[ste waddington]

Hi guys. Just signed up to this forum. Im starting up a very small domestic round ( 20 cistomers at present ) but im really nervous about the ladders. Ive not had
much experience with ladders and heights. Is this something you get used to? Also my mates mam wants me to do thier windows
But a couple of them are above a dorma room and im worried about the angle of my ladder. I have a ladder mat and it will be on grass. Silly question but really losing sleep over it.

Another quick one. Because of the dorma there will be a ground floor small top widow i cant reach on foot with lead. Any telescopic pole tips appreciated. How can i detail?

Thanks in advane

Great forum

[Positivity]

Hi guys. Just signed up to this forum. Im starting up a very small domestic round ( 20 cistomers at present ) but im really nervous about the ladders. Ive not had
much experience with ladders and heights. Is this something you get used to?

Yes you do get your "ladder legs" after a while bit like being at sea. I had a break from windows for a few years and I lost my "ladder legs" took a few weeks to get my confidence back.
Be careful - don't take unnecessary risks, don't over reach. Use good ladders not cheapo's.

Also my mates mam wants me to do thier windows
But a couple of them are above a dorma room and im worried about the angle of my ladder. I have a ladder mat and it will be on grass. Silly question but really losing sleep over it.

On grass you would be better without the mat - just drive the ladder into the grass and it wont slip but might sink if your heavy and the ground is soaked.

Another quick one. Because of the dorma there will be a ground floor small top widow i cant reach on foot with lead.

Use a step ladder.

Any telescopic pole tips appreciated.

WFP !!!
How can i detail?

With scrim cloth or microfiber.
Good luck.
P.
Thanks in advane

Great forum

[wpclean]

Don't risk your life using ladders, get a wfp trolley, and pole to start with, you can get lot's of advice on how to get set up on here.

[Aqua Power Solutions]

Ste, as mentioned WFP is far safer with your feet on the ground however there is nothing wrong with the use of ladders if used correctly. Get in touch with a local professional wc and spend a few days with him (FOC) so he can share his experience with you. We can all tell you about ladders have to be at a 75 degree angle , tied off at the top, footed at the bottom ect,ect but in the real world ! At this time of year , surfaces are very slippery so don't risk life or limb by guessing . Ed

[ste waddington]

Cheers guys. Ive a little experience. Been working with a friend of mine for a couple of months but only on the bottoms. He suggested trying to set up.

Wfp is a no go at the mo coz im skint and i dont drve so only on foot so cant carry dtrps. Ill bear it all in mind. Thanks for your help

[TomSE]

If you're not using water fed pole then just explain that dormer windows or any that aren't literally straight up cannot be done, if its a slopped roof etc just explain that its health and safety etc ladders must be straight up at correct angle and you don't want to damage there tiles.

When I started I hated ladders, deliberately targeted bungalows and houses that did not have any sloped roofs/dormas, after a while you stop even thinking about using a ladder as it becomes second nature, I'm now mainly water fed pole and do occasionally get nervous on the odd ladder job as I'm not as used to it now.

Also the best thing to buy in my opinion for bungalows and hard to reach ground floor windows is this http://www.diy.com/nav/build/ladders/stepladders-work-platforms/Abru-Handy-Work-Platform-H-0-5m-9273876?skuId=9283576

That was probably the best thing I bought when I started.

[HampshireWindowCleaning]

I agree with the above post, just build up a bungalow round until you can afford to go wfp, just knock on every bungalow in your areas and with a bit of luck you will get plenty. I did this when I started and was soon doing a grand a month of bungalows, saved up what I could and bought a pure freedom trolley and pole and then started taking on everything.

[ste waddington]

Thankyou for the help. Ill admit i hated every minute on the ladders the other day. Some of the windows were horrendous to reach. There arnt really that many bungalows in my area. It literslly took me 5 hours to do 10 houses because i was paranoid about laddet posistioning. I guess its better to try to be as safe as i can. I just hope i do get used to it. I like the freedom of working for myself.
Thanks guys

[Marc Whitbread]

If you've done 10 houses and only just started on your own to do that in 5 hours is very good! its better to be safe than sorry! you do eventually get used to it but if you cant reach don't hesitate just tell them  you cant do it at the end of the day its your safety not thiers! as other guys have said though once you can get a wfp never have these problems again

Marc

[ste waddington]

Cheers marc. Thanks for the vot in confidece. Got another 10 to do monday, wrathrr permitting. Ill defo look into wfp in the future. Thanks again

[ste waddington]

Do you recommend 2 moving the ladder on large windows to do half then the other half?

[Ian101]

Do you recommend 2 moving the ladder on large windows to do half then the other half?

yes unless u want to risk dying / serious injury .... 3 points of contact at all times

btw 10 houses in 5 hours trad all 1st cleans very good for a newbie .... think I was an hour a house when I first started out

[ste waddington]

Yeah agree thanks alot mate

[Richard Shepherd]

Thankyou for the help. Ill admit i hated every minute on the ladders the other day. Some of the windows were horrendous to reach. There arnt really that many bungalows in my area. It literslly took me 5 hours to do 10 houses because i was paranoid about laddet posistioning. I guess its better to try to be as safe as i can. I just hope i do get used to it. I like the freedom of working for myself.
Thanks guys

Don't mean to sound negative but "if you hated every minute on the ladders" maybe window cleaning isn't your calling.

[ste waddington]

Mo ha dont get me wrong i love the job. Been doing the ground floor windows with my mate for about 5 months. I meant i hated the height. But i know and i will get used to it. I wanna succeed

[alank]

try using a b and q pole about £15 to do the ups until you can get sorted with wfp. we used these with a wagtail for a lot of the work before going wfp. where are you based?

[ste waddington]

Walney island mate. Barrow in furness. Thats quite a good idea. But how do you do detailing with a pole?

[alank]

if you dog ear the squeadgy  bar you wont have to detail much.we used scrim on an angled bar for detailing when using trad poles, on leaded etc we used a microfiber pad or microfiber cloth on a t bar to buff and dry glass after wagtailing, if you look on you tube there is loads about using trad poles with wagtails etc, it is awkward to get used to but you can clean a lot of ups without a ladder if you dont like heights. im in the north east so am too far away to show you how we used to work but it can be done.

[ste waddington]

Ok bd thats great. Ill look into this. Thanks very much