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Using Ladders And Difficult To Access Windows?

buzzing

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I have tried to stick to only ground floor bungalows, but this lady asked me to clean two of her 1st floor windows. The one in the back garden shown in the picture is the one I tried. I used my extension pole from my ladder which I put against the fascia or soffit (whichever one) and reached it. Is there no other way to clean it? I used a ladder mat to stabilize the ladder's feet at the bottom on the grass. I worried the standoff might come away from the soffit/fascia and break the window, possibility? The window I cleaned was the one in the bottom right hand picture and the window in top right, and the one I am cleaning with a scrim on pole in top picture as well.

Just didn't feel comfortable doing the whole thing.

Do most people have liability insurance? Is this if they bang their ladder into a customer's Merc or something? Or ladder breaking glass lol?

Is it stupid to climb on roofs and risk breaking tiles? Also, do we need to get on felt roofs (climb up) to get to certain windows?

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? Do you not generally go up a ladder?? Those roof tiles are thin. If you laid your ladder on them at the same angle of the slope of the roof I think you'd still crack a tile. It looks possible to clean the right hand window if you set your ladders against the wooden panels. Do you have ladder mits to protect wood, plastic etc?

 
Where possible stay off the roof tiles nowt worse than doing damage to clients houses it gets you a bad rep very quickly if the roofs damaged

 
good lord man just use a pole from the ground or clean from the inside or not at all
Why, you think the ladder standoff looks dodgy? I cleaned the windows ok I think, it just took forever with the ladder set up!

 
? Do you not generally go up a ladder?? Those roof tiles are thin. If you laid your ladder on them at the same angle of the slope of the roof I think you'd still crack a tile. It looks possible to clean the right hand window if you set your ladders against the wooden panels. Do you have ladder mits to protect wood, plastic etc?
Maybe get some. so put it against the wood and the use the extension pole with left hand! i am right handed though lol My extension pole is just under three metres, is it worth getting a 5 metre one? then i could do it all from ground? I am ok with three metres, but wouldn't five be hard to do a good job with

Regarding tiles, thanks for the tips, they were on another house, but I was thinking of leaning on them at one point!

When you climb up on felt roofs - any tips?, i am on about the roof above the window to the right of ladder in picture- it's a flat roof.

 
I would have put my ladder on the wood & do it from the side or longer pole with a wagtail. As said if your worried about it just say no. Not worth breaking anything just for 1 window. Could you have not done it from inside?

 
You should get yourself a longer pole and a wagtail flipper and do the window from the ground mate, that's how I'm doing windows like that at the moment. Here's an interesting video from one of the forum's users(kips). It inspired me.



Best of luck and keep at it...

Mart.

 
You should get yourself a longer pole and a wagtail flipper and do the window from the ground mate, that's how I'm doing windows like that at the moment. Here's an interesting video from one of the forum's users(kips). It inspired me.



Getting a longer pole sounds like a plan, any recommendations? Anyone with a recommendations? And anyones which break up so can fit in boot.

I have a squeegee which turns to left and right a bit, should I stick with that and chnage it for scrim and then applicator or worth getting one of these wagtails? Anyone recommend somewhere to get a good wagtail?

The poles with the wagtail seemed to bend a lot, my pole is quite rigid, are bendy ones better?

 
It looks like both them windows open fully so just clean it from the inside, it'll save you an age.

With felt roofs, we all go over them for back access etc but you just have to be careful...

 
I t would be 17 feet not 32 feet. 6 metres is about 19 feet. I am 6 foot three so that would be long enough for first floor windows. Would that work?

 
You say you want it to fit in your car boot...what car is this, is it an hatch where you can fold the rear seats down or do you mean just a regular boot ?

I use an Harris pole like the one shown in the video I posted in this thread. Currently £16 from B&Q, 5 metre fully extended but, it wouldn't fit in a boot. It easily fits in my Mondeo with the rear seats down.

I'm 6ft2 and I only need to extend one section of my pole to easily reach 1st floor windows. I thnk you basically need about 12ft of reach if you're 6ft.

Mart.

 
dont you use ladders at all doing trad now mart?
Yes mate, I only use a pole for those awkward windows...above a sloping roof, side windows where the ladder angle would be too steep and, when uneven ground would lead to an uncomfortable footing etc.I actually prefer the ladder since buying my mitts as, I can now prop against the sill which always seems to give a better footing.

Mart.

 

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