I know why there is little need for them, because French windows generally open inwards making it easy to clean from indoors, but I have a particular problem, the glass panel roof of my kitchen veranda.
It is marred by moss and other sticky debris from all the trees and has got progressively opaque over several years.
In the past I have relaxed alongee on stormy nights to watch the lightning, only marred by the few years our Spaniel, Match, was with us, He was terrified and had to be accompanied in a sealed room.
Now I have another hobby, watching the airliners flying north and south which I can now identify and track with newly discovered (by me) Flightradar24.
To clean it myself I would have to climb a ladder and reach this way and that, a bit of a risk with advancing years, especially in view of my increasing clumsiness. It is one thing to drop a fork onto the floor, rather more serious to drop my head onto the ground.
Yes, the hedgecutter mentioned something like that but he didnât give me a receipt. Maybe next time.
But I did select the closest few that I found googling and one so far has got back to me, so we will see what transpires. Someone a bit steadier than me should complete the job in less than half an hour, so it depends how far they have to travel.
The chimney sweeps I have used for the last couple of years (same reason, me doddering about dangerously, but on the roof) are based 90 kms away but charge very little because I believe they bunch several of us together and do us all in the same day.
Yes got something similar but the windows I canât safely reach are in the roof of the veranda, definitely a ladder job. The other windows, front and ends I could do but if someone is coming might as well do the lot.
Well one promised a devis the next day, which never arrived, the only other one of the 10 canvassed wanted over âŹ300 for 10 minutes work, and they were based within 5 kms of here.
So I suppose it will be me teetering on a ladder after all but perhaps I can get a friend to foot it for me.
It isnât the vertical windows that are the problem it is the roof horizontal above them that need cleaning. I see that it does have a bendy bit but it is near the brush and to work at all would need to be at least one joint down, also I doubt I could exert enough downward pressure to shift the moss up there.
Anyway I see that @toryroo is volunteering to do the job, she just forgot to end the sentence with the vital words in it.
Theyâre even older than I am, Iâm the youngster of the gang. Gilbert, the ex Legionnaire, is 91, quite light and wiry and I suppose I could give him a sponge and lift him up by the ankles.
Oh, I see what you mean, for advice. Well I could but they would probably recommend the one that is in the millionaire category.
Well actually hubby and I were just talking about it and you must promise me not to try yourself! We canât come up before Christmas as we leave in just over 2 weeks and it is crazy. When we get back if you canât find anyone locally I or weâll come on do it.
Donât be daft, you are of course welcome anytime, and I do thank you for the offer but I was joking, there is going to be no-one going up that ladder apart from me or someone who is paid, and therefore insured, to do it.
Even my friend Eddie who is a mere 69 I wouldnât dream of asking, and indeed the only thing that stops me asking him to foot me on the ladder is I know he would insist on going up himself.
Meanwhile, I can at least clean the vertical windows with my feet on the ground. BTW, I did once a year or so ago, try to clean the roof panels by going a short way up the ladder with my brand new Karcher power wash, and the reverse thrust nearly blew me off it. So you can rest assured I wonât be doing that again.
So you can rest assured I wonât be doing that again.