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Beast of a conservatory!

ECLM
WCF

Help Support WCF:

One I did recently I used a step ladder which helped a lot. They aren't always suitable but if surface is flat ive found them ok. Any stubborn bits I stuck a scourer on the brush.

 
scottish cleaning service said:
https://www.toptower.co.uk/builders-trestles-red.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8s27_MW26QIVbIBQBh3-fg0wEAQYCCABEgKl5fD_BwE

I have two PT3 ones and put a 3 metre board on top so when I stand on it my arms are above the roof finials. The next thing that you can't do without is an outside tap so if can be flooded with water. I find them easy to do now as long as I can get full access.
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yeh they look handy, prob better suited than a step ladder if surface is not flat. yes always scrub  away with tap water first

ks789 said:
yeh they look handy, prob better suited than a step ladder if surface is not flat. yes always scrub  away with tap water first
Click to expand...
(and dont have to move as much as the steppy)

 
scottish cleaning service said:
https://www.toptower.co.uk/builders-trestles-red.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8s27_MW26QIVbIBQBh3-fg0wEAQYCCABEgKl5fD_BwE

I have two PT3 ones and put a 3 metre board on top so when I stand on it my arms are above the roof finials. The next thing that you can't do without is an outside tap so if can be flooded with water. I find them easy to do now as long as I can get full access.
Click to expand...
That looks good, good idea.  I had been looking at ready made platforms with ladders built into them but didn't know about them trestles, definitely given me fresh ideas, didn't think about just having a platform and using a separate ladder to access it.

 
ks789 said:
yeh they look handy, prob better suited than a step ladder if surface is not flat. yes always scrub  away with tap water first

(and dont have to move as much as the steppy)
Click to expand...


scottish cleaning service said:
https://www.toptower.co.uk/builders-trestles-red.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8s27_MW26QIVbIBQBh3-fg0wEAQYCCABEgKl5fD_BwE

I have two PT3 ones and put a 3 metre board on top so when I stand on it my arms are above the roof finials. The next thing that you can't do without is an outside tap so if can be flooded with water. I find them easy to do now as long as I can get full access.
Click to expand...
Actually you don't need a lot of water unless you're dealing with lots of moss.  That one I did today I just used the 1.4mm jets from gardiners and it was more than ample.  I actually only used 85 litres and that was all three sides, the windows on the conservatory and the porch roof, I actually used about 20 litres just on the conservatory windows at the end when I switched to 2mm jets, so the actual roof and porch roof I probably did it with 65 litres and I wasn't trying to save water.  All you need is a constant flow but you use the brush to drag the bits down and only rinse when there are no bits.

My technique is to mix up a bucket of screwfix degreaser and then dip the brush in the bucket and apply to one side of the roof, I kept dunking the brush in the bucket and apply it to the roof paying particular attention to the struts, working it in but not scrubbing.  Once all the one side is wet then I start scrubbing it all in, in a downwards motion towards the gutter.  After I've done that to the whole side of the roof I then do the same again but with the water flowing.

Cleaning it that way allows the degreaser to eat into the dirt without any water weakening it's effect, you just have to keep it wet.  It's easy on a day like today but on a hot day it dry's quicker so you have to do the same thing but instead of cleaning a whole side in one go you do say 2 panels at a time.

 
Chris34 said:
Actually you don't need a lot of water unless you're dealing with lots of moss.  That one I did today I just used the 1.4mm jets from gardiners and it was more than ample.  I actually only used 85 litres and that was all three sides, the windows on the conservatory and the porch roof, I actually used about 20 litres just on the conservatory windows at the end when I switched to 2mm jets, so the actual roof and porch roof I probably did it with 65 litres and I wasn't trying to save water.  All you need is a constant flow but you use the brush to drag the bits down and only rinse when there are no bits.

My technique is to mix up a bucket of screwfix degreaser and then dip the brush in the bucket and apply to one side of the roof, I kept dunking the brush in the bucket and apply it to the roof paying particular attention to the struts, working it in but not scrubbing.  Once all the one side is wet then I start scrubbing it all in, in a downwards motion towards the gutter.  After I've done that to the whole side of the roof I then do the same again but with the water flowing.

Cleaning it that way allows the degreaser to eat into the dirt without any water weakening it's effect, you just have to keep it wet.  It's easy on a day like today but on a hot day it dry's quicker so you have to do the same thing but instead of cleaning a whole side in one go you do say 2 panels at a time.
Click to expand...
Great advice! Did one today and took 4 hours, massively got quote wrong but wont make the same mistake again.

 
The one I did for £100 should have taken me 2hrs but bits of the conservatory had came off and I decided to fix them back on so that took an hour then the hole in the gutter for the downpipe was 40mm when it should have been 70mm. Went away and got my multitool and that took another hour to cut it and seal around. My customer was delighted and told me to charge more but they are my windy customer so I was happy to do it. Trestles and 3 metre board is the best way by far now looking at a scaffold on wheels so I can move it easily about for my next one.

 
Chris34 said:
It's not the money it's the effort.  I'm not moaning about it, I know its a lot of money but when you have done the actual work it feels like you have earn't that money even though it is a lot of money for a day compared to your average worker.  If they were all like the one side of that conservatory then it would be easy but then the price would be lower, it's the hard to reach parts that warrant the extra effort and price.  The aches and pains you get... it has to be worth it.
Click to expand...
your doing something wrong somewhere.....no way should that job take you 6 and half hours!its a 2 hour job at most mate including the windows no matter how dirty they are....ive done loads like that over the years.....

 
Nick1000 said:
Really struggling with quote for this job. Huge conny, in decent shape, good access and can work from floor. Must be 30 foot long.. what would you price at? Help? Thanks 

View attachment 20462

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I wouldn't take it on for £2000. ?

Horrible things conservatory's. 

If they ever want it demolished, I'd be happy to pay them £2000 in my quest to rid the world of these horrible things.

?

Only joking, i'd charge an hourly rate of £85 and it takes as long as it takes but the last one I did like that took nearly 10 hours of hard graft. 

Good score though! 

 
dazmond said:
your doing something wrong somewhere.....no way should that job take you 6 and half hours!its a 2 hour job at most mate including the windows no matter how dirty they are....ive done loads like that over the years.....
Click to expand...
Tell me about it, I still struggle to work out where I lose the time.  Admittedly 1 hour of that was talking and also had to pack up and go back the next day which is more minutes lost packing up and re-setting up.  Also was the first roof I've done this year so bit rusty.  Still cannot work out where the time went though.  

 
Chris34 said:
Tell me about it, I still struggle to work out where I lose the time.  Admittedly 1 hour of that was talking and also had to pack up and go back the next day which is more minutes lost packing up and re-setting up.  Also was the first roof I've done this year so bit rusty.  Still cannot work out where the time went though.  
Click to expand...
1 hour of chatting?.......?.......I would of chatted for 5 mins while I'm cleaning!

 
dazmond said:
1 hour of chatting?.......?.......I would of chatted for 5 mins while I'm cleaning!
Click to expand...
I'm a chatterbox ? , it wasn't an hour in one go but probably an hour in total.  

There was grass growing in the far corner gutter that you cannot see and it was hard to reach, to top it off there was loads of mud under it and it had chicken wire lining the roof of that part of the gutter, so me and the customer spent a good amount of time trying to remove it.  I let the customer have a go as the chance of me damaging it was higher so let him have a go then just did the best I could.  

At that point though it was the next day and I wasn't in a rush so happy to just take my time, chat.

 

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