Cosmic Piano Pieces
Artist: James Malikey
Today, I did the inside second tier windows.
My ladder is about 23 feet fully extended.
It folds into a compact position for easy storage.
I will demonstrate this at the end.
I keep it in the storage closet which is beneath the stairs leading to the loft.
It has a total of six strong latches so the ladder may be configured into a variety of shapes
for different uses.
The brand is Gorilla Ladders and I got it from Home Depot.
It is strong enough for industrial use.
It holds up to 375 lbs...
and in the A Frame configuration...
two people may use it at the same time...
one on each side of the A frame.
It weighs 54 lbs...
and is sturdy...
and perfect for my home needs.
For my purposes for this day...
I configured it into an A Frame.
My window cleaner set comes with many extension poles...
but I only used a few since I would be on a ladder.
It comes with three different heads.
The orange I use to apply and scrub the windows with the Rain X cleaner / protectorant.
The grey rough surface one I use to initially dust the windows and sills.
The finer head I use to wipe dry the windows after using the orange applicator head.
They are easily swapped out as I use them.
I first dusted all the second tier windows and sills
(actually, there was very little dust)...
and I then took up the drying head with me so I could swap
the heads out after cleaning each window as I was atop the ladder.
The head is adjustable to a lockout position in various degrees.
This proved to be very useful as the outer edged windows are angled.
I simply got underneath the ladder and pressed it up and walked it over
to each window as needed.
After I had reached the far end after dusting each window and sill...
within a short period...
it had begun to snow.
A minor problem arouse with the snowfall...
as I couldn't see the whitish residue left behind as I did the final wipe down...
as the sky was white.
And so...
I just tried to ensure I covered each area of the window...
as I was essentially operating blind.
Of course...
by the time I had finished...
it had stopped snowing and the sky opened up some to blue skies.
The locking mechanisms are easily manipulated...
are strong and positively lock into position
with actual thick bolts.
I just got underneath the A of the ladder...
and released the locks on one side while I allowed one side at a time to retract.
Once I had it in this position...
I then released the center locking mechanisms and finished folding it down to size.
I simply laid it down...
as tomorrow is supposed to be sunny.
I plan to do the outside lower and second tier windows.
I won't be doing the third tier windows unless I have someone to hold the ladder
for me.
Perhaps when my sisters visit.
Being some 20 feet in the air...
especially on the inside of my home with the hard tile floor...
were I to end up falling from that height...
I could crack the tiles :)
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A good ladder is a must for a mountain home.
In the summer...
I will be applying UV Protectorant / Water Proofing to the outdoor wood surfaces...
and for that...
I will need to use the ladder in its fully extended open position on the upper reaches of my home.
That is why I had gotten a flared bottom and top ladder.
It is relatively easy to flip over a ladder without a flared bottom and top if one leans over too far.
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Addendum:
Although the bottom tier windows look good...
on the upper tier windows I couldn't put enough pressure on the windows while on a ladder.
While all of the windows looked good from the 2nd floor...
while up in the loft...
and in the morning sunlight when the sun shines directly through the front windows...
I can then see many streaks in the windows.
Enough...
I called for an appointment with a professional window cleaner.
He will be here next week.
However...
I will still be using the ladder on the outside of the house to apply
UV and water repellant...
as well as to change high lying light bulbs.
It's nice having all of those windows and high ceilings but it makes for more work to clean. I have a similar Little Giant ladder... climbing up to the top makes me very nervous so I rarely do so.
ReplyDeleteActually, they weren't all that dirty. And the outside windows are coated with some sort of protectorant or film. Most probably at least to shield the inside from Infrared. There was nothing on the outside. No dust...nothing. They were actually pretty pristine. I cleaned the lower windows, and one of the second tier windows. But, they didn't need anything. If there is some sort of film on it, I don't want to scratch it. So, I will just put the ladder back in the closet and call it a day. But, what a beautiful day it is.
ReplyDeleteI envision not needing to clean the inside windows for years. There is very little dust here...and as the air is so dry...no condensation forms on any of the windows.