Some questions regarding doing residential without WFP

system · April 9, 2015, 10:34pm

Can you fann high windows with a pole and squeegee? I can…

system · April 9, 2015, 10:37pm

Keep em on his toes blue sky…

Tony_C · April 9, 2015, 11:19pm

Why do you think I’m not good with that gear? I’ve been doing this for 24 years. I’ve only had my pure water system for about 4. I just don’t like to hear people say it doesn’t work.

BostonMike · April 10, 2015, 4:30am

Michael: I agree totally! If a home can’t be done with a WFP I don’t take them on as a customer. I get the funny feeling sometimes that they’re not happy even though the windows look great. They never complain.

Majestic66 · April 10, 2015, 4:52am

JMWindowJoe:

I am proficient with a WFP, I own one. I usually only use it on commercial properties for hard to get windows or big sections with a lot of frames. The only time I use it on residentials is for cut-up windows, for those it is a big advantage.

The reason I don’t use it for normal residential windows, besides my preference of being right on the glass, is that if I were not going to do the outside windows on ladders, I would use a regular extension pole with a mop and squeegee instead of a WFP. I do a great job with extension poles (I own two 40’ers/ some 30’ and 24’ poles).

So if you are imploring people to take the time to become proficient with WFPs, why not become proficient with regular mop and squeegee on regular poles? They are easy to travel with, set up, and don’t require filters or hoses, and you can get a pair of 24’ers for around $80.

Because I can clean a window faster with a wfp than a garlick pole. Same results !!!

Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Resource mobile app.

Window_Spas · April 10, 2015, 5:19am

Can’t be explained much better then that ! We are on so the same page about WFP use.

Shemsuddin:

I was just thinking about this while cleaning a house today. In the newbie forum someone asked if they should get a

I bought a wfp system a few months after I started, which was August of 2012. I really didn’t know the science, nor did I think that it worked better or worse than traditional methods - I mean, I was only cleaning windows for two months before I got the system, so what could I know?!

What I did see was two things at that time:

1.) I could access a house that I had just gotten hired to clean that was waaaay out of my skillset and ability at that point. But, with 32’ of pole (a Reach iT Mini and an XT) I could reach the peak of this Deltec home that is built on pilings, landscaped with moon rocks on a slope. No safe and stable place for ladders, no matter the length. With a wfp I could see how to do it… I still do this home every six months.

2.) Although the extent of which I couldn’t know at the time, I have reduced my ladder use by, I don’t know, say 80%. My extension ladder or 22’ Little Giant comes off my truck about once a month now.

Now here is the thingy with this ladder use - I am well aware that ladders are part of what we do. I use them, can handle them, can raise and lower them properly and have stabilizers, a Foot-The-Ladder, I tie my ladders down, too. I ain’t scurred, is what I am saying here. What is in my mind, though, is that I am approaching fifty. Now when I was younger, let me climb like a chimpanzee, but a few years has made me appreciate the ground and having both feet on it as much as possible.

The house I did today has three window dormers set back on a steep roof. Nothing too high, and the ground is asphalt in front of it - but the glass is too far to reach without a dangerously raked angle on the ladder. So that leaves using a pole on a ladder. Ok, I can do that, no problem. But the alternative is far superior: extend the water fed pole, get a good brush angle, then clean. A total of four to five minutes spent on those three windows, How much time saving is that? (That’s $18.00 in five minutes for the exterior of three double hungs - that’s all I will say about the financial benefit of a wfp) A proper ladder set is going to take that long before I get to cleaning. These are large windows, though, so probably need two sets. The glass was left perfect - no drips, no runs, no detail marks, no white chalk from oxidized frames, or squeegee ghosts from working in the sun - just residue free clean glass with immaculate corners and edges. This is the why of residential wfp in a nutshell.

It has taken awhile to get consistent results that don’t require a whole lot of touch-up afterwards. But I am proficient at this point to where on a typical $400.00 house I may have one or two windows that have drips - and those are easily solved by a microfiber pad with a little alcohol water spritzed on it - 30 seconds of work. I still run into really difficult situations and I am glad to be figuring them out on the ground. Once I get the know how on doing challenging glass, I have that in my bag of tricks.

WFP isn’t for everything. First floor homes and commercial properties where you get out with a tool belt, cleaning solution and a small Little Giant and go to town - love motoring through a pile of glass with a blade - I mean damn, it took me long enough to get good with it!! And besides, why set up and break down the daggone thing if it isn’t needed? Other places where the runoff is a no no. CCU - useless, unless as perhaps a finish clean if the glass was stupid dirty and soiled.

One last thing. WFP has made me much smarter about high inside glass and skylights. For one thing, I have gotten stronger in my shoulders and arms, and can manage a pole much better if I squeegee inside. Or, better yet, I use the wfp pole, microfiber pads, and alcohol water and clean glass that I have previously cleaned in seconds. Really, seconds. So Joe, “Besides, you’ll need section ladders inside the houses for high foyer and living room windows anyway right?” Not necessarily. Maybe the first time if the glass has never been cleaned, but no, not always.

Fitting into a Fiesta? Might depend on your source water, Low TDS means a deionization tank. I have a .5 cubic foot tank that lasts me more than a year and takes no room. High TDS you might need multi-stage filtration and be challenged with the limited space. You can use DI in high TDS areas, you’ll just burn through your resins quickly. A good residential pole will collapse to 4.5’. I have a Reach iT Mini, as I mentioned. It’s a great work horse and Perry and WCR will provide you with exquisite service after the sale.

Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Resource

ProWindowCleaning · April 10, 2015, 6:45am

She said she liked that I had a uniform on, and that’s what I was wearing…

Mike Radzik
Pro Window Cleaning
Central Massachusetts

Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Resource

Atlas1 · April 11, 2015, 4:14pm

Good to know. Thank you!

Jesse
Atlas Services - Exterior Cleaning Specialists
North Carolina
www.CallAtlas.com

Majestic66 · April 11, 2015, 8:21pm

Joshua, you have a separate trolley set up with a solution mix in it. So you use two back packs one for applying soap an on for rinsing. Correct me if I’m wrong.

Pure_Water_Window_Cl · April 11, 2015, 8:58pm

Hey Michael!

You are correct.

However, in most cases if I need as much scrubbing and soap power as we’re talking about I like to be plugged into a water supply to get as much water on the glass as possible.

Majestic66 · April 11, 2015, 9:18pm

That’s cool might use that process on this building. Real dirty. How high have you ever gone with your back pack.

Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Resource mobile app.

Pure_Water_Window_Cl · April 11, 2015, 9:42pm

I’ve gone 6 stories. I use a Shurflo backpack trolley and the Gardiner Version 2.

Sent from my SHIELD Tablet using Window Cleaning Resource mobile app

danwagner · April 11, 2015, 10:23pm

I finally got to read this thread through.
This will be my 7th year using a wfp. It did take me a little while to get what I felt was competent and proficient with it. and still there is tweaking and implementing new tools.
I use mine whenever I possibly can and where it is more practical than traditional. On first-time cleans I’d estimate I can get perfect results 80-85% of the time, sometimes even on CCUs.
[I]One thing that might be helpful to those who think some windows have to be too trashed to even try a wfp: If you scrub real well and get absolutely all loose debris off, you may also be ‘softening’ what’s left. If nothing else, there will be no dirt. You can often simply attach some steel wool to a pole and remove what is still left. I’ve done that on countless occasions and saved many hours overall.[/I]

Indyres · May 17, 2015, 4:03pm

Everyone is so friendly on here. . I have a pretty important question. And this is in theory assuming both methods are equal in quality. For all of you that do use a water fed pole system, is the system quicker than traditional methods using a ladder? Or is the system simply easier on the body perhaps resulting in more efficient work because you are less worn out? I’ve cleaned 128 large tinted panes of glass in a row having to move the 24’ for every window in full sun. I seriously drank twelve 17 ounce bottles of water on that job. I then had three more resi jobs that day… That was the day I started asking questions about wfp.

Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Resource

BigBob · May 17, 2015, 4:35pm

It literally cuts exterior cleaning time in half if not more most of the time. Way way faster

Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Resource

Majestic66 · May 17, 2015, 4:46pm

Both

Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Resource mobile app.

anon36375151 · May 17, 2015, 4:56pm

As a businessman, it pays huge dividends to study your business with the 80:20 RULE.

If 80% of your the glass you clean is 2 floors and below, then spend time to analyse EVERYTHING that can make you more efficient. You will see a huge dividend.

Using professional (rigid) water fed poles will give you a solid Return on Investment in both time and physical energy…

Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Resource

ProWindowCleaning · May 17, 2015, 5:59pm

WFP was the best addition to my tool box

Mike Radzik
Pro Window Cleaning
Central Massachusetts

Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Resource

buddyo · May 17, 2015, 8:02pm

danwagner:

I finally got to read this thread through.
This will be my 7th year using a wfp. It did take me a little while to get what I felt was competent and proficient with it. and still there is tweaking and implementing new tools.
I use mine whenever I possibly can and where it is more practical than traditional. On first-time cleans I’d estimate I can get perfect results 80-85% of the time, sometimes even on CCUs.
One thing that might be helpful to those who think some windows have to be too trashed to even try a wfp: If you scrub real well and get absolutely all loose debris off, you may also be ‘softening’ what’s left. If nothing else, there will be no dirt. You can often simply attach some steel wool to a pole and remove what is still left. I’ve done that on countless occasions and saved many hours overall.

I, like Dan learned how to clean glass in a whole new way using a wfp. Was it frustrating… u bet yur sweet ass it was and it cost me a lot of time and $$. I personally wanted to keep some homes I cleaned but did not want to climb a 40’ ladder any more. I did my research (for 2 years) and decided on the initial equipment($10,000.00 investment) and never looked back. It’s not a magic wand and u may want to pay attention to every moment it is in your hand cleaning glass. As a 1 man band and cleaning the # of homes I clean(as many as 5 homes in a day) , this technology has not only improved my client satisfaction but help make me more of the business owner I wanted to be. At times it is just one of the many screwdrivers in the tool box but when it comes out, does what it was bought to do, the results can be astounding. I’m a perfectionist and when the shit don’t work… I take note

belowzero · May 17, 2015, 9:59pm

This is our experience.
I got a Toyota yaris with a rack on it n carry a 24 foot ladder always. In it I git a booster seat for my son to bring him to school. In the trunck I got my buckey my squeegees and all little Tools…on the rear left side a container with rags brushes towels and on the same side a step ladder(3 feet) and 100 feet of hose. In front my lunch and papers and in between all my poles…2 aluminum, and a reach it mini with extension…oh ya in the trunck also got rhino tube and mini di tank.
That being said…on resi we use the WFP alot especially on the richer homes cause they are huge and saves us a lot of time and also they always got tricky spots hard to reach parts.
You need to be on the money on WFP techniques or else spots.
I worry alot about the WFP but it works when done right.

gcps:

Hey gang, I used to be a member on here years ago but lost my login so I created a new one. For the last 8 years I’ve owned a janitorial company here in MI and have added some commercial and storefront window jobs to my jani route. I’m finally working my way out of the janitorial biz and more into windows but wanted some info regarding my current setup. I currently have ladders and ladder rack for my car which is a 13 Ford Fiesta that I purchased for good gas mileage because I have accounts in cities that span 30 miles. I can fit everything in it for what I currently do but my wonder is for the residential side of things. How realistic is it to plan on doing resi jobs with no WFP? And if I were to invest in a WFP do any of you run a system that would fit in a car? I’ve never actually seen one in person so I have no idea. I’ve read some posts that say that they do a crappy job and others where guys say they’re the cat’s ass. Thanks for any info you can provide.

Thanks,
Greg