hourly rate after quoting measuring fetching and sometimes breaking the various bits of glass i decided it didn't stack against window cleaning.

I made the same mistake with insides, a much wanted service but poor hourly rate.
Title: Re: repaired sealed units warning
Post by: niceandclean on December 03, 2009, 07:34:57 pm
We offer a replacement sealed unit service. We measure the glass while we are there, order it, then replace it next visit. Have also replaced repaired sealed units. 
Title: Re: repaired sealed units warning
Post by: james44 on December 03, 2009, 07:36:10 pm
Matt can you do a post on this as it`s something am interested in, would be a good side line i think, but is there not regs as to who can fit double glazed units
Title: Re: repaired sealed units warning
Post by: dai on December 03, 2009, 07:52:15 pm
How do they drill through the glass without breaking it? My con has toughened glass, and that stuff breaks into thousands of pieces. I wouldn't like to try it.
Title: Re: repaired sealed units warning
Post by: matt on December 03, 2009, 08:24:08 pm
I got all excited about this matt but when i thought about the hourly rate after quoting measuring fetching and sometimes breaking the various bits of glass i decided it didn't stack against window cleaning.

I made the same mistake with insides, a much wanted service but poor hourly rate.

its nice wet weather work as its all done from the insides ( though if the rain is really driving hard against the window it might not be that feasible , before any1 points that out )

we used to change them in all weathers

its not going to be a 50 quid a hour job thats for sure, but a nice little add-on if you have the time and want to earn a little extra
Title: Re: repaired sealed units warning
Post by: matt on December 03, 2009, 08:24:47 pm
Matt can you do a post on this as it`s something am interested in, would be a good side line i think, but is there not regs as to who can fit double glazed units

no reg's as far as i am concerned ( i might be wrong though )
Title: Re: repaired sealed units warning
Post by: Spruce on December 03, 2009, 08:33:46 pm
Hi

This may be a silly question, but why do they want to drill holes in the glass?  ??? ??? ???

I mearly ask this as I was speaking to the owner of a large industrial glass and frames supplier in the North East who has just finished building himself a new house. The windows he has fitted are filled the argon which is a better insulator than air. He told me that they drill holes in the double glazed pane's spacer, stand it upright, and pump this gas in. As this gas is heavier than air it pushes the air out at the top hole and once they have done this they reseal the holes.

Spruce
Title: Re: repaired sealed units warning
Post by: niceandclean on December 03, 2009, 08:59:10 pm
I got all excited about this matt but when i thought about the hourly rate after quoting measuring fetching and sometimes breaking the various bits of glass i decided it didn't stack against window cleaning.

I made the same mistake with insides, a much wanted service but poor hourly rate.

its nice wet weather work as its all done from the insides ( though if the rain is really driving hard against the window it might not be that feasible , before any1 points that out )

we used to change them in all weathers

its not going to be a 50 quid a hour job thats for sure, but a nice little add-on if you have the time and want to earn a little extra

They cant all be done from the insides, some older windows are externally glazed.
As for regs, i replace to fensa regs, so for example if it did not have toughened glass in a window, but needs it now, i will put toughened in. But nine times out of ten, if you replace like for like, you will be ok. I also replace old broken/cracked seals, gearings, locks ect. Nice little side line, but i have experience in this field, but most can learn. 
Title: Re: repaired sealed units warning
Post by: rg1 on December 03, 2009, 09:09:05 pm
Also, some of the beading will be hard to remove because of security clips underneath the beading..special tool required.

Rob
Title: Re: repaired sealed units warning
Post by: james44 on December 10, 2009, 07:00:03 pm
Any update on this matt

or niceandclean could you do a bit as well please :-* ;D
Title: Re: repaired sealed units warning
Post by: matt on December 10, 2009, 07:47:52 pm
Any update on this matt

or niceandclean could you do a bit as well please :-* ;D

i completely forgot, sorry about that

i will look at it over the next few days