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[Don Logan]

Hi Guys, I have picked up a cracking job this week but its a bit of a strange customer request.

They have asked me for some information to help prove wfp method dose not rot out windows? 

I have tried to explain about a well maintained window is ok etc but they want to see it in black and white.

Has anyone got any information I can give them please.

Thanks 

 

[Deleted member 7446]

Hi Guys, I have picked up a cracking job this week but its a bit of a strange customer request.

They have asked me for some information to help prove wfp method dose not rot out windows? 

I have tried to explain about a well maintained window is ok etc but they want to see it in black and white.

Has anyone got any information I can give them please.

Thanks 

It's water and wood is porous. Move onto the next customer 

We are window cleaners mate not super sonic scientific molecular erosion specialists 

 

[Pjj]

Sounds like they are going to to troublesome customers best walk away now , I had this years ago with a customer they accused me of rotting out there window frames , I asked them how they stopped the  rain going on the frames for yeas on a regular basis , what we put on them evaporates in a couple of hours in a bad day and in a good day after a couple of muinits, they wanted me to trad them , just never went back 

 

[Part Timer]

Hi Guys, I have picked up a cracking job this week but its a bit of a strange customer request.

They have asked me for some information to help prove wfp method dose not rot out windows? 

I have tried to explain about a well maintained window is ok etc but they want to see it in black and white.

Has anyone got any information I can give them please.

Thanks 

If the job is big enough them send them the info. If it's a small job, less than a £100 a month is it really worth it

 

[Pjj]

If the job is big enough them send them the info. If it's a small job, less than a £100 a month is it really worth it

I would say it’s not worth it regardless of price if the slightest bit of paint comes off or anything happens with rot they will straight away blame him best to walk away and move on there are plenty more jobs out there that are straight forward and no hassle.

 

[Part Timer]

I would say it’s not worth it regardless of price if the slightest bit of paint comes off or anything happens with rot they will straight away blame him best to walk away and move on there are plenty more jobs out there that are straight forward and no hassle.

That's your opinion not mine. Why do you have to lecture people on their business model. Not everyone on here easily earns £100 an hour. You really need to wind your neck in, starting to think you're a Green Pro clone. Start advising people, not lecturing them 

 

[Pjj]

That's your opinion not mine. Why do you have to lecture people on their business model. Not everyone on here easily earns £100 an hour. You really need to wind your neck in, starting to think you're a Green Pro clone. Start advising people, not lecturing them 

Ime not lecturing anyone just saying customers like this usually lead to problems so don’t bother with them . What ones do is up to them by  the time you have found the relevant information explained it to them and they have faffed about deciding if the want the job done wfp or not you could have cleaned a handful of other normal peoples properties. 

 

[Chris33]

I would say it’s not worth it regardless of price if the slightest bit of paint comes off or anything happens with rot they will straight away blame him best to walk away and move on there are plenty more jobs out there that are straight forward and no hassle.

Agree. Bigger job also more loss financially when they move on undoubtedly. Focus on work that you feel will be hopefully around for a while.

 

[Skxawng]

Hi Guys, I have picked up a cracking job this week but its a bit of a strange customer request.

They have asked me for some information to help prove wfp method dose not rot out windows? 

I have tried to explain about a well maintained window is ok etc but they want to see it in black and white.

Has anyone got any information I can give them please.

Thanks 

If they're worried about rot and its a painted frame, then cleaning the frames thoroughly with a wfp brush will actually help prevent them from rotting. A big cause of rotting is water getting trapped under flakes of paint and under debris and dirt. When they're cleaned thoroughly it removes the loose flakes and debris and allows them to dry out properly when they inevitably get wet in the rain. The 20 mins of moisture once a month from cleaning is negligible. 

I clean a very large house where they only live in half of it as its still under construction (and has been for about 20 years!) They have massive 30' high windows with cream wooden painted frames that were last painted around a decade ago. I clean two on the East Side and they look almost perfect apart from a little wear on the edges. I don't clean the two on the West Side as it's still unoccupied and the paint is all coming off and the sills are rotting. The only difference is one set is being cleaned once a month with a wfp.

This is anecdotal I realise, but I don't think there have been any systematic studies of the effects of wpf window cleaning on wooden frames as far as I know. 

 

[Davy G]

The prospect customer is looking for guarantees that the wfp system will do no harm and he wants it in writing. It's an impossible thing to prove either way. He will almost certainly be looking for the slightest excuse to cause problems. Sounds to me like he's up his own exhaust. I would say politely "sorry it's not a job for me," Then I'd turn on my heel, get in the van and drive away counting my blessings that I dodged a rum un.

 

[spruce]

Hi Guys, I have picked up a cracking job this week but its a bit of a strange customer request.

They have asked me for some information to help prove wfp method dose not rot out windows? 

I have tried to explain about a well maintained window is ok etc but they want to see it in black and white.

Has anyone got any information I can give them please.

Thanks 

In other words, they want you to assure them that wfp will not rot their frames and put that assurance in writing. He is wasting your time IMO.

All water will eventually rot wood. Hardwood will take longer to rot than softwood. To protect the wood a barrier is painted on over the wood, but over time it has to be replaced. The weak spot is where the glass window pane meets the wood frame. Both expand and contract at different rates and the paint seal will quickly break down allowing waste ingress.

Wind will also cause movement in the window frames.

Another place for water to get in is at the joins of the window frame, especially at sill level, no matter how well the joins are made.

Damp can also be transmitted from a damp brick wall in the frame and cause roof from the inside out as will condensation, both from inside and outside.

The sun's rays will also break down the barrier coat.

We clean windows every 6 to 8 weeks. The weather will attack that window every day in one form or another.

This is not a customer I would want to get involved with.

I wonder if he will ask a trad cleaner for the same assurance? He should as soapy water will also be a source of concern to him. A ladder up against the window sills will also cause damage to the paint work.

 

[Cleanco]

Just clean them trad and double the price?

 

[spruce]

Over the years we have been accused of causing rot to already rotten window frames on a couple of instances. If I had a new customer making the same request as the op has written, I would just 'walk away.' You can't make guarantees like this and put them in writing.

We still have a few customer's with wooden window frames. The one is a street house on the high street. The customer lives abroad. I recently sent her photos of the frames and she got someone to patch them up and says she will have them repainted in summer. If I see issues I report them as soon as I see them. Is this wasting my time? Yes, but she is an old customer and I don't mind keeping a watchful eye open as it does absolve me of any blame. It also helps my reputation.

The other's are a couple of council places and the last is a Victorian street house which the customer regularly maintains.

 

[Jaygti]

I always answer the same to these types of question. 
 If you need the money , or the work then try and sort it. 
If your full then move on. 

 

[HWCS]

1 word: RAIN

2 more words: crack pots

3 more words: avoid avoid avoid

???????

 

[Iron Giant]

I used to do a job that got rid of the upvc windows and had solid oak windows installed as well as some big bifold doors made out of oak as well the finish on the windows didn't look that great or robust no different to a finish you'd see on furniture and the wooden beading around the windows was quite deep within months you could see the finish on the lower bead on all the windows and bifold doors was showing signs of the finish deteriorating as the water would just sit on the bottom bead I did swipe the water away as best I could, 

The customer never mentioned anything to me and they were at home 9/10 times, you could see the bottom bead had been varnished or something overtime but they never looked any better, each time I went I was expecting them to say something but they never did, this all happened within the first few months I probably continued with the job for about a year then came to the decision that I no longer wanted to do the job. 

 

[Deleted member 7446]

Just walk away mate. Why don't you ask them what their preventive maintenance is. Ask them how often it rains as it'll be more than window cleans.

It's really a common sense approach in my opinion. They want to shift blame and liability it's not worth the money or time and they'll probably call you every week to say they have spotting or poor cleans 

 

[Martyn]

Don't think I have ever seen anything that could be taken as official. We all know that it rains hundreds of times in a year so a handful of WFP cleans is meaningless in the great scheme of things, but proving that to a potential customer is something else.

 

[Don Logan]

Update I have said I cant provide  the information they have asked they said that's fine we will try a different company.

Thanks for quoting. Never mind to be honest when they asked I thought this job will be a nightmare. 

 

[Deleted member 7446]

Don't think I have ever seen anything that could be taken as official. We all know that it rains hundreds of times in a year so a handful of WFP cleans is meaningless in the great scheme of things, but proving that to a potential customer is something else.

She doesn't know about trampling over her prized in bloom lawn. Smashed plant pots from snagged hose or ripped roses by your trousers brushing past them. 

Probably a customer with a garden full of dog 5hit 

 

[Jaygti]

I’ve no idea if this is correct, but I would imagine that pure water is better for wooden frames than the soap and chemicals that trad cleaners use. ????