[AuRavelling79]

This has been my first week with the aquatec trolley and I'm getting the hang of it - but today I had a real problem with one of my commercial customers.

They have a factory with two floors of offices with red coated aluminium frames.

I had spots and runs on many of the windows and got out of it by explaining that this sometimes happens on a first clean due to previously used detergents and muck above the frames. So tomorrow I'm going back to give them a final rinse. (I ran out of battery power for today! )

Problem is I'm not sure what went wrong - this is how I did them:-

Each window set is made up of four panes about 4' high x 3' wide. I brushed top frame and all other frames, immediately brushed glass thoroughly, then put the brush back to the top and let the water "sheet down".

Tomorrow I plan to just brush and wash the glass (avoiding the tops like the plague) before rinsing off trying to avoid the outside framework but including the inside framework (uprights between the panes.)

Am I doing something fundamentally wrong? I've had no complaints from my domestic customers all week and am a bit perplexed.

Help please - Malc G!

[petski2]

Malc,if you do as you said tomorrow and simply avoid the frames you should be ok.Alternately you could give the frames a few rinses to make the job easier on future cleans.Problem there is you could be there all day,although it would be worth it in the long run.
Hope this helps.
Pete

[AuRavelling79]

Thanks Pete - much appreciated!

[Ian_Giles]

if you can reach any of the frames, wet a finger and give the frame a rub, just to check if any of the paint or coating is coming off.
Do they have any vents in the top of the frames?
This can really catch you out So instead of the expression, 'STAY AWAY FROM THE LIGHT!!'
STAY AWAY FROM THE VENTS!

Also, depending on the type of seal between the glass and the frame, muck can gather here and make you look a fool

Wash wash, rinse rinse, make awful swearing noises, mutter darkly about large hammers and extreme violence, and do it all again

Once you have got it right, it all falls into place

Unless the paint has oxidized of course

Ian

[replacement]

Sounds like the Alloy is giving off oxide runs, which happens on old Alloy frames and sometimes on Painted window frames if the paint has been mixed with spirt to make it last longer and apply easy.

When this happens there is no way round it really, and only solution is to NOT CLEAN the TOP part of the FRAME, But as you have the cross section in between the glass keep your fingers crossed this has not oxidized yet, otherwise the results are going to be the same.

I think your be going up that ladder again to clean these.

Good Luck

Justin

[AuRavelling79]

Thanks guys! And if the frames have oxidised?

[replacement]

If they have WFP is no good.

[easycleanwindows]

Not sure justin ive done a couple with oxodised paint and i found if you rinse a couple of times the paint dosent stay on the glass.Bbut it may differ

[Ian_Giles]

Hmm, Oxidization is a tough one, its the top edge that is the real b i t c h.
WFP won't give as good a result as traditional, but you can do a fair job, and it also depends how bad the frames have gone too.
But you may be lucky, it may be that the glazed edge is a little deep, or that there are gaps and so on, if so that will just take patience on your part and a lot of washing and rinsing.

Let us all know what the problem is as soon as you have eliminated all other options.

Ian

[AuRavelling79]

OK Boys - just stopped for late breakfast! Went back early this morning (torch on head job) - bottled out and bladed the ones by the contracts managers desk before he could get in!

Further away but still upstairs I did as you all suggested avoided top, washed, rinsed, washed, rinsed (about 12 litres per window set) not dry when I left, but went up and looked from the inside and no runs and I reckon they'll dry good.

I also noted a few "blown" sealed units that have always been there and left a note on the contract manager's desk pointing these out. Don't want aggro for those!

Managing director's secretary (early bird) says the windows look excellent now - so we're on an up!

Off out again! Scrub-a dub dub!

Big thanks for your help!