Need Help!

[BB Pressure]

I have been asked to give a quote on the building that I work in. He wants from the windows down. He wants the windows clean. Can I just use my house wash and squegee the windows or is there something special that I need to do? I'm not sure what to quote. There are 2 buildings. The first pic is of my office. the 2nd is pretty much the whole building. There are 8 fronts to each buidling. Help Please!

[paul barkley]

Window cleaning is definately a different skill set than power washing, we own and operate both a window cleaning and a power washing business. They both require different tools, skill sets, and soaps. I would not recomend using your wash solution that you use on buildings, it will not have the water softeners in it that window cleaning solution has. You will want to get the proper equipment and supplies for washing windows, this is different than power washing equipment. Do not power wash windows, the seals are not designed to withstand more than about 15 lbs. of pressure. You could benefit from buying a video or book on how to wash windows professionally. You can find these @ ABC window cleaning supply (google it).

[paul barkley]

By the way if i were to bid this, my bid would be around $35 for the outside only.

[Tmrrptr]

BB you've only got 1 advice so far, so here's my 2c

Compete the PW rinsing as you go down the line.

Go back to do windows.

Ettore, Unger, and another mfg make pro cleaning gear.

You need pro cleaning fluid in nice clear water.
suitable extension pole, scrubby head, 18"squegee.
Under $150 for all tools you need. No ladders or waterfed poles. NO RAZOR BLADES!

Wet glass using scrubby, but NOT top framework metal.
Squeegee across top, then vertical strokes w blade @ slight angle
Dry rag on pole, quick wipe around edges so no runs.
Move on!

Run a search to find the pretty girl w DIY window cleaning instructional.
U can DO it !

If you get a complaint, ask which pane needs attention.
Most of the way through that job you'll very nearly be an expert, so it will be a quickie to make that fussy person happy again!
r

[We Wash Concrete]

Tmrrptr, why do you suggest no razor blades?

[MMI Enterprises]

This is small and simple..
Buy one of them 14-16" window brushes, an adjustable angle sqweegie, a simple broom type wooden pole or fancy extension one if ya like, a 5 gal bucket, a bottle of dawn, and a half dozen bottles of mountain berry Windex.
A bottle of windex and a squirt of dawn will do fine.
Don't overwet the wash brush..just stick in half way or so in bucket. Wash the top layer of windows keeping away from left edge and top edge. Then take your angled sqweegie and run it horizontal. After each swipe you rag dry the top half of sqweegie.(just a few inches really). Then rag the right edge and the bottom edge of each window like Rich said with pole. Now move onto the lower windows by hand without pole. You can use a window washers figure eight pattern and make short work of it with both the washer and sqweegie....Maybe be about $50 supplies to get started....historically a pane is something between $1 and $2 a side but these are all small so...

[Tmrrptr]

Originally Posted by We Wash Concrete

Tmrrptr, why do you suggest no razor blades?

Hi Micah,

Sry slow getting back on this one...

...You claim little experience w/windows... all well and good.

Chance of you causing a PROBLEM that could not be quick fixed w a 2nd cleaning are very slim... when using a scrubby, squeegee, and rag.

Once you get out the steel !!! Well, I've seen a lot of glass replaced at someone's expense when an inexperienced person got hold of a razor blade.

Basically, I just made the presumption that I should steer you away from that bit of grief .
r

[JohnW]

Originally Posted by MMI Enterprises

Maybe be about $50 supplies to get started....historically a pane is something between $1 and $2 a side but these are all small so...

I agree with Kevin on this. We had a commercial job about 6 months ago, one of my regular yearly accounts. They threw in about 2 stories of windows at the last minute on us. Usually I would call someone in that specializes in windows, but for about $50 we were able to buy the pole, squegee, and cleaner. We tacked on the extra money and it was rather easy. I know all windows aren't easy, but you can do this. Besides once you buy the equipment, you never know when it will come in handy in the future. Good luck.

[Sparkleman]

As for the use of razor blades,nothing wrong with it at all.Provided the glass your scraping is a good quality surface,nowadays with all the poor quality heat treated glass out there & that goes for both "Heat Strengthened" & "Tempered" is where being educated on fabricating debris pays off.

A good rule of thumb if...your going to be doing alot of scraping is get a heat treated glass "scratch waiver" signed. Because its not your responsibility to find it and there's no specific field test that can prove its existence or not!

Another thing to be careful of is...Tempered glas should always have a "tempering stamp" but...heat strengthened glass does not require one so..thats really why the waiver is so important.

Bottom line scrapers,razors,broad knifes dont scratch glass "Fabricating Debris " does!

[llaczko]

Originally Posted by Sparkleman

A good rule of thumb if...your going to be doing alot of scraping is get a heat treated glass "scratch waiver" signed. Because its not your responsibility to find it and there's no specific field test that can prove its existence or not!

Shouldn't a fabricating debris waiver be used if ANY scraping is undertaken?

[Sparkleman]

Originally Posted by llaczko

Shouldn't a fabricating debris waiver be used if ANY scraping is undertaken?

I believe i mentioned a "scratch waiver" ? Yes... not a bad idea at all to implement one,whether the "header" of the waiver has any specific title i believe is irrelevant!

The body of the "specific" waiver should have all the details,because there is NO set waiver out there,many vary in text but generally mean the same thing.

[MMI Enterprises]

Mind posting up said verbage?

[Sparkleman]

Originally Posted by MMI Enterprises

Mind posting up said verbage?

You can go to my website check it out under "post construction clean-up

Index Page-Sparkle Window Cleaning

[Njones]

Here is the scratched glass waiver I use for post construction cleaning: