[tradman]

hi guys,

been called to builders cleans on fri. apart from obvious things like sticker removal and general sh!te, what else am i likely to contend with. what do you guys use to remove caked on things like cement, i've read that if your not careful serious scratching of the glass could happen

cheers

[RO-Sheen]

Hi Tradman

To be honest, I dont have much experience as I avoid it like the plague as it takes so long. Much prefer to do regular customers as Im in and out in about 15 minutes.
One thing I will say though.....If you do need to get a scraper on the window make sure the window is kept wet as this prevents the blade from scratching.

[NWH]

And get the main man to sign something in case you scratch the glass,walk him round and say where they might be problems.

[tradman]

cheers guys,

but need answers from experienced guys who actually done builders cleans, seems to me people spend too much time arguing instead of answering a straightforward plea of help

[NWH]

To be honest unless you really need the work i wouldn`t do it,there not worth the hassle.9x10 your cleaning them up for a WFPoler like me.

[tradman]

not very helpful.

[L.J.Thorpe]

plaster,mortar,silicone,paint,
plaster and mortar,wet first then plastic scraper in ONE direction only,lift off glass at end of stroke
silicone,razor scraper one way only
gloss paint,razor scraper
emulsion paint usually comes off with the mop
site agent will explain what is expected of you
wfp is virtually useless for this work
ladders and trad gear only

[L.J.Thorpe]

also you might need a cis card if you are working on a site that is unfinished

[mci services]

cant agree more than lj thorpe, youve also got stickers on frames if thats included depending on what frame is you can try white spirit/turps. i find sugar soap breaks cement based residue down not to badly and if you really want a waiver for scratches ive one downloaded somewhere but off to bed soon so post tomorrow if you want one

just tried to post this and read last post a lot of sites are asking for cscs card now

[L.J.Thorpe]

and dont forget 
hard hat
hi viz vest
steel toecaps
eye protection (optional usually)
remit varies a lot too
i have done glass only and "whole house" cleans before (ie all frames int and ext plus all ext plastic,gutters, fascias,drain pipes,meter boxes,boiler vents,garage doors etc
hope this helps

[edd]

ANYTHING PILKINTON K WALK AWAY AND look on there web site it tells you that you can not
scrape there glass

[stevieg]

hi, stickers, try first just wetting and wait to soak,then try a scraper,dont try solvent first as this can make it worse.    DO clean the window first as loose grit is what scratches ,then wet again and scrape but be very careful ,if you hear a scratching noise stop,clean scraper and re wet.   The worst thing is mastic/silicon, this stuff brings you to tears.It is by its design meant to stay flexible ,scrapers tend to go over new/soft mastic and just smear it into a thin mess. Turps etc dosent work very well ,go to machine mart and get mastic/silicon remover ,i only discovered this after a 13 storey job ,it works.Finally treble what you think! good luck mate.

[gerard mcmanus]

if you haven't qouted it charge double. Because you will find yourself doing allot of scrapping and scrubbing. Traditional mothods will be fine to do it, but you will be ages. Also check your insurance policy if you have one, I am in scotland so its a must for me, but I am not sure if I would still be covered, due to the added dangers.

I have heard allot of people saying stay away from these kind of jobs and to be honnest thats what I have done but you might want to make sure the you are the last person there. No point trying to work around JCB's and so on, they will just be a mess again in a week if they are still kicking up dirt on the site.

good luck mate

gerard 

[twt]

check the pvc doors i had a job which was straight forward enough and flew through it until i got to the doors, someone had put some kind of tape which was reinforced with fabric on the door step and about a metre up the sides to protect the pvc. It took at least two hours to get it off both doors and the little recesses you get in the frames. So have a good look round and just check how well things are stuck as it is much harder to remove things stuck to frames than it is glass.

[WCE]

also you might need a cis card if you are working on a site that is unfinished

It's a cscs card he would need. The main thing I would watch with them is getting paid. They will ether take forever to pay the bill or will just try to fob you off. I am taking a local developer to court at the moment over an unpaid bill for £2500 for a build clean on a block of student flats - Thats the first (and last) time I worked for them. Previously I have and still do worked for all the big names (wimpey, Bovis etc) and they all have one thing in common - they all take forever to pay you.   

[AJ]

soak cement with white vinegar for 10-20 mins depending on thickness, this breaks it down quite well. you will still need a wet scraper to clear it totally, but should help with the scratch risk. get from builders merchants. make sure the glass hasn't got any thing on it ie sunscreen, pilkington product.

[Tosh]

We did a bunch of builders cleans a few months back; we were sub-contracted by the cleaning company who were tasked to clean up the insides of the house.

We did outside only, and because I didn't really want the job, I charged them £60 per house; and that was for about ten windows; including a bay window and an awkward window over a pitched roof.

Two of us could do each house in under an hour, so it worked out as good money for us; and we did one-or-two of them per week; just before the house purchasers moved in.

Then the company said I was too expensive, tried to get another window cleaner who failed to turn up, so asked me to do upstairs only.  They would do the ground floors themselves.

So I charged them £30 per house, for approximately five windows!

But with all the stickers on the frames, sills, and windows, it is a time consuming job; so make sure you price as if you don't want the job; and if you get it; use lots of soapy water and a good scraper blade!

[NWH]

not very helpful.

Not very helpful,it`s the best bit of advise you`ll get and that`s coming from someone that`s done no end of them in the past.Unless you really need the work like i say or are certain to get the job after the builders clean i wouldn`t touch it with a poo stick.It`s to much like working for a living lol.

[tradman]

tosh thats the situation i'm in. subbing to a cleaning firm. what area you? guys you've all been helpful and really appreciate the help. got cscs and cis hi viz etc etc.

[pjulk]

I have done loads of builders cleans especially this year.

I charge a lot of money for them because they always take longer than you think.

You will need as others have said a SCSC card if on site.
You can apply for this online and take your SCSC test at a local driving test centre.

Also its worth getting some overshoes for when you are inside.
Some sites have them that you can use others don't.
A good scraper and new blades take a few blades as they don't seem to last long on builders cleans.

Some sites i have done work on do not allow ladders and if this is the case you will need a normal extension pole with a scraper on top and a WFP system.

If ladders are allowed use them its so much easier.
Don't expect to get paid quick most take a couple of months.
If you get paid within 30 days your doing well.

And if asked to do extra which does happen quite often tell them you will need to quote them for the extra work before you go ahead, Otherwise you probably won't get paid for the extra work.

To be honest it is better sticking to domestics they are a lot less hassle.