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Stoots

  • Posts: 6211
Velux windows/skylights
« on: May 27, 2021, 04:05:34 pm »
Anyone else sick of these fookin things ?

I have maybe a dozen jobs on my round that have them where i need to crack out the 39ft pole.

Honestly i hate the things, towing my balls off with a floppy pole trying to scrub something that just doesnt come up clean without a huge amount of effort.

I went to a first clean today and there was 1 velux high up so i just left it, of course got a message to say ive missed a window and can i do it in future or shall they find someone else ?

Told em to find someone else, just cba with them.

Think im going to dump all work that cant be done with my 25ft pole. I dropped one last week as well where i had to get the step ladder off to access velux on an extenison.

Worse in the summer as well when everything gets welded on with the sun


Splash & dash

  • Posts: 4364
Re: Velux windows/skylights
« Reply #1 on: May 27, 2021, 04:17:33 pm »
Anyone else sick of these fookin things ?

I have maybe a dozen jobs on my round that have them where i need to crack out the 39ft pole.

Honestly i hate the things, towing my balls off with a floppy pole trying to scrub something that just doesnt come up clean without a huge amount of effort.

I went to a first clean today and there was 1 velux high up so i just left it, of course got a message to say ive missed a window and can i do it in future or shall they find someone else ?

Told em to find someone else, just cba with them.

Think im going to dump all work that cant be done with my 25ft pole. I dropped one last week as well where i had to get the step ladder off to access velux on an extenison.

Worse in the summer as well when everything gets welded on with the sun




Sounds strange to me we have never used steps to reach any velux window , hot water removes the backed on bird poo fairly easily , but I agree some can be a pain , you do need a stiff pole  just don’t extend the first section that will stiffen it up a fair bit , or only extend each section half way again this will make it a lot stiffer , but you will need a longer pole .

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
Re: Velux windows/skylights
« Reply #2 on: May 27, 2021, 04:46:37 pm »
Being able to do these makes a trad cleaner redundant if a potential customer has these and sees you cleaning some their window cleaner will be sacked on the spot,and yeah hot water for these all day long to get em looking great.

Slacky

  • Posts: 8278
Re: Velux windows/skylights
« Reply #3 on: May 27, 2021, 05:59:21 pm »
Why moan about it?

They’re charged out £6 a window here.

dazmond

  • Posts: 23966
Re: Velux windows/skylights
« Reply #4 on: May 27, 2021, 06:42:10 pm »
Anyone else sick of these fookin things ?

I have maybe a dozen jobs on my round that have them where i need to crack out the 39ft pole.

Honestly i hate the things, towing my balls off with a floppy pole trying to scrub something that just doesnt come up clean without a huge amount of effort.

I went to a first clean today and there was 1 velux high up so i just left it, of course got a message to say ive missed a window and can i do it in future or shall they find someone else ?

Told em to find someone else, just cba with them.

Think im going to dump all work that cant be done with my 25ft pole. I dropped one last week as well where i had to get the step ladder off to access velux on an extenison.

Worse in the summer as well when everything gets welded on with the sun

get yourself a better pole....IMO you should have an xtreme 35 or 47....it makes them a lot easier.....also most of the jobs i use them on are fairly well priced to factor in using a high level pole....
price higher/work harder!

JandS

  • Posts: 4267
Re: Velux windows/skylights
« Reply #5 on: May 27, 2021, 07:06:55 pm »
I did 6 on a house today and by the time I had done the last one there was already a leaf and some muck on the first.......they're probably dirty again after a couple of days given the angle they are at on the roof....pita.
Impossible done straight away, miracles can take a little longer.

AuRavelling79

  • Posts: 25385
Re: Velux windows/skylights
« Reply #6 on: May 27, 2021, 07:08:11 pm »
I manage expectations and tell customers I can include velux windows but that I cannot aways guarantee to see all the muck from the ground.

They are usually very happy to have them done at all.
It's a game of three halves!

Innocence & Experience

  • Posts: 116
Re: Velux windows/skylights
« Reply #7 on: May 27, 2021, 07:18:48 pm »
Anyone else sick of these fookin things ?

I have maybe a dozen jobs on my round that have them where i need to crack out the 39ft pole.

Honestly i hate the things, towing my balls off with a floppy pole trying to scrub something that just doesnt come up clean without a huge amount of effort.
Its all about good communication from the start - set out your stall as you want it from the start and then there's no confusion - if you don't want to clean velux's dont include them in your stall.
I went to a first clean today and there was 1 velux high up so i just left it, of course got a message to say ive missed a window and can i do it in future or shall they find someone else ?

Told em to find someone else, just cba with them.

Think im going to dump all work that cant be done with my 25ft pole. I dropped one last week as well where i had to get the step ladder off to access velux on an extenison.

Worse in the summer as well when everything gets welded on with the sun



Innocence & Experience

  • Posts: 116
Re: Velux windows/skylights
« Reply #8 on: May 27, 2021, 07:20:11 pm »
Its all about good communication from the start - set out your stall as you want it from the start and then there's no confusion - if you don't want to clean velux's dont include them in your stall.

Bungle

  • Posts: 2390
Re: Velux windows/skylights
« Reply #9 on: May 27, 2021, 07:41:26 pm »
Pita in the winter too as they're always the last window to thaw.
We look at them, they look through them.

tlwcs

  • Posts: 2088
Re: Velux windows/skylights
« Reply #10 on: May 27, 2021, 07:42:36 pm »
I clean them but most of the time the crap is on the insides

tom20001

  • Posts: 766
Re: Velux windows/skylights
« Reply #11 on: May 27, 2021, 07:45:39 pm »
I manage expectations and tell customers I can include velux windows but that I cannot aways guarantee to see all the muck from the ground.

They are usually very happy to have them done at all.

But what you do when your packed up and they tell you there is a small amount of muck on one of them  ?

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
Re: Velux windows/skylights
« Reply #12 on: May 27, 2021, 08:04:37 pm »
If you use cold water use a softer brush they’ll clean up better cold water with a stiffer brush and little pressure can make them look worse. 

Pete Thompson

  • Posts: 960
Re: Velux windows/skylights
« Reply #13 on: May 28, 2021, 12:32:41 am »
I totally get this.

I used to do all velux windows but then, just like you I got sick of having to drag the long pole out.

So I decided to just stop doing any that couldn’t be reached with my 21ft pole, and if any customers complained I’d say that unfortunately I wasn’t doing veluxes anymore because sometimes they swing open with the weight of the pole and water would go inside. Anyone who didn’t like that was free to find someone else. (I have more work than I can do anyway)

But to my surprise, nobody said a word. I guess people were either not noticing or didn’t actually expect them to be done.

That was about 7 months ago, so I think I’m in the clear.

james peters

  • Posts: 950
Re: Velux windows/skylights
« Reply #14 on: May 28, 2021, 07:48:05 am »
I manage expectations and tell customers I can include velux windows but that I cannot aways guarantee to see all the muck from the ground.

They are usually very happy to have them done at all.

This is my approach also. 

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
Re: Velux windows/skylights
« Reply #15 on: May 28, 2021, 12:02:39 pm »
I make sure I do them it’s all part of the job if I can see a window I’ll try and clean it if I need a pole long enough to get to it then I’ll feel I need to buy one,trad cleaners these days on some new houses can only reach a fraction of the windows.

Stoots

  • Posts: 6211
Re: Velux windows/skylights
« Reply #16 on: May 28, 2021, 01:29:35 pm »
cheers chaps

Yes i will just leave them if they cant be reached with the 25ft pole

Binned that one off from the other day, she was insisting i came back to do them...couldnt even see them from the ground so they must be on the roof extension and im not getting ladders out for a £15 house.

I have an slx 39 but its a bendy thing at full length, plus cba dragging it out for a velux window or 2.

I cant charge £6 a velux unfortunately  :o doubt a £15 house will pay an extra £18 for the 3 velux, not a chance.

Anyway its not really a money thing i just dont want to do pita stuff anymore that makes me ache and struggle, im getting too old for that.... i dont do gutters or fsg and stick to just windows for that reason.


AuRavelling79

  • Posts: 25385
Re: Velux windows/skylights
« Reply #17 on: May 29, 2021, 07:11:24 am »
I manage expectations and tell customers I can include velux windows but that I cannot aways guarantee to see all the muck from the ground.

They are usually very happy to have them done at all.

But what you do when your packed up and they tell you there is a small amount of muck on one of them  ?

I'd go back and do it again.

Don't remember it happening though.
Occasionally they will ask me to give one particular roof light a good scrub due to tree sap or bird's muck and I do.

Probably happens once or twice a year.
It's a game of three halves!

tom20001

  • Posts: 766
Re: Velux windows/skylights
« Reply #18 on: May 29, 2021, 12:54:53 pm »
Fair play au79 . Its what makes the world go round in that everyone is different,  i just would not be bothered even at £6 a velux trying to scrub and reach these things up in the attic of these houses. I enjoy the job we do but just stuff like that not for me. I do a decent job rarely have complaints but if i was all wrapped up and got told there is a bit of muck on a window 50 feet away from me that I can barely see i wouldn't be a happy bunny

alank

  • Posts: 648
Re: Velux windows/skylights
« Reply #19 on: May 29, 2021, 01:59:32 pm »
I do any that I can reach with a 25 im looking to an easier working day so I'm not bothered about very high or very awkward windows anymore  ;D