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ECLM
WCF

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View attachment 3032 the spikes to be used are not like the ones in your post above, mine are much simpler.just a thick strip of steel that you bolt onto each ladder stile , each has a pointed tip . you only want the spike to protude under the ladder by half an inch, 1 inch at the Very most

if you go onto ebay and type in "ladder spikes" theres usually somebod selling the sort i use . i cant speak highly enough of spikes, iv used them on snow and ice when i used to work alone they allowed me to carry on working. altho if the snow was extra deep i used my trad pole . hey snow, are you going to come this year? you didnt bother me last year .

as regarding how well spikes grip on concrete,well they grip very well . the sharp pointed edges catch hold in the slightest chink in the surface. when im setting up my ladder i look at the ground for a chink in the surface and place one or both spikes into it . if you work alone spikes are absolutely essential. the only time iv found spikes to be a nuisance is if i i have to place my ladders down on a polished surface , which case i throw down a scrim cloth and get my ladder footed . iv only come across such surfaces twice in recent years

 
Huge thanks boarcity ive just ordered some spikes off ladderman.

may need to bother you again when it comes to fitting if thats ok.

cheers mate

ash

 
I swear by ankalad since smurf introduced me to em

Only downside is take a while to set up

But i don't use em on aĺl windows though but has let me do some jobs i wouldn't have entertained without

 
My ladders still have a little movement using the whole triples unextended

Not with the ankalad

 
First off thanks for all replies much appreciated

Sounds like a bloody good tool that ankalad think I'll look into it in the future.

Im going to get some spikes fitted and just be very steady and cautious as im not taking on too much work for a start. Any windows with poor access im not happy about doing ill do with a pole, sod taking risks.

One more question ive found it abit of a clart doing pole work with normal scrubber and squeegee. Considering getting a wagtail as looks more versatile, which would people who use them recommend is the one with scrubber on it any good or anyone reccommend the new one which you can adjust the angle on

cheers

ash

 
i use a seperate Tbar for the scrubbing and a blue wagtail slimline for the squeegeeing. this combo works well on a pole .

in the past iv used wagtails with the scrubber attached but i found they are hard to use on a pole ,hard to squeegee nicely as the mop interferes or drips

it takes a while to get used to doing ladderwork , praps 3 months or 6 months . the apprenticeship period

nontheless it does get easier as time goes on and it then becomes second nature to spot potential risks at each job, as it reoccurs every month you quickly get to know the best way to do any window

 
Thanks boarcity for the help again I can imagine it is a tad annoying squeegeeing with a scrubber dripping on it.

and appreciate comments on ladders ill try and be safe as possible regardless of extra time taken, and hopefully like you say I'll gain confidence and nouse for ladder placement etc

 
Fitted my ladder spikes but could not only leave half to 1 inch protruding due to bottom rung being in way. There is more like 2 and half inch but they are incredibly stable and the instructions showed them fitted the same as I have them so ill keep an eye on them but they are rock solid.

ive got a couple of big country houses to try them out on tomorrow so im all set to go now.

Cheers

ash

 
hi and welcome ash brown:D...i use that kobol back pack off ebay...its great no probs...though it does say the wheels wont last forever and i couldnt understand how to get the backpack straps on not that i would entertain hauling 20 litres on my back!

 


never turned the power up past the first minimum setting no matter how far i extend my pole....good luck ...and keep us informed...

 
Thanks cheap that looks a good option for me then just need a ro system and a decent pole angle adapter brush etc.

im thinking of sticking to trad for a while and raise funds for a good ro system rather than struggling. might look into gutter vac set up also.

Better get out on the ladders this afternoon and sunday all this new tackle isnt going to pay for itself!

Cheers tolish too

ash

 
I have also build a ladder stopper which I trialed last night and works a treat.

It's basically a thick piece of timber which ive cut even notches out of front where stiles fit snugly.

Then I fitted 1 inch dowel to centre and I can slot weight plates on, feel much happier with this and 20kilo of weight on it.

I'll post up some pics when I get a chance.

cheers

ash

 
Been up the ladders today on a big farmhouse, all windows looked like they had snow spray on them where someone had painted walls with spray system.

Several panes were so bad you could hardly see a thing through them, subsequently I spent a lot of time with my 4 inch scraper out.

The upside of this is I've spent a lot of time up in the air and feel much more confident, back on them again tomorrow too so all is good.

The ladder spikes work incredibly well on grass and concrete absolutely no movement cheers boarcity, I've now got a stand off and ive got my first gutter clearing job to price up mon night.

 
yeh i not so keen on paint removal...its very time consuming and risky....so alot of the time i kinda dont see it...

if asked...i would say get the bloo dy painter to get it off....:itwasntme:

sounds like you are doing a great job keep us informed of your progress...:windowcleaner:

 
Hey upnewbie to forum and the window cleaning game.

First off thanks for all the valuable help I've got from lurking this forum for the last month or so.

I've got myself quite well set up for tradding and starting a round on weekends now.

one thing im not very confident on is the ladder ive got a standard end ladder with mitts on stiles and ladder mats for end also I use a 25k olympic rubber plate to prevent slip out.

id like to get a cheap wfp set up for circa £500 with pure water setup thinking of a backpack/ trolley set up. Mainly to do upper windows in awkward places.

Can anyone advise on a set or individual bits to create a full wfp set up to get me started as dont have much more than £500 to invest at the moment.

all advice appreciated as I want this career to work so I can spend more time with my family as a lifestyle change.

cheers

ash

dab hands window cleaning
Click to expand...
Hi Ash. I'm new here too. I was tradding for 13 years but recently switched to wfp. Cheap bayersan backpack and 20ft pole for £190 got me started. Backpack has a good 5 speed controller which can be whacked up full to give thorough rinse. Essential when just starting out!! I got an RO system off gumtree for £40 and some Di resin off eBay for £25. Got a cheap 1000litre IBC tank in the garage which can be filled with pure water and then a Hozelock water butt pump from B&Q for £40 to transfer the water daily to your 25litre containers or as I now have a 250 litre baffled tank in van. Hope this helps!! Good luck!

 

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