[Johnny B]

It's been an interesting start to what is for me the most hectic time of the year.

On our way to a builders' clean on Sunday the 1st, my van lost power, cut out completely, and on getting out, there was smoke coming from underneath. Slightly surprised by this as we hadn't smelled it, I told my daughter who was with me to get out and get as far away as she could. I did the same, as there was nothing I could do with the smoke getting worse and worse. A few minutes later it was ablaze, with all our work gear on board, including my ladders. The fire service were called who put out the fire, by which time the van was a burned out shell and the ladders were distorted by the heat.  Bother!

This minor hiccup has prompted me to rethink how to continue. Being a die-hard Luddite, wfp is not for me (yet) so I have decided to remain trad but ladderless. I've got everything needed to proceed by way of poles, and the usual trad gear, so am up and running again.

I do shop fronts in my town, so I am used to trad poling. I have been doing this on residentials for a week or so now, and I am really starting to enjoy it more than when I was on ladders. I was worried about how my residential customers would feel about my not using ladders, and almost no-one has even mentioned it, and of those who have, I have sold the benefits of it being safer, and that I believe the results should be as good as before. An additional benefit that I have also found is that I am actually starting to get faster!

So a less than happy situation has got me really motivated and ready to go at it more than before.

John

[TomCrowther]

Well done for getting on with it. True British spirit.
Using the pole is a real art/ What are you going to do about the upstairs frames/sills? Is second floor work and higher  getting dropped?

[dd]

I would never be able to do a good job of upstairs windows trad using a pole.

If you can then good luck to you.

[Johnny B]

Well done for getting on with it. True British spirit.
Using the pole is a real art/ What are you going to do about the upstairs frames/sills? Is second floor work and higher  getting dropped?

I wipe upper frames with a microfibre draped over a small squeegee. At the moment I can't wipe the sills, but I believe an angle adapter would sort this.

I currently have 3  second floor customers that I want to keep. I need to get a pole that reaches them, but I am on the case with that. I never have (and never will) go any higher than that.

John

[Simon Trapani]

Are you having a laugh? Trad poling all upstairs residential windows? It's like listening to Dazmond 10 years or more ago!

[Johnny B]

Are you having a laugh? Trad poling all upstairs residential windows? It's like listening to Dazmond 10 years or more ago!

Nope. Nothing funny about losing everything in a vehicle fire and having to keep going regardless.

John

[deeege]

It’s a sign John. Take the plunge and invest in a wfp system now, it will be the best thing you did.

[Frankybadboy]

Are you having a laugh? Trad poling all upstairs residential windows? It's like listening to Dazmond 10 years or more ago!

well i am sure Johnny would want a lift and then you could learn somthing at the same time 

[Crystal-clear]

Are you having a laugh? Trad poling all upstairs residential windows? It's like listening to Dazmond 10 years or more ago!

Nope. Nothing funny about losing everything in a vehicle fire and having to keep going regardless.

John

I mean the fire is absolutely crazy was it a slow burner or did it explode like one of those movies from the 80s?
I think what a lot of people are wondering is is it sounds like a lot of rigmarole using this tried pole going about traditionally cleaning windows from the ground.
I gathered you don't want to be water fed pole but but honestly if you can actually do that you would really I'm sure be much happier and make a lot more money after your initial outlay of course.
What is the reason why you don't want to reach and wash?

[Richard iSparkle]

Really unlucky about loosing the van. thats a hard blow to take, especially in the middle of winter,

Well done being able to keep  a positive head on you at this time

I'm happy the trad pole work is working for you

[Simon Trapani]

Are you having a laugh? Trad poling all upstairs residential windows? It's like listening to Dazmond 10 years or more ago!

well i am sure Johnny would want a lift and then you could learn somthing at the same time 

Such as?...

Jonny, bad luck with your van, but I'm sure it's insured as are your tools? Yes payouts possibly take a while & you'll probably take a slight hit.  Main thing is you & your daughter are ok.  I just don't think trad poling upstairs windows is the way to go personally. Just invest in wfp.

[Johnny B]

Are you having a laugh? Trad poling all upstairs residential windows? It's like listening to Dazmond 10 years or more ago!

Nope. Nothing funny about losing everything in a vehicle fire and having to keep going regardless.

John

I mean the fire is absolutely crazy was it a slow burner or did it explode like one of those movies from the 80s?
I think what a lot of people are wondering is is it sounds like a lot of rigmarole using this tried pole going about traditionally cleaning windows from the ground.
I gathered you don't want to be water fed pole but but honestly if you can actually do that you would really I'm sure be much happier and make a lot more money after your initial outlay of course.
What is the reason why you don't want to reach and wash?

It was quite surreal really. The smoke just got worse and worse, then at a safe distance we saw flames flickering underneath, and then it really caught alight after around 5 minutes. I had no means to tackle the fire, so we just watched helplessly as the fire took hold. We heard a couple of bangs, but no real explosions like you see in films.

I'm getting used to poling from the ground, in fact I'm enjoying it more than I thought I would, and it certainly feels, and of course is, safer than using ladders.

I have shied away from water fed pole for a number of reasons:
1) initial outlay
2) hundreds of litres of purified water to be prepared and driven around doesn't appeal to me
3) dragging hoses everywhere and the related trip hazard (where I live people don't look where they are going and it's a compo claim waiting to happen)
4) maintenance costs
5) I don't look to make big money so I'm not into big outlays for equipment purchase/maintenance
6) I don't like change unless there is no choice , but reluctant even then
7) see point 6, I am only confident when I am comfortable with what I do.

I admire anyone who has made the change and have succeeded, but at the moment, it's still not for me.

John

[Johnny B]

Really unlucky about loosing the van. thats a hard blow to take, especially in the middle of winter,

Well done being able to keep  a positive head on you at this time

I'm happy the trad pole work is working for you

Thanks Richard.

John

[Johnny B]

Are you having a laugh? Trad poling all upstairs residential windows? It's like listening to Dazmond 10 years or more ago!

well i am sure Johnny would want a lift and then you could learn somthing at the same time 

Such as?...

Jonny, bad luck with your van, but I'm sure it's insured as are your tools? Yes payouts possibly take a while & you'll probably take a slight hit.  Main thing is you & your daughter are ok.  I just don't think trad poling upstairs windows is the way to go personally. Just invest in wfp.

The van was insured full comprehensive, but was of little value and the insurers have already told me that if the fire was caused by a mechanical or electrical fault, they won't cover it. What else could it have been, I didn't set fire to it? The tools as far as I know were not covered. I totally agree though, that the only thing that mattered was that my daughter and I were safe. Everything else is replaceable.

Thanks for your views on my method Simon. I genuinely respect them.

John

[Frankybadboy]

Are you having a laugh? Trad poling all upstairs residential windows? It's like listening to Dazmond 10 years or more ago!

well i am sure Johnny would want a lift and then you could learn somthing at the same time 

Such as?...

using a pole to trad upstairs,its a art and can be done,

[robert mitchell]

Are you having a laugh? Trad poling all upstairs residential windows? It's like listening to Dazmond 10 years or more ago!

well i am sure Johnny would want a lift and then you could learn somthing at the same time 

Such as?...

Jonny, bad luck with your van, but I'm sure it's insured as are your tools? Yes payouts possibly take a while & you'll probably take a slight hit.  Main thing is you & your daughter are ok.  I just don't think trad poling upstairs windows is the way to go personally. Just invest in wfp.

The van was insured full comprehensive, but was of little value and the insurers have already told me that if the fire was caused by a mechanical or electrical fault, they won't cover it. What else could it have been, I didn't set fire to it? The tools as far as I know were not covered. I totally agree though, that the only thing that mattered was that my daughter and I were safe. Everything else is replaceable.

Thanks for your views on my method Simon. I genuinely respect them.

John

WTF is the point of insurance then ? does it only cover spontaneous combustion ??

[Spruce]

Are you having a laugh? Trad poling all upstairs residential windows? It's like listening to Dazmond 10 years or more ago!

well i am sure Johnny would want a lift and then you could learn somthing at the same time 

Such as?...

Jonny, bad luck with your van, but I'm sure it's insured as are your tools? Yes payouts possibly take a while & you'll probably take a slight hit.  Main thing is you & your daughter are ok.  I just don't think trad poling upstairs windows is the way to go personally. Just invest in wfp.

The van was insured full comprehensive, but was of little value and the insurers have already told me that if the fire was caused by a mechanical or electrical fault, they won't cover it. What else could it have been, I didn't set fire to it? The tools as far as I know were not covered. I totally agree though, that the only thing that mattered was that my daughter and I were safe. Everything else is replaceable.

Thanks for your views on my method Simon. I genuinely respect them.

John

WTF is the point of insurance then ? does it only cover spontaneous combustion ??

Its to cover you in an accident, especially if its your fault and there are injuries to other parties.

We all have access to pay. They valued my wife's Citroen Xsara at £950 when she had a road traffic accident about 5 years ago.  She had a £250 access.  The payout was £700.  She was deemed at fault. With her increased insurance premium on her replacement car of the same make and age, my increased insurance as she was a named driver on my van and my car, the insurance industry recovered that £700 in 2 years. (She had full no claims bonus, but that doesn't mean they won't increase the insurance premium. She is now a higher insurance risk category.)
However, damage to the other car was £7000 according to insurance.

It would be interesting to know what caused Johnny B's van fire. If I remember correctly he had an old Citroen Berlingo. Whilst a petrol leak is more likely to cause a fire, a diesel leak is less likely.

I would doubt it was an oil leak either as switching the engine off didn't stem the smoke.

The only thing I could think of is it's the battery shorting out within itself as it took a while for the flames to ignite.

[Missing Link]

I have shied away from water fed pole for a number of reasons:
1) initial outlay
2) hundreds of litres of purified water to be prepared and driven around doesn't appeal to me
3) dragging hoses everywhere and the related trip hazard (where I live people don't look where they are going and it's a compo claim waiting to happen)
4) maintenance costs
5) I don't look to make big money so I'm not into big outlays for equipment purchase/maintenance
6) I don't like change unless there is no choice , but reluctant even then
7) see point 6, I am only confident when I am comfortable with what I do.

Squeaky Clean used to come out with all this stuff to avoid going WFP.  What he was really frightened of was his customer's perceptions.

Then he had a neck problem, couldn't continue to use ladders - didn't have any other skills - so was forced to go WFP.

It was a stressful time for him but he's still at it; no ladders at all.

[nathankaye]

Ive not read all of the above posts, so i may be repeating.

But well done mate for cracking on!
Also trad polling is really hard to begin with, but once youve mastered it, it is quite beneficial.
Whats your choice of weapons on the end?

But your right in noticing a change in speed.  Your just a couple of steps away from realising how good wfp could be now.

[dazmond]

hard luck johnny.......we ve all had vans that have failed us and have had to be written off(usually at a bad time too)...good news is you and your daughter are fine...

as for the trad poling upper windows,i used to for certain awkward upper windows that couldnt be reached with a ladder but i couldnt clean the frames properly and its slow compared to WFP....

ill give you a few months and you ll be WFP.....ill guarantee it!

a backpack,25ft pole,foldaway trolley and a bungee strap,20m of pole hose,350L tank,submersible pump and a DI vessel and some resin and you ll be able to clean all your upper windows with WFP and trad the ground floors if you still want to keep your hand in with the trad work,you could have your daughter do this while your cleaning the uppers with wfp.....itll be a start....