Unger Professional Cleaning Blog
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Although there&#;s no hard and fast rule to determine which window washing extension pole is best to meet each job&#;s requirements, understanding the basics of pole selection can achieve a better clean and safer experience. In general, when selecting an extension pole for professional window cleaning, focusing on price, weight and flex will yield the best choice for your unique needs.
It&#;s a common mistake for window washers just starting out, or facility managers on tightened budgets, to select a pole based on price alone. The risk here, is that often the cheaper pole, the floppier and heavier the pole is. For the pole user, a floppy, heavy pole requires more physical exertion to maneuver, increasing the likelihood of repetitive stress injuries (RSIs) when used frequently.
Common injuries from pole work include wrist pain, numbness of fingers, elbow pain, shoulder pain, upper and lower back pain, neck pain and tension headaches, all of which you can minimize by broadening the pole selection criteria to include weight and flex. Evaluating these pole characteristics will help you select a pole that minimizes the potential for RSIs by allowing the operator to perform the job with the minimum amount of physical effort.
The most critical component of the pole you select is the material it&#;s made of, as that directly impacts the cost, weight and flex. To establish what material is best for your window cleaning needs, consider the following:
Are you cleaning 1st floor windows, or do you need to extend to clean 2nd and 3rd story windows? The height you need affects the length of the pole needed and the pole material you choose.
When calculating the required pole length, consider that the operator is not standing flat against the building. The operator stands away from the building, working the pole at an angle at which the pole will flex. To account for this positioning, a good rule of thumb is to take the height of the window and multiply it by 1.2 to account for the distance between the operator and the building. For example, for a 40&#; window, you need a 48&#; pole (40 x 1.2 =48).
Note that some manufacturers promote the actual height of the pole while others advertise the working height of the pole. Working height is the physical length of the pole plus an additional 3&#; &#; 4.5&#;, depending on the pole, to account for the operator holding the pole. Therefore, when calculating the pole length you need, be mindful of whether the pole length is referring to actual or working height.
When considering the height of your windows, flex becomes a key factor. The higher you go, the less flex you want in the pole. Too much flex in the pole and it becomes increasingly harder to control the motion and apply the pressure needed to create the scrubbing agitation. For the operator, the extra flex of some poles, such as aluminum poles, means harder work, extra fatigue, and longer time on site. Depending on your pole length, you may need to consider a higher quality material, like carbon fiber, that has less flex to avoid these pitfalls.
There&#;s a sizable difference between telescopic window cleaning poles and extension poles for window washing in terms of weight. With telescopic poles, each section collapses into another. Whether you need a long pole for high access window cleaning or a shorter pole for first floor windows, an operator using a telescopic pole is carrying around the same amount of weight for either job.
On the other hand, a window cleaning extension pole is modular, meaning that the sections stack end-to-end. The benefit of this design is that the operator only carries around the length of pole needed, decreasing the load when cleaning ground level windows and increasing the weight of the pole only when cleaning windows at great heights.
To figure out which pole is best for your needs, consider how many windows are cleaned, the height of the windows and the frequency of cleaning. The greater the number of windows, the higher the windows and/or the more frequent cleaning, a lighter pole, such as carbon fiber, is ideal.
It&#;s typical for a buyer to lean toward a less expensive option if given the choice. However, in the world of window cleaning poles, when it comes to cheaper models, you&#;re going to get a product made from cheaper materials. Each material has its own characteristics, which need to be evaluated against the job requirements to see if it is the best extension pole for your window cleaning needs.
There are five main categories of pole materials:
$ Aluminum Poles
The Pros: Durable and inexpensive
The Cons: Heavy and flexes significantly from extension and use
$$ Fiberglass Poles
The Pros: Lighter than aluminum and easier to maneuver
The Cons: Flex is still an issue
$$$ Hybrid Poles
The Pros: Fiberglass pole with a carbon fiber wrap; Great price point
The Cons: Floppy and heavy when used over 30 feet
$$$$ Carbon Fiber Poles
The Pros: Extremely rigid and lightweight for high access window washing
The Cons: More expensive than aluminum and fiberglass poles
$$$$$ Hi Modulus (Hi-Mod)
The Pros: Stiffest pole you can get for high access cleaning
The Cons: Expensive
After evaluating flex, weight and price, one other point to evaluate is the ergonomics of the pole. Make sure you look at the pole&#;s diameter at the part you&#;re holding to assess its level of comfort, keeping in mind the time spent gripping the pole. Also, consider the height of the pole when it&#;s fully collapsed. You want to be able to easily adjust the pole sections simply by standing and reaching without much effort.
Before making a pole selection, we recommend a product demonstration to assist you in assessing the pole&#;s flex, weight, ergonomics and maneuverability. Click here to see Unger&#;s selection of window cleaning extension poles and to request a demo.
Why you need an extendable pole for painting
Photo by Yuliia Chyzhevska via Canva
When you paint for a living, like me, using time-saving tools that make painting jobs easier and less taxing on the body is so important. If I had to pick one painting tool that I couldn't live without as a painter, other than my brush, it would definitely be my paint roller extension pole.
I own three extendable poles for painting: one for standard-height walls, a second pole for low ceilings, and a third for painting high walls and ceilings. Without my extension poles, my interior painting projects would take a lot longer to complete, and for trickier exterior projects, using a pole is sometimes the only way to safely paint hard-to-reach areas.
Paint roller extension poles offer the following benefits:
Using an extendable pole for painting is an absolute must, even if you're only painting one small room. Have you ever tried painting a wall or ceiling with only a paint roller in your hand? It takes forever! Rolling a wall without a pole causes back pain and fatigue from bending over and climbing up and down a ladder repeatedly.
Another benefit of using an extension pole is having more control over the application and quality of the paint finish. With the right size painting pole and proper rolling technique, paint is rolled on faster and more evenly, so it's less likely to form streaks and roller marks.
My Purdy and Wooster paint roller extension poles I use for most of my interior painting projects
In my painting career, I've painted walls and ceilings using everything from twist-lock poles to cheap wooden poles, but one thing is for certain when it comes to extendable poles for painting; you get what you pay for. In this article, I cover the different types and sizes of paint roller extension poles and what I personally use and recommend.
Types of extendable poles for painting:
Wooden painting poles are the cheapest and also the worst extension poles to paint with if you're serious about painting your house using professional tools. Yes, these poles are lightweight and cost only a few bucks, but they're limited in use.
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A wooden painting pole doesn't have a built-in extension piece, like a metal or fiberglass pole, which means the only way to adjust the length is to use a three-piece with separate segments that screw together. This is a very inconvenient way to paint a room in situations where you need to constantly adjust the length for rolling.
Using a wooden painting pole wastes a lot of time attaching and detaching the pole pieces as you paint. Another disadvantage of painting with a wooden pole is the risk of the pole breaking from the weight of the paint roller. A wet paint roller exerts a lot of pressure on an extension pole when painting a ceiling, for example. Unless you absolutely cannot afford a pricier painting pole, I would avoid using a wooden pole for your project.
As the name implies, these poles easily adjust and lock simply by twisting them. These poles, which come in aluminium or fiberglass, are a step up in quality and versatility from wooden poles that don't telescope at all, but I find them harder to adjust while painting than a pole with a simple push-button lock.
I've used twist-lock painting poles in the past, but the poles would never last long-term. On one project, the internal lock broke while painting a ceiling, and I had to secure it with duct tape to finish. I'm sure there are one or two quality twist-lock painting poles on the market, but the ones I used in the past weren't as reliable or as easy to paint with as my push-button poles.
The most common type of extendable pole for painting is the push-button pole. These poles are easier to adjust while painting than twist-lock poles. I own three of these poles and use them interchangeably for different projects. The telescoping design allows you to easily adjust the pole to your desired length with the push of a button and lock it in place with the built-in holes and pin lock.
Painting extension poles with a pin lock last a long time if you take care of them, but in my experience, the locking mechanism behind the button breaks faster than push button poles without a locking pin. Another slight disadvantage of extension poles that lock with a hole and pin is the adjustable length is preset every six inches.
When I paint 8-ft walls and tight spaces, like hallways, I use the Purdy Power Lock 2' to 4' pole (no pin lock) and prefer it over extension poles with a pin lock because it's fully adjustable to any length. A big advantage of poles without a pin lock is not having to worry about the pin disengaging or breaking, and believe me, the locks do eventually break, and it's usually in the middle of a painting project.
My Power Lock pole has never moved out of place while painting, and I've painted hundreds of walls with it. The only problem I've experienced is the pole occasionally getting stuck inside and not sliding out easily without applying some force, but other than that, I've used the same pole for a long time, and it works great.
Eventually, I plan to replace both of my push button poles with the Purdy Power Lock. I definitely recommend the Power Lock if you're looking for a Purdy extension pole. I also recommend Wooster extension poles. I own a 4' to 8' Wooster pole that has lasted several years.
The tricky part about painting with an extendable pole isn't so much the rolling but instead choosing the appropriate size for the job. A trip to the paint store can be confusing when you see several different types of painting poles of various sizes, but using the right length for your project is critical for comfort and reach.
Using an oversized extendable pole to paint a small space will be very difficult, if not impossible, and the butt of the handle will probably bump the wall behind it as you roll. On the other hand, rolling with a pole that's too short means you will have to bend down and put more strain on your back and arms to compensate for the lack of reach.
Tip: Unless you're painting high walls and ceilings, you really only need two extension poles to get the job done; a 2' to 4' pole and a 4' to 8' pole. Those are the two poles I use the most for my interior painting projects.
Roller extension pole sizes:
The most versatile extension pole for painting tight spaces, low ceilings, and 8-ft walls is a 2' to 4' pole, but for painting really tight spaces behind furniture, narrow hallways, and small closets, a 1' to 2' pole is easier to maneuver. If I had to choose between the two sizes, though, I would go with the 2' to 4' pole because it's more versatile and short enough to easily roll most narrow hallways and closets.
The best pole length for painting ceilings and 8 to 10-ft walls in a large empty room without any obstructions or tight spaces is a 4' to 8' pole. This pole gives you more leverage and reach when painting walls and ceilings, so you don't have to bend down or strain your arms as you roll. When painting walls in a room with furniture and tight spaces, or a bathroom ceiling, a 2' to 4' pole is better because the shorter length makes rolling a lot easier in cramped spaces.
The best paint roller extension pole length for painting high walls and ceilings in a two-story foyer, for example, is one that extends 16' to 17'. I use a 17-ft extension pole to paint two-story walls, high ceilings, and hard-to-reach areas outdoors, and this length has worked great for me, but if your high walls are shorter, a 12-ft pole should do the trick.
One of the biggest benefits of using an extendable pole for painting is having the ability to use a brush extender for ceiling corners and hard-to-reach areas. Brush extenders are awesome painting tools you should definitely use if you want to save time and energy on your painting projects.
I use the Goose Neck extendable paint brush when I paint ceilings. The brush, which bends to any angle, screws right onto your painting pole. For more in-depth information on this awesome tool, check out my review of the Goose Neck extendable paintbrush.
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author&#;s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
© Matt G.