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Pole work and detailing

DannyB

Member
Messages
117
Hi everyone,

While wagtailing the above-ground-floor windows using the pole, you have plenty of opportunities to leave some soap underneath the top of window frame or, on the contrary, by its very bottom. And you will often leave the soap also anywhere else on the window pane, especially if the pane is too small for your rubber blade manoeuvring or if the blade judders in an almost right angle towards the window pane. So, "in otherwise the same circumstances" there is much more need for detailing while doing the pole work than while using a squeegee handle on the ground floor (or, actually, also anywhere else, if you are standing on the ladder).

So, how would you go about the detailing after using a wagtail (or any other) squeegee mounted on the pole?

Would you detail immediately after using the squeegee, or would you first leave the remaining soap dry on the window pane?

Would you detail in a one go, or would you apply several stages of detailing?

What sort of material would you prefer to use for the detailing and why? Microfibre, scrim, chamois? Or even a sponge? Dry or wet? And if wet, would you use a tap water, rain water or de-ionised water to wet it?

And last but not least, what pole-mounted tool would you use as a carrier of the detailing material? A T-bar?

Any valid experience will be most appreciated.

 
Modify your wagtail and then you dont need to detail otherwise until you get the skill use a dry microfibre cloth if theres something left on the pane

 
Cheers mate. My Wagtail is modified, and I miss a lot anyway. And I am quite sure I would need to detail a lot even if I used a Wagtail with the Liquidator squeegee channel.

 
And my guess is many tradders still do a lot of ladder work precisely because they don't know how to effectively detail using the pole.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I have broken my modded wagtail handle so have to order a new one consequently i can't do a vid myself at the moment

I have a spare bit of time tomorrow afternoon so i will do one with my moerman swivel handle and liquidator to show the technique to 0 detail

The best way is to learn on high ground floor windows and then gradually work higher

Bobs technique in this vid of doing the sides first then the middle on bigger glass really works

[media]

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To be honest Danny if you keep practicing with the pole you will get to a stage where there is minimal detailing or none at all I know cos I was **** a few week ago now I can sometimes walk away with just a wipe on the bottom edge I also think the less water you can get away with helps as your not soaking everything

 
Traditional Window Cleaning at Height – Tutorial Video 3 - UNGER

would this help ,notice how when hes cleaning windows ,when he mops the window he leaves a little gap between the mop and the frame so no soapy suds are left on the window frame on the top left and right of the frame .added with the fact the squeegee or wagtail is modified there should be very little to do , after I do this I wrap cloth round end of pole with an angle adapter held in place with a clip and wipe the sills .

 
It is a case of practice practice practice

If you can't get the hang of it straight away get a 0° swiveloc handle and use that also

It means applicating seperately but before Bob Hatt's cracking advice while chatting and watching his vids i had never used a wagtail up until last summer and had taught myself with a 0° swiveloc handle

I can wag perfectly on a pole now and never detail but i reckon a swiveloc does a better job..just means constantly bringing the pole down to swap tools which in summer is not always quick enough to avoid drying on the glass

 
I have broken my modded wagtail handle so have to order a new one consequently i can't do a vid myself at the momentI have a spare bit of time tomorrow afternoon so i will do one with my moerman swivel handle and liquidator to show the technique to 0 detail

The best way is to learn on high ground floor windows and then gradually work higher

Bobs technique in this vid of doing the sides first then the middle on bigger glass really works

[media]

I cant find polz an bladz on youtube any more has he taken them all down ???

 
He had problems with youtube and lost them all (long storey)

He has some on there now but not the same as his old ones

It is under polzn bladz

 
Mid feb he came back

Glad he did too as it's a bit boring on youtube without him

I first spoke to him a couple of years ago through youtube and now consider him to be a mate

Too many idiots on youtube were digging at him and being insulting purely because they thought they knew better

If you don't agree that is your opinion but no need to insult a guy and get personal when he did the vids to try and help people

He didn't have to but wanted to help others

Some people are arseholes

 
Yes it's sad when you're trying to help people and it gets thrown back in your face I think he got five up on YouTube now was looking today

 
Mid feb he came backGlad he did too as it's a bit boring on youtube without him

I first spoke to him a couple of years ago through youtube and now consider him to be a mate

Too many idiots on youtube were digging at him and being insulting purely because they thought they knew better

If you don't agree that is your opinion but no need to insult a guy and get personal when he did the vids to try and help people

He didn't have to but wanted to help others

Some people are arseholes
yeah I saw a while back he was getting some stick ,but he was really good and was really helpful ,I don't understand people sometimes why have a go at someone whos was trying to help .like you said he didn't have too ,but he was really sound guy .

 
yeah I saw a while back he was getting some stick ,but he was really good and was really helpful ,I don't understand people sometimes why have a go at someone whos was trying to help .like you said he didn't have too ,but he was really sound guy .
If you saw him getting grief then you would have seen my comments on there also..always used to have a go at them idiots

 

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