[D.Salkeld_Ltd]

Hi,

I thought I'd mention the way we now work with a poll.

What with the hastle I have had over the past year with EL ins and HSE rules the WFP system seemed like an atractive alternative to ladders.  But...........2 to 6 grand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! put me off (praps cos I am a tight fisted Yorky!!!!!!!!!).

A while ago I bought a 6m standard poll from CLEANTECH.  I tried it on a couple of houses but felt guilty that I hadn't got up there with my ladder and didn't know for sure I had done a good job.  But at the biggining of this month I started using it all the time.  I asked customers to check and amazingly they were quite delighted "That's agood idea, a lot safer for you". After a week or two my confidence has grown.  Last week I bought an Unger Visa Versa and an 8" T bar and sleeve (to give a good bed for the scrim on leaded and georgians) I also found Dogearing the squeegee improved the finish.  Last week 2 of us earned an extra £5 per hour.  This system has cost me only £50.

I havn't written of the WFP idea.  When I am ablolutely convinced that the WFP system works hastle free and is definatly quicker then I am considering making up my own system.  

I went to the Fed Trade Show on Sat and enjoyed it.  I got a few ideas and it was good to see the systems "in the flesh" as it were.

Unlike Justin, I have an established round that takes 2 of us all month to complete so I don't have time to spend muckin around gettin a WFP system working properly.  It has to be right first time and take no longer to do the round in the first clean.

David Salkeld

[Philip Hanson]

Unlike Justin, I have an established round that takes 2 of us all month to complete so I don't have time to spend muckin around gettin a WFP system working properly.  It has to be right first time and take no longer to do the round in the first clean.

You have touched on an important point regarding WFP, it is a skill and takes time to get right.  WFP cannot be introduced quickly.
This time taken needs to be factored into the cost of the the changeover, as does unexpected down-time when things dont go exactly as you expect. (runing out of water for example)

However, with experience it all comes together after a while.

-Philip

[sham33]

Must be me, i find pole work harder than ladder work   I only do it if i really have to.

[D.Salkeld_Ltd]

Must be me, i find pole work harder than ladder work   I only do it if i really have to.

So did I but now I have the hang of it I am quicker and definatly easier.

You have touched on an important point regarding WFP, it is a skill and takes time to get right.  WFP cannot be introduced quickly.
This time taken needs to be factored into the cost of the the changeover, as does unexpected down-time when things dont go exactly as you expect. (runing out of water for example)

However, with experience it all comes together after a while.

perhaps you'r right there Phillip and I probably had a bit of slower working when I decided to use a standard pole but havn't realy noticed.

As I said I havn't written of WFP. Just making sure I know exactly what it takes to get it right.

[matt]

i think a good plan is

if you are going to move over to "WFP" from ladder work, then pick a smallish area of your work, and do it on those houses for a few times, this will mean if your crap at it, the rest of your round will not suffer, and you wont lose all your work

the small area you practise on might not like it (choose a area your not keen on, we all have them) , but you will build up skill and then be able to move on to the rest of your round when you have the "art"

thats what we plan to do

[D.Salkeld_LTD_no2]

Hi all Its the Employee of D.Salkeld LTD just logging in to say that using the pole system we have has made us a lot quicker and safer. We have both had falls from ladders as i am sure you all have, and this system completely eradicates any chance of that happening again. People do satnd and stare, and some even laugh but surely we will be the ones laughing when they fall off their ladders, after all you cant fall off a pole can you?
(well david did) but hey nevermind

Thankyou for your Time
Richard