This is not intended to be another ladder war. I need opinions of seasoned pros. I am a long time window tinter who began window cleaning 2 years ago. I would like to transition to sectionals but how would i use sectionals in this case. These windows are 60 1/2 x 92 1/2. I tinted them by myself with a 22’ and 26’ multi ladder moving back and forth as i installed. Please keep your safety issues to yourself. ladder safety is all about balance and careful footing. This was a very careful operation. Anyway the 26’ was returned to the store due to its weight and difficult setup. With window film you need access to the whole pane without moving a ladder.
at the risk of igniting world ladder war III, i’ll go ahead and comment. the setup you posted would not necessarily have benefitted from sectionals. two 24’s would have done it, or a 20’ and a 24’ or two 6’ sections and a 4’ section or any number of other combinations.
sectionals are not a one-size-fits-all solution. imho, if you use extensions, little giants or sectionals exlcusively- you are selling yourself short. they all have a place, they all are extremely useful in certain situations, and if you have all three you are literally unstoppable: you can work at max efficiency in any scenario (excluding situations where wfp’s are the best option).
i have extensive experience with every single form of elevated access tool and i would rank them this way, from most useful to least useful (and would acquire them in this order asap, were i starting fresh in the biz):
extension ladder
sectional
wfp
hydraulic lift
little giant or similar
the real +1 of sectionals is their versatility and ease of use indoors, in tight quarters. i’ve only had a set for about the last two seasons (in biz for 13 years) and i wish i had bought them on day one. having said that, i would never outfit a truck without at least a 24’ extension.
gotta be mitts. towels secured by duct tape look janky, like you can’t afford $8 for the mitts. i hate it when i see painters doing that. and using the budget white masking tape. spend $20 and mask the whole job with the blue stuff! crap, i’ll pay you $20 to mask with the blue tape.
yeah, we do the same. especially flat white paint, which is all the rage in the high-end homes you and i work in. gotta have mitts though. it’s all about appearance with those people. any sign of duct tape is a red flag. it screams “hillbilly fix”
I knew that someone would point this out as I was ill prepared that morning. The wall was textured and ladder did not leave marks. I always uses standoff bar with socks on the end. That didnt work here and I forgot the socks. Wasnt about to take mine off besides I only have 2 feet.
Would have prefered scaffolding but the dude told me a 10 foot stepladder would reach. I bought the mt-26 the night before. He wanted the job done now so no time for preperation. I suppose the film was to keep his $8000 antler chandelier from fading.
If you were going to use sectionals just for tint work I would say no. Being that you do windows also, yes I would get a set, I’m sure you will find use also for doing tint work. Don’t forget you can put stand-offs on sectionals also they come in handy once in a while .
Patrick, I suggest that you watch all the sectional videos that [MENTION=327]Dangerous[/MENTION] made. Whether you like him or the way he presents himself or not he spent a lot of time and effort on them and I think they are excellent. You can put Werner mitts on the top of any open section or use a stand off and use the sectionals just like you show in the picture.
Good info on this thread.
[MENTION=4561]de.fuller[/MENTION] watched the videos many times. I fully intended to buy sectionals this job has made me think twice. Great info guys thanks.
