So… I’m running into these ridiculous town-homes that are built vertically with a garage/mudroom first floor, then two/three more stories above that. My 3-fly 24’ (it says 27’, but it’s not). I work a lot of these with a partner who has a 32’, but we don’t extend it fully in most cases.
A 32’ on my nissan cube is ridiculous, as even a 28 would be, but I can throw a 28 around whereas a 32 is way clumsier and heavier for some reason.
Should I just stick with 2 story work (insured to 3), and roll without a giant ladder, or get the 28 and have most of my bases covered? So far, 95% of my work can be completed with what I have. Many of my high residential can be done sitting in the window, or a pole off of the 24, but am running into more occasions where a 28 would be nice, particularly when you have no choice but to clean them while they are ripping in the sun, whereby pole-work from a ladder gets aggravating. Also, the 3-fly 24’ bends like crazy and feels dangerous. I’d be replacing the 3-fly 24 with a 28.
get the 28 if you have the extra money. I use my 32 often but find that it is too much ladder in most cases i have only done one house as solo op that really needed the 32. but when i worked for a company we needed it often
How often did you need it fully extended working for a company? Right now, between the two of us, have a multi, 16, two 20’s, two 24’s, and a 32. I almost feel a 28 would fill the gap well and not be a monster. BTW, I never have the 32, so it stays on the truck.
at least once a week. we worked on a lot mansions in the hills so we would do 2 - 4 story homes and and they would have foundations 1/2-1 story foundations.
WORD. I just need to save for the goods. In my second year, I’ve teamed up with a 20 year veteran, and pretty much split the bill. At the same time we have our own personal clients. It’s great.
We’re both looking at getting a WFP, but hesitating because long-time clients are used to seeing us steel wool and detail out every pane for every clean.
You should definitely get a 32’ ladder. The aluminum extension ladders I use all the time are a 16’, a 24’ and a 32’. If I need a 40’ I rent it.
The wheelbase of your vehicle is 13 feet. A 32 foot ladder collapses to 16 feet. If you line up the ladder evenly it will only stick past your vehicle on both ends by a foot and a half. Not too bad at all.
Then, get some leg levellers for all your ladders as we have to set up on so many kinds of terrain.
With these you can roll for some time more while saving up for a WFP… if that is a strategy you are contemplating.
Your clients will only raise their eyebrows once… when they see you brushing their windows with pure water. After they see the results, they will not bat an eyelid. This is how it has worked for me.
Every industry advances in technology and tools of the trade change.
if they are yearly customers you should be fine with wfp. i have done houses that look the same even a story taller on the front with wfp and traditional. if you have a lot of houses that look like your pic, you should get a wfp it will save you a ton of time especially when the sun is beating on the glass
Yup. I’ll eventually get a wfp system, but still trad for now. Walking around with a 32 on rocks and hillsides just sucks. The 28 feels like a big 20, whereas a 32 feels like a small 40, if that makes sense…
What about just a trolley backpack or container/pump system for a small investment for just the high ones (maybe only 3rd story)? You could start slowly with it as an option…may not be what you want to do but just another idea.
I made my trolley for around $100 or so. Ive incorporated it slowly into just my 2nd story windows.
I only own 20’ and 28’ extensions (apart from the sectionals and 17’ lg knockoff). I can count on one hand the times where I really should have had a 32’. I always managed to figure out some other way of accessing the windows. But every market is different.
Wfp is an invaluable tool to have, even if only for the really inaccessible windows. You can boost the cleaning power with heat, soap, or even one-restore or a little NaOH (appropriately diluted, of course).
Its at my work location about 1700 mi from me right now But its definitely nothing special like others have built that look professional. A basic collapsible grocery cart, built a small wooden (thats what i want to change) frame for a pump box that sits on the bottom (battery container with small 18ah battery, attached 60 psi 12v pump (no flow controller just a ball valve added at pole hose connection, and simple flip switch for on/off)…Then bungeed (is that a word? I feel like it needs an extra e haha) and top of the pump box I 1st used 5 gallon buckets and then bought a 8 gallon plastic camping container for the main supply. 3/8 hose into supply with small push filter then back through pump reduced to 5/16 pole hose maybe 50 ft. 1st used simple vinyl hose and now have 250’ of wcr clearance for $30 that was great for my needs. And Ill prob go with a 25-40 gallon that stays in the van soon. And maybe bump up to a 100 psi pump. I havent bought a carbon pole yet but thats my next step. I just dont have any 3 story windows as of yet and just picked up a 25’ composite hybrid for $75 that will do nicely. When I go back for my fall quarter in Oct I may post it up. But it does work great and got me into it slowly. I mostly even used rain water to start with and Ive even just bought 4-5 gallons of distilled at times for a days worth of the few 2nd stories I had(maybe 10 or so). It has always cut my time in half on those maintained windows (done annually) so its definitely been worth it for me for the small investment and safety/time savings.
But its definitely nothing special like others have built that look professional. A basic collapsible grocery cart, built a small wooden (thats what i want to change) frame for a pump box that sits on the bottom (battery container with small 18ah battery, attached 60 psi 12v pump (no flow controller just a ball valve added at pole hose connection, and simple flip switch for on/off)…Then bungeed (is that a word? I feel like it needs an extra e haha) and top of the pump box I 1st used 5 gallon buckets and then bought a 8 gallon plastic camping container for the main supply. 3/8 hose into supply with small push filter then back through pump reduced to 5/16 pole hose maybe 50 ft. 1st used simple vinyl hose and now have 250’ of wcr clearance 
for $30 that was great for my needs. And Ill prob go with a 25-40 gallon that stays in the van soon. And maybe bump up to a 100 psi pump. I havent bought a carbon pole yet but thats my next step. I just dont have any 3 story windows as of yet and just picked up a 25’ composite hybrid for $75 that will do nicely. When I go back for my fall quarter in Oct I may post it up. But it does work great and got me into it slowly. I mostly even used rain water to start with and Ive even just bought 4-5 gallons of distilled at times for a days worth of the few 2nd stories I had(maybe 10 or so). It has always cut my time in half on those maintained windows (done annually) so its definitely been worth it for me for the small investment and safety/time savings.
