Wonersh window cleaner making a stunning home sparkle!
This absolute master piece situated on top of Chinthurst Hill in Wonersh was designed by none other then Sir Edwin Lutyens, with the gardens laid out by Gertrude Jekyll. The owners needed a Wonersh window cleaner, so they called me!
This 69-acre site offers gorgeous 360 degrees views over Surrey and Sussex from its many, original leaded light windows, dated back to 1893.
Back in 2013 I was asked to clean this fine home on an ongoing basis, inside and out.
The work that needed doing was obvious from a single glance as the windows had not been cleaned for some time and according to the owner, was never done to a high standard before as the previous window cleaners simply weren’t skilled or knowledgeable enough to undertake the work.
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However, it was upon going from room to room that the grand scale of the task at hand became apparent. This was no ordinary house and careful attention to detail had to be given along with expert skills to make sure everything was cleaned to the high standard all my other customers are accustomed to.
The original 120 year old leaded light windows were beautifully intact and showed every bit of history through the aged glass. Whereas back in Victorian times, brave shiners would climb massive wooden ladders to the top floor, preference was given to a more modern approach of a water fed pole system. Operated from the safety of the ground, this modern cleaning system uses soft bristled brushes and hot but gentle ultra-pure water for getting dirt out of every crevice of every strip of lead. This process took some time on the first clean, as you could see the decades old dirt slowly come out of every recess. The results could not be more spectacular.
Especially the tracer windows in the great hall came up wonderfully well, even on the first clean. A keen eye to detail and time was needed to make sure nothing was left to chance nor that the beautiful masonry work was damaged in the process. However, the exterior glass was by far the easiest part to clean.
Gallery
The inside of the glass was an even more delicate procedure as massive single paned secondary double-glazing units were in the way.
Each glass panel, some weighing as much as 20Kg had to be carefully lifted up in the rails that held these in, then slowly lowered out of the bottom track, so that these could be cleaned by hand on either side. Especially the 8 foot panes in the grand stairwell were a hand-full and were absolutely black from dust, dirt and cobwebs collected over the years. Once cleaned the rays of sunlight cast a beautiful light on the wooden panelling and wonderful artwork, some paintings even older than the house.
Some of these were like puzzle pieces, where the previous cleaners had placed these in the wrong places. So the game of figuring out which pane went were began, but finally these were slotted in the right place and the customer could not be happier as the windows finally fitted properly and were able to be opened.
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At the same time, the precious leaded lights were cleaned with traditional tools but with modern technology applied. Soft flat weave microfibre towels with gentle solvent sprays were used to first clean off all the old grime, then fresh towels were used to buff up the leaded lights to an unprecedented shine. It is no exaggeration that these were the cleanest they had ever been since the house was built.
The whole process took the best part of two days, but the results were astonishing.
The fairy-tale ended after years of regular cleaning when the customer moved to a different home and the new owner unfortunately never contacted me regarding cleaning.
Maybe the paths of Edwin Lutyens and Timber van Duijvenbode will once more cross in the near future!
Why Choose GQC?
- I’m regular & reliable
- I’m easy to contact via phone or e-mail
- Personal service – no random “workers”
- “Text in advance” service available
- I clean the frames & sills as well as the glass
- I can reach awkward windows and windows
- Easy payment – Cash, Cheque and Bank Transfer