I am not really sold on wfp for resi work. I don’t see the results as living up to our quality standards. I see wfp more of a solution to commercial/mid rise work - hence - I do not own a wfp setup.
I thought the same way, but used properly, pure water and a WFP will provide results that meet your standards.
Shawn,
I see things the same way…There are lots of residences that don’t take to wfpoles but any that do I’m more than willing to use it there…I meaning the glass and frames.
So as you said there are those that don’t finish well with the wfp and I’m into quality as a final result, and not just getting through things quickly !
There are those here who use it on 100% of their job and personally I can’t see how that works unless your doing the same type windows and frames…I’ve only been using the wfp with DI for over 21 years so I’ve come upon almost every kind of window.
So I’m presuming your only doing residential ? Your right about commercial but even there one needs to be aware whether the glass will adhere to wfp…Anytime I can, I’ll wfp. I think you should go after commercial work if you don’t, it certainly will help boost your revenue.
Dangie
we use our 40 ft all the time, sometimes we have to take it off the truck for ONE window!!
There you go Yawl ,
Sharen a “Daughter of Ettore” at work …Just an everyday thang . That shows it should be S.O.P. , to be able to utilize all the tools of the industry to get the job done !
Way to go Sharen, just got my WCBO today and really like the article about you and your business Thumbs up… 
Dange
The company where i learned to window clean had us using a 48 footer on a regular basis. I have spent entire days lugging that thing around. Believe me after that a 40 footer feels like childs play. Sometimes you got to use these big ladders to get things done. As far as falling off the bigger ladder talk… doesnt make much sense to me. The ladder height has no bearing on how you should approach climbing it. All ladders are dangerous and should be treated with care. If you can use a lift then I would definetly do it. At he end of the day just be safe guys.
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Way to go Russ, some very wise points presented by you !
Dangie
W.F.P. you won’t be sorry
Ab$olutely, and we tell our cu$tomer$ that it get$ expen$ive when the big dog come$ out
Been my experience that a 40’er weighs enough that it feels stable when climbing. Mine doesn’t move, shake, rattle or roll when set up properly
Thanks for the input!! After taking another look and talking with the condo association I’ll be using a ladder (they don’t want to take the screens off and the section that’s 4 stories I will do the exteriors from the inside). I will however be buying a wfp set up for future use. To those who don’t like it for resi…why don’t you? Can the lack of quality cleaning be made up for with practice and skill?
I have owned a WFP since the mid 1990’s. They are a tool. Do you use the same squeegee on every job? Doing resi work, I will use my wfp on the outside for difficult or time consuming windows. For example, I have attached a pic of a resi we did where the roof was steep and slick enough, I had to run a rope over the roof tied off at both ends and tether a safety line so I could walk the roof. The house had been painted so I had to scrape overspray from the glass. I spent nearly 1 1/2 hours doing 3 windows. Then I got to move to the other end of the house and do the same.
Since I now know the glass is clear, I will use the wfp to do these and let the inside cleaner touch up any runs or spots. Many times resi work will have dirt, paint and debris that wfp won’t remove, and you need to put hand to glass to get the job done the first time.
I double posted…sorry
Good to see I’m not the only one who hates 40’ers.
As far as the falling from that height deal goes – no, it might not make much of a difference versus a fall from a shorter ladder but when you’re up there looking down it sure [I]feels[/I] like it will…and that’s all that matters. I feel safe doing jumping jacks on the top of a 20ft, but after 25ish feet things start to get really uncomfortable, really quickly.
I’d go with WFP or a lift if it’s still profitable to do so.
we used to own a 48ft ladder…it was the beast but it got the job done. 5 stories high. but eventually we sold it. Not enough jobs to keep it. 40ft ladders are fine as long as the bottom is leveled out
