[mister bit]

Does anybody residential WFP bother with paint splatter from over zealous painters and get the scraper out?

Just wondering cos I had a couple of converted flats to do and thought should I do them trad and get rid of the paint drips or should I just WFP and leave it?  I left it in the end but now I feel like I did an arfarsed job

[Griffus]

We do loads of builders' cleans and for these then obviously the paint must go. For bog standard window cleaning the paint stays well and truly were it is. If asked to remove it then quote seperately.
 

[AuRavelling79]

Unless specified as a "special job" my view is that paint, sealant, cement and other stuck on crud left by slapdash tradespeople and householders stays firmly where it is.

[Ian101]

I used to do it as goodwill but thats when I was soft .... with gold on this one nowadays.

[Dave.]

I used to remove it gradually on my 4 weekly stuff - part of the premium service

but now, if I see a lot of overspray or drips when I'm pricing up - I use it to justify a first clean price.

I can't beleive how careless some painters are

[EandM]

I used to remove it gradually on my 4 weekly stuff - part of the premium service

but now, if I see a lot of overspray or drips when I'm pricing up - I use it to justify a first clean price.

I can't beleive how careless some painters are

Same thought here.
Gradual removal, especially of splatter that's looks really bad first, seems to be the way on ground floors at least.
A couple of windows each time adding no more than a minute with a 4 inch scraper seems a fair compromise.

[Londoner]

With these stick on window films you can get from Toolstation and the like for very little money these days  (a fiver for 20m will do a whole house) there is no reason why there should be any paint or cement or anything else on the glass.
And I make that point strongly to the customer. Its just shoddy workmanship. No excuse for it

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Painting+Decorating/Dust+Sheets+Protectors/Blue+Window+Protection+600mm+x+20m/d150/sd3258/p20527

[Spruce]

With these stick on window films you can get from Toolstation and the like for very little money these days  (a fiver for 20m) there is no reason why there should be any paint or cement or anything else on the glass.
And I make that point strongly to the customer. Its just shoddy workmanship. No excuse for it

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Painting+Decorating/Dust+Sheets+Protectors/Blue+Window+Protection+600mm+x+20m/d150/sd3258/p20527

Thanks Vince - never knew this existed; not that I've ever looked for it mind you.

Some tradesmen don't care these days and cut costs by not cleaning/tiding up afterwards. Even had a painter tell the customer that its the window cleaners job to clean the windows -"that's what you pay him for, right?" When you refuse to do it for the standard rate, the customer gets annoyed with you. I know of an example where the customer cancelled the window cleaner in such an instance after a row over it developed.

Spruce

[Londoner]

Yeah like we are going to spend hours clearing up somebody elses mess for free! If the customer wants to argue that one they can do it with the next window cleaner. I'm not that bothered

got stopped by the next door neighbour of an existing customer last summer, they had just had an extension build and she wanted her windows cleaned. It was a real mess, cowboy builders style and I just said no. She was quite indignant at being turned down but I have learned my lesson the hard way in the past. If the builders had that little respect for the windows and the frames the chances are they are already scratched and I'm not getting the blame for it.

The other thing I have said before to customers about paint is give it a bit more time to harden and it comes off a lot easier. Which gets you out of it for a while.

[Spruce]

Yeah like we are going to spend hours clearing up somebody elses mess for free! If the customer wants to argue that one they can do it with the next window cleaner. I'm not that bothered

got stopped by the next door neighbour of an existing customer last summer, they had just had an extension build and she wanted her windows cleaned. It was a real mess, cowboy builders style and I just said no. She was quite indignant at being turned down but I have learned my lesson the hard way in the past. If the builders had that little respect for the windows and the frames the chances are they are already scratched and I'm not getting the blame for it.

The other thing I have said before to customers about paint is give it a bit more time to harden and it comes off a lot easier. Which gets you out of it for a while.

Vince - that's the reason they give for not cleaning up after the job - "better to leave it to dry as it comes off easier".

[EandM]

that's the reason they give for not cleaning up after the job - "better to leave it to dry as it comes off easier".
[/quote]

That's very true. Gloss paint can take 48-72 hours before it's properly dry. Any attempts to remove it when the job is immediately finished only make matters worse.
A one month window on paint removal is quite reasonable but splatter should be kept to a minimum anyway.
Masonry paint spray on external windows when applied by roller is inevitable. Where possible I always mask up Upvc windows and doors as it results in a much more professional job. However masking out in this country is weather contingent. Wind, even light breeze, coupled with damp or drizzle can render masking useless. Some customers have unreasonable assumptions about how difficult this can be and aren't prepared to pay for it to be done properly and they then complain and whinge to anybody who will listen - very often the window cleaner when it goes wrong - usually after the painter has warned them in advance.

Sloppy workmanship? Sometimes yes. I've seen atrocious work in the past.
Whinging customers with no idea? Absolutely. Think of your worst window cleaning customer and multiply by 100 and that's potentially the type of client you can get stuck with.

There are far too many uncertain factors in decorating and doing it for a living can be very stressful.
Why do you think I now clean windows instead?

[Griffus]

that's the reason they give for not cleaning up after the job - "better to leave it to dry as it comes off easier".

That's very true. Gloss paint can take 48-72 hours before it's properly dry. Any attempts to remove it when the job is immediately finished only make matters worse.
A one month window on paint removal is quite reasonable but splatter should be kept to a minimum anyway.
Masonry paint spray on external windows when applied by roller is inevitable. Where possible I always mask up Upvc windows and doors as it results in a much more professional job. However masking out in this country is weather contingent. Wind, even light breeze, coupled with damp or drizzle can render masking useless. Some customers have unreasonable assumptions about how difficult this can be and aren't prepared to pay for it to be done properly and they then complain and whinge to anybody who will listen - very often the window cleaner when it goes wrong - usually after the painter has warned them in advance.

Sloppy workmanship? Sometimes yes. I've seen atrocious work in the past.
Whinging customers with no idea? Absolutely. Think of your worst window cleaning customer and multiply by 100 and that's potentially the type of client you can get stuck with.

There are far too many uncertain factors in decorating and doing it for a living can be very stressful.
Why do you think I now clean windows instead?
[/quote]

Masking tape can be worse to get off the glass than paint!

[Londoner]

you don't use masking tape you use the blue window film, it goes on in seconds and costs next to nothing. £5 will do a whole house. Where is the excuse except can't be bothered?

[EandM]

you don't use masking tape you use the blue window film, it goes on in seconds and costs next to nothing. £5 will do a whole house. Where is the excuse except can't be bothered?

It does look like an excellent product but obviously needs to cut precisely to fit each window. For masonry painting it would work very well but for painting the frames you would have to cut out each pane very precisely. If you had a large number of windows to paint it could add £200-£400 to the cost of the job. If the customer is prepared to pay for that then great. If not............and many wouldn't - they'd simply get someone in to do the job for less and get paint everywhere.

[dazmond]

if the customer has some painting done and the windows are splattered badly.simply tell em itll be extra to scrape the paint off(esp if you have to get the ladders off).

if its just a bit here and there i dont charge extra on run of the mill estate work i just say"coffee,milk and 2 sugars please!!"

good for customer relations

[wfp master]

if i get asked i take it off but if they dont ask i dont do it simples.

[Dave.]

I cleaned a farmer's house yesterday and since the last clean they have painted the side fence using a nice green spray on preservative.

It looked really good

It looked a lot better than the 5 windows nearby that are now green & white speckled UPVC

I got the scraper on the glass - so they'll be able to see out! but the frames will definately be an extra job

bl00dy farmers 

[EandM]

I cleaned a farmer's house yesterday and since the last clean they have painted the side fence using a nice green spray on preservative.

It looked really good

It looked a lot better than the 5 windows nearby that are now green & white speckled UPVC

I got the scraper on the glass - so they'll be able to see out! but the frames will definately be an extra job

bl00dy farmers 

Ah..the country ways.....