Two kinds of glass fall into this: the second story exteriors you can’t reach from the ground, and the tall interior windows over a stairwell, an entry, or a great room.
Both are the reason most people call somebody instead of doing it themselves.
Second story exteriors
We use a water fed pole system for most upper story exterior glass. Purified water goes up the pole through a brush, the glass gets scrubbed and rinsed, and it dries without spotting because there’s nothing left in the water to leave behind.
The practical benefit is that we’re standing on the ground. No ladder leaned against your gutter, no ladder feet in your flower bed, no weight on a second story window frame. It’s faster and it’s a lot safer, which is the actual reason we own one.
Some windows still want a ladder, and we’ll use one where that’s the better tool. But if the choice is a pole from the ground or a ladder at height, we take the pole. Worth knowing: upstairs glass usually isn’t mineral damaged, because sprinklers rarely reach that high. It’s just been a long time since anyone cleaned it.
Tall interior glass
This is the harder one, and it’s common in newer homes across Rancho Cordova, Rocklin, west Roseville, and El Dorado Hills. Big entry windows, glass running up two stories over a staircase, clerestory windows above a great room.
Nobody cleans these. They get done when the house is built and then, in a lot of cases, never again. People look up at them, do the math on the ladder, and decide to live with it.
Inside, the constraints are different from outside. There’s flooring, furniture, a stair rail, sometimes a chandelier in the way, and no room to set a ladder properly. We work these carefully with the right equipment for the reach and we protect what’s underneath.
Safety and insurance
We’re licensed and insured. Falls from ladders at height are the most common serious injury in this trade, and homeowners trying to do their own second story is how a lot of them happen.
If you’re weighing doing it yourself, the honest advice is don’t, at least not from a ladder on uneven ground with a squeegee in one hand.
Questions we get
Can you reach the windows above my staircase?
Yes. Tell us the ceiling height and what’s underneath so we come prepared.
What is a water fed pole?
A telescoping pole that feeds purified water through a brush head at the top. It lets us scrub and rinse upper story glass while standing on the ground. The purified water dries without leaving spots.
Do you use ladders at all?
Yes, when it’s the right tool. For most upper story exteriors the pole is safer and works better.
How high can you reach?
Standard two and three story residential elevations are routine. If you’ve got something unusual, describe it and we’ll tell you honestly whether it’s a job for us.
Are you insured for working at height?
Yes, licensed and insured.
Will you scratch or damage the glass?
The pole method is soft bristle and water. The bigger risk on high work is the ladder, which is exactly why we avoid using one where we can.