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Breaking UPVC window vents

Panorama window cleaning

Active member
Messages
170
Location
Surbiton
Anyone ever knock a customers vent off and break it?

Had a new customer the other day.

I used WFP on his upper windows but as they were really dirty i used a bit more elbow grease than normal and managed to knock the upvc air vent off. It feel to the ground and broke into pieces (i carried on cleaning while thinking well this is going to be a fun one to explain)

I then decided to wash the lower windows WFP as had extra water and was feeling lazy. This time i only just touched the vent and again, it popped off and cracked too.

After inspecting the vents it turned out they were completely perished and brittle from thr sun and crumbled in my fingers.

When i was done i called the customer outside (he's around 80 yrs old) and explained the situation and he was a legend, he just said it didnt surprise him as the windows are really old etc and said nit to worry.

I obviously still felt **** as i knew he wouldn't get up a ladder at his age to replace them so i did the right thing and i said if he can buy 2 new ones (they're only like 6 bucks each) that id be more than happy to get up my ladder and fit them for him.

He just said Thanks and he'll look into it.. so who knows, maybe ill have 20 mins extra work next time ?

Anyway, i dont really want this happening too often... is this an issue you guys face often and are there any tricks or tips you can share apart from just being more gentle?

Sucks when this stuff happens and i know the next person may be more of a "struggling runt".

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I’ve had it a few times - in new builds mainly. On closer inspection they have been fitting with oversized screws or just tightened up too much (usually done with an impact driver). I’ve not had any fall off due to being perished (yet!) just the dreaded water drains at the bottom of the windows that do that!!


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Bot had tbat happen, but your bad experience opens my eyes to a potential problem with older windows. Glad the ols guy took it alright.

 
I had it happen on a little cottage. They were grey and dull, never had it happen before and they were really brittle as you described. One broke off one window. I measured them, ordered 2 from eBay and popped back to fit them. The customer didn't mind at all because I was honest and told him about it. I ordered 2 because otherwise they wouldn't match and for the sake of £6 I saved a customer who has then recommended me to several other people and i'm quids in..... Then the next time I turn up I spot one at the side is snapped at the corner and a little loose. When I replaced the 2 I kept the spare one incase I broke any in the future but had no ladders on me that day so I couldn't replace it for them. I assume the second one was me during the first clean too.

 
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I clean a complex of houses with plastic stick on Georgian dividers. Most times I'm there I'll knock a couple off. I bought a roll of glaziers double sided tape and stick them back on when I'm finished cleaning the windows on the complex. The customers love the fact that I bother to stick them back on. In my mind if I didn't bother I'd have lost all of the customers by now. Price for a roll of tape is £7 ish and time wise to stick them back on is about 10/15 minutes.

 
I clean a complex of houses with plastic stick on Georgian dividers. Most times I'm there I'll knock a couple off. I bought a roll of glaziers double sided tape and stick them back on when I'm finished cleaning the windows on the complex. The customers love the fact that I bother to stick them back on. In my mind if I didn't bother I'd have lost all of the customers by now. Price for a roll of tape is £7 ish and time wise to stick them back on is about 10/15 minutes.




Tuffers does it keep them on for another lot of months ? I’ve a a couple I’ve knocked off and was intending to use tec7 or something to put them on . I think they are originally put on with that tape from what I’ve seen. Saying that there’s been another house looked like tec7 or the likes had been used

 
Tuffers does it keep them on for another lot of months ? I’ve a a couple I’ve knocked off and was intending to use tec7 or something to put them on . I think they are originally put on with that tape from what I’ve seen. Saying that there’s been another house looked like tec7 or the likes had been used


None that I've stuck on have come off. Some of the customers have asked me for some of the tape so they can stick internal strips back on.

 
Done it a few times. Customer is usually OK as old brittle vents so understandable. Got cancelled by one who's since come back on the round. I do offer to change them if I see they are bad when quoting. Most wait untill they actually break.

 
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