[doak]

hi guys
about to start up my own round in suffolk, i have lived in my house for three years and not once has a window cleaner been round offering his business , so thought there must be a shortage of cleaners in my area. my neighbours window cleaner when i asked him a few months back to price me up (mid terrace total just six windows ) said no chance to busy and was very rude.
I have been practicing like crazy on mine and my familys and friends houses and although slow i have had a good responce on the cleaniness of frames and glass 
but......
a few things worry me that i need to get off my chest and ask you proffesionals

how do i avoid scratching glass or frames (not done so but worried)
how do i not break my face on the patio from falling of a ladder (although its ugly anyway)
and whats the best cloth to use for frames   chamois, sponge or micro fibre

cheeeeers

[Nathanael Jones]

1. Don't use a scraper,.. not until you've had a bit of training
2. Don't use ladders,.. go WFP. SERIOUSLY,... read the posts just from the last 7days and see how many ppl have been injured or killed falling from ladders just this week.
3. Microfibre for glass and frames is my choice, but everyone likes different things. Try a few and see.

[doak]

cheers man

how much is a wfp complete kit roughly?

[Nathanael Jones]

DIY it can be very cheap.

Pole & brush for as little as £30
Backpack £80 odd
RO £100
small DI and resin £85
Static tank £40 - £60
Submersible pump £30
10 of the 25 litre containers £80
Connectors, fittings and a bit of hose £50

Costs a bit more than a set of ladders,... but not a whole lot extra. and it could save your life.

[Bobs Window Cleaning]

Dont go WFP......yet


Learn the basics bud

Where is Suffolk are you?


Ps lots of car crashes this week.......sell your car :....use a ladder properly and you will be fine

[mark dew]

where in suffolk are you loak?
I live in lowestoft but work the villages between beccles, bungay and kessingland.

[Chris Cottrell]

proffesionals

ha ha lol

 

[doak]

Bury St Edmunds

i did buy (dont laugh) a pole off ebay    for £20 but cant get to grips with it, would a dearer one be any better or do i just need to practice   (it wasnt water fed)

cos dam them downstairs windows where gleaming but upstairs looked worse

 

[Chris Cottrell]

seriously fill in your prfile someone may be more likely to help you

[Chris Cottrell]

I would learn to use what youve got 1st

practice makes perfect

[mark dew]

i have lived in my house for three years and not once has a window cleaner been round offering his business , so thought there must be a shortage of cleaners in my area. my neighbours window cleaner when i asked him a few months back to price me up (mid terrace total just six windows ) said no chance to busy

the reason you haven't seen a window cleaner coming to a mid terrace is that no-one wants them, unless they have a row of them.
In lowestoft people are paying around a fiver and there is no point unloading ladder or kit, doing a couple of windows then loading back up drive round the back.
Then repeat ther process.
All for a fiver!!  

[Nathanael Jones]

use a ladder properly and you will be fine

Ladders are always a risk,... you can lower the risk by getting trained and using safety devices,.. but you can never get rid of it completely.
The news this week tells of 1 window cleaner in Scotland and 1 in England dead from falls, as well as 2 in New York (Not sure what happened to those guys),.. all very experienced and "safe",.....

Why take the risk?

[doak]

thanks for advice

all food for thought

 

[pingu]

Personally I do not think you need to wait to 'learn' traditional ...sure it's a skill but it can be picked up along the way....

If you're going wfp...just do it...

Dave.

[stig]

ive been trad since i started on my own mate 23yrs ago ..............
although ive never tried waterfed (am spending on it soon though) if i was starting out now like yourself i would go waterfed( if possible ) and learn to trad as u go on.

                                 good luck with what ever you choose.