[Mike 108]

I use WFP on several houses with leaded glass and the results are usually very good, but -

I picked up one 2 months ago that had upvc frames with  'phobic' glass and modern criss-cross lead on the outside of the glass.

I do a couple of others almost identical that come up OK, but this latest one is murder.  On the two occasions I have done it, the results were terrible.  There were spots everywhere - but worse was the fact that they wouldn't 'polish' off once they had dried.

I had to wet the glass again before they would polish off.

I have read a number of posts on here that "some windows just don't come up with WFP/pure water".

Is this right?

Mike

[Jeff Brimble]

You get problems when the punter has been at it with furniture polish or a silicon/petoleum based polish. it seems concentrated on leaded because the framed diamonds are small and the spots appear magnified. most times the customers wont notice only you !

[Skyglide]

Try TFR on everything first.  Good scrub and rinse off WFP and should come good.
Chris

[Jeff Brimble]

Tried acid, Alkali strippers etc etc but once silicon is in the glass its there for ever, there is no known power in the Universe that will remove it as its part of the Universe.

[Mike 108]

Jeff -These were REALLY bad.  I AM beginning to think that there was some kind of 'coating' on them that the pure water has attacked and attempted to break down.

Christies - I was hoping someone might suggest that. I will give it a try next time. If it doesn't work, I am thinking that I might tell the occupiers to let another cleaner have a go!

[NWH]

I love doing these kind of widow`s and at every chance i take them on,try using isopropanol in your tank and give that a go.It`s a long shot but have you tested your water quality.

[cat9921]

Mike

I was told that WFP is a tool, So if that tool does not work on that one use another,, However I do believe you can get more from WFP than most say , Some say that they only use trade on inside.. :

Iam still learning.. So keep trying and let us know how you get on 

[Mike 108]

NWH - Water quality (tds) 0 ppm.

What is isopropanol?  Can you brush it on windows (neat or diluted) like TFR?

I don't have a tank. I run water from the customers tap through 2 Di bottles with a flow rate of one and a half to two litres per minute.

tds checked at beginning and end of job. All jobs following satisfactory.

Mike

[johnny_h]

i have 1 customer who i have had to give up wfp and go back to trad whats happening to you sounds exactly what happened to me i tried for months and months to get them used to it

[cbcs]

NWH - Water quality (tds) 0 ppm.

What is isopropanol?  Can you brush it on windows (neat or diluted) like TFR?

I don't have a tank. I run water from the customers tap through 2 Di bottles with a flow rate of one and a half to two litres per minute.

tds checked at beginning and end of job. All jobs following satisfactory.

Mike

What do you do if they don't have an outside tap?

[Mike 108]

Chris

I only take on WFP work if they do have an outside tap!

I have more than enough work to be happy with that.

My Di bottles and microbore hose are on a lightweight trolley/sacktruck that I take onto the customer's premises.

I don't have any hoses trailing from my vehicle across the pavement to the house and I don't have a wet vehicle from any leaks.

Obviously, if I wished to expand my business into commercial work I would need to invest in a van-mounted system - but I'm nearing retirement and its too late.

My way of working gives you a cheap way of trying out WFP as well as enabling you to earn a bit more money.

Mike

[M & C Window Cleaning]

Hi Mike,

I found, even before I went WFP that some new leaded windows were terrible to clean. It seemed that the lead hadn't been treated properly or something, leading to excessive oxidisation. This caused dreadful white streaks and spots which were a nightmare to get off. This would go on for several months, sometimes longer than a year. However eventualy the lead would get pollished with all the buffing and it would stop.  I haven't had any like that since I made the switch. But I've been waiting for the first one. My feeling is you may have to do them trad for a while till the buffing effect does its job.

That is of course if that's the problem you're experiencing.

Mark

[Simon_King]

I had a job like that some years ago. If I cleaned it trad - no worries however use wfp and it was covered in spots and runs from the lead but not the frame. These where modern upvc windows too.
Had to go back to ladders for that one job. After a few months they moved house so I never went back to pick up the new owners!
It seems to me that some lead strip just reacts with pure water in a bad way.Good job its a rare phenomenom.

[Nathanael Jones]

Unlucky one Mike,.... on my entire round I've only 1 problem window,... and it doesn't sound half as bad as your one.
It is true though, for whatever mysterious reason,.. some windows just don't like WFP.
I'd try giving it a wash with hot water and a touch of GG3 if you can plug into the custies kitchen sink, then finish off wfp again,.... If that doesn't work its time to go back to trad. 

[Mike 108]

Cheers everyone.

Mike