Phew!
I almost feel guilty for starting this thread
Ross makes a good point about people making the claim of how fast this or that is when it is only an isolated example and isn't indicative of what the average window cleaner can realistically hope to achieve.
There have been occasions, and my starting this thread of the way I have is I suppose an example, when I have 'bigged up' just how quick WFP can be.
But to counter that I am also constantly citing examples of what the average window cleaner can and should hope to be able to achieve with either method.
I've quoted the 'average' window more times than I can think.
Done trad, your average, reasonably accomplished window cleaner will take 90 seconds to clean the 'average' window.
Done WFP this 'average' window should take you 40 seconds
This isn't a window that hasn't been cleaned in donkey's years.
It isn't covered in bird poo (not many are)
It is your bog standard, regular clean window done monthly.
Those two figures are your benchmark.
The average window is (as I described early, but will do again) about 5 or 6 feet wide and about 4 feet tall.
It will have one narrow opening light above a fairly wide fixed pane.
To the side is the taller opening pane.
This is your standard casement window.
David@St Ives mentioned in another thread that he timed himself at (I think!) 45 seconds for a set of patio doors......bah! I am going to have to open the forum in another window to check that now!
Slightly wrong!
http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=25369.msg191202#msg191202Her is what David posted.
an
I have just done some timing
here goes
All done by trad
Set of patio doors 55 secs
Window with 2 panes 2' * 3' 35 secs
All included a touch of wiping , no window ledges were touched during these tests.
Dave
I agree totally with his findings.
and using those two examples I reckon the vast majority of us will be quite close to those times too.
I always use the example of a standard casement window though, it is fairly generic and all of us know the window I'm talking about.
On that standard casement window, the 90 seconds trad or 40 seconds WFP will still take effort to achieve, it will still take skill to get a good result in those times.
but for any Newbie to either method, that is your benchmark.
That is what you can reasonably hope to achieve.
your average semi done trad will take you about 20 minutes.
done WFP it will take you about 15 minutes.
I think it is petty to carp on about, 'Ah, but what about an old lady tripping over your hose, breaking her hip and dying in hospital.'
There is the potential for this kind of accident to happen, but the likelihood is unlikely in the extreme.
Across the board (all trades and situations) there are thousands of ladder related accidents every single year.
where safety is concerned there really is no comparison between ladders or WFP, such arguments are total non starters.
Ladders are inherently dangerous.
A hosepipe isn't.
Now for me, safety wasn't the main reason for getting into WFP, though it did come into it.
The older I got, the more aware I became of the risks involved in climbing ladders, and of the consequences if things go wrong (for your health)
I was on the verge of packing in window cleaning, after 30 years of climbing ladders I'd had enough, I was 47 years old and I didn't want to be climbing the bloody things when I was 74 years olds (I'll never be able to 'afford' to retire, my pension sucks)
Good idea for a separate thread that....."What was your true underlying reason for taking up WFP?"
Mmmm.....Time for work, but maybe I'll start that one up when I get home!
Ian
Just read Jinky's post......Disagree, a hose across 6ft of pavement is rarely going to be a real risk!!
No time to say more!