[chas01foxy]

  does anyone do builders cleans and have experience in cleaning the windows with wooden frames covered in hard on plaster and have any tips on how to clean and also can you recommeng good window scrapers i would welcome any help!

[jsm]

run for your life is what I'll say ---

we did years of it in the late 90's on a big scale  100 plus house's on a estate at a time . Looking back never made much money after the agro they give you like the house is ready for you - turn up - is it heck the paint still wet - etc etc

the window cleaning bit isn't to bad , slow as you have to scrape off stickers, cement ( scraches glass like nothing on earth ) and blue tape that they stick round upvc frames .

the cleaning bit - scrape off cement from floor boards , bath toilet , kitchen etc .
then it all looks A1 ,  then the trades come in after getting snagged and saw up / paint on the floor you are cleaing

The best we had was a site manager walk in the front door round the house we had just got cleaned - with his wellies on caked in mud - lets say the air was blue and the mop flew round and beat him round the head - funny never did work for them again 

[Mike_G]

I agree with John, unless you really need the work let someone else have it.

[stevekennedy]

As the song goes...

      "Run to the hills.
                Run for your life!"     

[stephen d]

one more for the give them a wide berth brigade, but if you go ahead always check for scratched glass b4 you begin and inform someone, always ensure glass is wet b4 you start scraping and scrape in one direction,not back and forth

[Ian_Giles]

That blue tape they put around new UPVC frames...................
AAARRRGGGHHH
B l o o d y  stuff is an absolute nightmare, and when it is a little degraded, scratched and so on, it only comes of in iddy widdy little bits
I got well and truly caught out on a new account with that on the windows last month.
3 hours for something I thought would only 30 minutes

Ian

[martin19842]

hi there,

our core business is builders cleans (commercial and domestic house builders), absolutely great,  its all about building a relationship with the site, the construction directors and the build directors

wooden windows are the worst, warm water,detergrent and a 3m non scratch scourer, job done plaster dissolves away.

at the end of the day, we work with the sites so that we are on site at the correct time, and work with the other trades, to save ourselves the hassle that others have had, like wet paint, no water etc.

regarding scrapers, the unger retractable blade scrapers on wet glass are fantastic for a multitude of sins.

also the site 'plastic surgeon' is also great person to get to know, they know all the tricks.

so if you get it right you can make money

regards

martin

[NBwcs]

Whats the best way of dealing with plaster/concrete on the pvc frame. ?

[Andrew Bishop]

Working for builders is good regular money but definitely not easy money! You need to be available at short notice and able to do a great job whatever the hassle. Thats your job after all. Also watch out for dodgy glass, tempered glass with a kite mark in the corner which tinkles when you pass with the scraper. It will get scratched! See my thread from 25th Feb "Scratched tempered glass" for more info. Even the builders and the glaziers may not know the full story on this problem.

[Ian_Giles]

Andrew,
Do another reply and stick a link in for it.
Would like to read that one myself.

Ian

[jsm]

 the sites we went on in essex ( Basildon,  Laindon, Southwoodham Ferreres , was -  get as many house's in as small space as quick as you can  sort of estate's ) no one gave a monky's about anything ,

many a time we went into a house and said to the site manager - you sure you want us to clean it or build it 

hi there,

our core business is builders cleans (commercial and domestic house builders), absolutely great,  its all about building a relationship with the site, the construction directors and the build directors

wooden windows are the worst, warm water,detergrent and a 3m non scratch scourer, job done plaster dissolves away.

at the end of the day, we work with the sites so that we are on site at the correct time, and work with the other trades, to save ourselves the hassle that others have had, like wet paint, no water etc.

regarding scrapers, the unger retractable blade scrapers on wet glass are fantastic for a multitude of sins.

also the site 'plastic surgeon' is also great person to get to know, they know all the tricks.

so if you get it right you can make money

regards

martin