carl,
Have you read any posts on DIY 'super light' poles; the Zensorflex comes in 3 ft short sections; it's cheap (£20(ish)), and great for domestic work; easy to do too; a seven year old child could DIY one?
I've banged on enough about these poles, so won't do a big indepth post now; but do a search on this forum for Zensorflex and the Gangster.
I've been using mine for a good few months now; about four maybe; and they're great; no problems at all.