[richywilts]

90 percent of the houses i do are very old most of the windows rattle in the lead i dont think i could ever use a water fed pole on them i prefer to use microfibre cloths damp one to wipe them down and a dry one to polish them up they come up like new some of the mansion houses i clean i have got them because they had window cleaners with water fed poles word is spreading rapidly as all these mansion house owners know each other on my mailshots i actually say i specialize in leaded windows and it is paying off i did a job last week on a massive country estate it took me 4 days to do all the windows by hand i charged them 1250 pounds they were so impressed they have asked me to go back in two weeks to do all the insides at another 1250 pounds i think there is lots of money to be made doing these big old houses by hand

fair play mate nice work

[markheaney2]

thanks i try to do my best after 5 months i am getting into this window cleaning but i must say i am always knackered when i get home i thought it would get easier as i got used to it but no chance i try to just think of the money and soldier on i dont think i can see me doing this when i am 60 i am fifty now

[John Walker]

thanks i try to do my best after 5 months i am getting into this window cleaning but i must say i am always knackered when i get home i thought it would get easier as i got used to it but no chance i try to just think of the money and soldier on i dont think i can see me doing this when i am 60 i am fifty now

Don't worry - I'm 63 and WFPing daily.  I must admit though at the end of some days, I really am tired.  However - it's a nice kind of tired and I really sleep well these days.  Previously in a high stress job - mental tiredness is evil - and causes sleep loss which makes the situation worse.

Stick with it Mark - you've a long way to go yet before you hang up your squeegee!!

[AuRavelling79]

A real window cleaner with half a brain would not use wooden ladders what cave have you been living in ?   

I've only got half a brain and I don't use wooden ladders so it must be true! 

Furthermore I am not a complete idiot - there are parts of me missing!

[geoffreyspecht]

A real window cleaner with half a brain would not use wooden ladders what cave have you been living in ?   

I've only got half a brain and I don't use wooden ladders so it must be true! 

Furthermore I am not a complete idiot - there are parts of me missing!

i used wooden ladders for twenty five years and im a window cleaner

[mikethechamois]

I cant believe that proffesional wcs are using wfp on leaded lights

this property owner knows more about this than you and has gone to someone who will gaurantee that they will only use the right methods to clean

damp scrim and polish

simple as that

[Tom White]

I cant believe that proffesional wcs are using wfp on leaded lights

this property owner knows more about this than you and has gone to someone who will gaurantee that they will only use the right methods to clean

damp scrim and polish

simple as that

LOL!  Haddaway! Leaded windows are a dream with WFP; easy peasy compared with handbashing.

And how would the 'property owner know more' than a window cleaner who does this for a living?  Has the 'property owner' cleaned a large range of different types of leaded windows and noted the outcome for each type, then compared that against his own windows and concluded - based on the results of his experiments - that damp scrim and polish are the only way to clean his windows?

Somehow I seriously doubt that.

[mikethechamois]

yep they clearly know more about this than you and thats why they have gone to someone who will use the methods that suit the construction of their windows not the conveniance of the wc

[markheaney2]

here here

[A & J Owen Window Cleaning]

yeh mate i have a few but dont use as a sales pitch will do next week though 

[markheaney2]

i have purposely targeted these kind of houses within a 30 mile radius of my house because quite often they are big jobs you dont need many of them to keep in work all the time most of them only want cleaning 4 times a year because of the sheer cost i am trying to stay away from terraced houses because of the time moving between them getting round the back etc with the bigger mansion houses there are no obstacles and you work in one place all day plus you get to have your dinner sat in some beautiful garden looking at the views the other thing i have found they are not bothered if it is raining they know you have a job to do and appreciate that and because the windows are recessed into the stone by about a foot they very rarely get wet when you are working in the rain i hope i havent bored you all bye bye

[groundhog]

thanks i try to do my best after 5 months i am getting into this window cleaning but i must say i am always knackered when i get home i thought it would get easier as i got used to it but no chance i try to just think of the money and soldier on i dont think i can see me doing this when i am 60 i am fifty now

I'm not surprised that your always knackered!! your making hard work of the job doing all those windows by hand, get your pole out and wfp them!!!! 

[groundhog]

LOL!  Haddaway! Leaded windows are a dream with WFP; easy peasy compared with handbashing.

And how would the 'property owner know more' than a window cleaner who does this for a living?  Has the 'property owner' cleaned a large range of different types of leaded windows and noted the outcome for each type, then compared that against his own windows and concluded - based on the results of his experiments - that damp scrim and polish are the only way to clean his windows?

Somehow I seriously doubt that.

Exactly!! I use wfp on loads of old houses with leaded lights, and although some of them leak a little bit, most are absolutely fine. Why make hard work of things messing about with a cloth Sure some customers are skeptical when you first turn up and start using a method of cleaning that they are not used too, but they soon get used to it when you have cleaned them a few times!! 

[Londoner]

WFP is great for old leaded windows but you have to be very gentle with them. People have been talking about the fact that they leak - and they do but they also move, sometimes alarmingly.

[mikethechamois]

theres a very good reason that leaded lights leak when they are cleaned with wfp and dont leak with the trad scrim and polish

its the method of construction, the lead or the canes as they are called are cut and soldered to fit the glass, if it was fitted like this the windows would be draughty and leak

so they fill the joints with wax by waxing the panes and scrubbing wax into the canes sealing all the gaps

with the trad method of damp scrim and a polish the canes are kept flat against the glass and the dirt layer that embeds into and protects the wax is left undisturbed

the problem with using wfp is its strengths are its weakness in this case, im not going to go into a commentry on how wfp works, if you use it you dont need me to explain it to you but wfp is a very effective cleaning method, too effective for leaded lights, over a period of time the protective wax is removed and the windows fail

many owners of period properties choose the extra expense of buying and maintaining such a property for the pleasure of living there, they also consider thems custodians rather than owners

the cost of refurbishing these windows is high , so a niche market is created if you have the nouse to take advantage and charge accordingly

you could raise £1 a window to £5 or more per window with the right marketing

alternatively you can wait til the experts are called int to restore the glass and provide evidence that the damage was caused by wfp

its up to you, but I know how I have approached this and didnt need to  share it with you

[groundhog]

with the trad method of damp scrim and a polish

you could raise £1 a window to £5 or more per window with the right marketing

I do charge between £1 and £5 a window, but I use wfp which is 4 times faster than messing about with a cloth!! 

[mikethechamois]

with the trad method of damp scrim and a polish

you could raise £1 a window to £5 or more per window with the right marketing

I do charge between £1 and £5 a window, but I use wfp which is 4 times faster than messing about with a cloth!! 

oh well

you can take a horse to water but you cant make it drink

[markheaney2]

theres a very good reason that leaded lights leak when they are cleaned with wfp and dont leak with the trad scrim and polish

its the method of construction, the lead or the canes as they are called are cut and soldered to fit the glass, if it was fitted like this the windows would be draughty and leak

so they fill the joints with wax by waxing the panes and scrubbing wax into the canes sealing all the gaps

with the trad method of damp scrim and a polish the canes are kept flat against the glass and the dirt layer that embeds into and protects the wax is left undisturbed

the problem with using wfp is its strengths are its weakness in this case, im not going to go into a commentry on how wfp works, if you use it you dont need me to explain it to you but wfp is a very effective cleaning method, too effective for leaded lights, over a period of time the protective wax is removed and the windows fail

many owners of period properties choose the extra expense of buying and maintaining such a property for the pleasure of living there, they also consider thems custodians rather than owners

the cost of refurbishing these windows is high , so a niche market is created if you have the nouse to take advantage and charge accordingly

you could raise £1 a window to £5 or more per window with the right marketing

alternatively you can wait til the experts are called int to restore the glass and provide evidence that the damage was caused by wfp

its up to you, but I know how I have approached this and didnt need to  share it with you

      everything you said i totally agree with i have limited knowledge of window cleaning having only done it for 5 months but in this short time have come to understand everything you have said is true especially that these people know they are only custodians of these lovely old houses and will pay a good price to tradesman who also understand these old houses and what they need to be maintained properly