editor Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 The Chronicle has a nice article about the guys who clean the windows of the Chase Tower. I won't go so far as to call these guys "daredevils" because the crew profiled by the Chron uses a scaffold. But then, that's still not all that safe. Wasn't that guy who fell 40 stories in New York a couple of months ago on a scaffold, too? I've always thought the real nut jobs are the ones who just do it with ropes. I like to take pictures when I see them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 Neat, but i got vertigo just looking at those! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20thStDad Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 I would love to do that for a living. Does it pay wicked lots? If not my dream is crushed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonmacbro Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 I could not even imagine doing this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDeb Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 I would love to do that for a living. Does it pay wicked lots? If not my dream is crushed.The Comical article says it pays as much as $22/hr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted May 8, 2008 Author Share Posted May 8, 2008 I would love to do that for a living. Does it pay wicked lots? If not my dream is crushed.Chron says $22/hour. But those photos were in Chicago, so it's probably closer to $38/hour (think "union.") Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 Speaking of which, this week they are cleaning 1100 Lousiana for the first time in the three years that I am aware of. While across the street at Well Fargo they clean the windows all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted May 8, 2008 Author Share Posted May 8, 2008 Speaking of which, this week they are cleaning 1100 Lousiana for the first time in the three years that I am aware of. While across the street at Well Fargo they clean the windows all the time.I find a lot of these cleaning companies are a little shady. Probably out of necessity in order to get the kind of people who will risk their lives for clean windows. In every building I've lived in the management sends out memos to let people know the dates that the windows will be cleaned, so you know not to walk around naked that day or whatever. But sometimes, even though a date is announced, and the cleaning equipment can be seen, the windows remain uncleaned. I think sometimes they only do three sides and keep the cash for the fourth. I came to this conclusion because once I had a corner apartment and only the windows on one side got cleaned. Maybe that's what's happening over at 1100 Louisiana, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vertigo58 Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 Neat, but i got vertigo just looking at those! We had a schoomate who's dad fell 15 stories to his death in the late 70's. Family got plenty of $, but you couldnt pay me a zillion dollars to do this, neva, no way ah, ah I'm otta here. Also experiencing vertigo ...Oh Madeleine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 Funny you say that, editor.So far they have only cleand 1/2 our conference room windows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted May 8, 2008 Author Share Posted May 8, 2008 We had a schoomate who's dad fell 15 stories to his death in the late 70's. Family got plenty of $, but you couldnt pay me a zillion dollars to do this, neva, no way ah, ah I'm otta here. Also experiencing vertigo ...Oh Madeleine! OK, SOMEONE has to use this as an avatar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plumber2 Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 Chron says $22/hour. But those photos were in Chicago, so it's probably closer to $38/hour (think "union.")I "think union" every day. It's done well for me.The Window Cleaning Employees Union is the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) which is associated with the AFL-CIO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moni Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 I wonder what happened to the windows that spin around so they can be cleaned from the inside? I saw a special on the Discovery Channel some time ago and I thought all newer skyscrapers had these kind of windows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vertigo58 Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 I wonder what happened to the windows that spin around so they can be cleaned from the inside? I saw a special on the Discovery Channel some time ago and I thought all newer skyscrapers had these kind of windows. That sounds very cool hoever it sounds very expensive and wow imagine opening a window 300 stories up? Get a quick rush right? Ja ja. I did a search under Discovery Channel but to no avail on window subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plumber2 Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 Several years ago, 1990 or 91 I was working on a remodel downtown (Two Shell). The general contractor radioed me to meet him in the lobby "pronto". It was lunch time, but I rushed to meet him anyway. It seems someone called from a building across the street to complain about two of my guys hanging off the side of the building up on the roof. The building management was threatening to call the police on us. Being the good foreman, I rushed to the roof but couldn't figure out who wood be hanging over the side. After looking around, I discoverd two of our company pipe fitters, that had been working on the cooling towers, were taking a lunch break, sitting on the edge of the building with their legs over the side.Now Two Shell has a ledgeless roof with no raised parapet, just a 90 degree flat angle and then you're stepping over side. I called out to these guys several times from a safe distance, but they could not hear me over the cooling tower noise. I got closer but could still not get their attention. The closer I got to them the closer I got to the roof. By the time I finally got their attention I was almost in the classic GI Joe position. These guys were clueless to the commotion they were causing accros the street, but they obliged, and moved to the other side. My heart was racing. I realized that I could have never gotten that close without a raised ledge or a rail. It's amazing how the mind works when it comes to fear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 There seems to ALWAYS be someone on top of 2 Shell. I love day dreaming during a meeting and watching those dudes.There have been three to four guys up there all week. On a related note, last week guys were putting solar panels on top of City Hall Annex. They are not wired yet.How I love my view! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonmacbro Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 I know it's a job and someone has to do it, but I get vertigo looking at the down from two stories up. I couldn't even imagine being up 50 or 60 stories ... and actually doing work. I'd be a shell of a man, balled up on the farthest corner of the scaffolding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 No thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 When Pennzoil Place was constructed, one of its unique features was the tracks designed into the building so window cleaning platforms could be suspended. In the '80s, two workers were on the platform when it was caught by a gust of wind, sweeping it down the track. The block at the end of the track failed, and the platform and workers plummeted hundreds of feet to the street. This happened close to the lunch hour on a beautiful day, and there were many people outside. Amazingly, the only fatalities were the workers and a woman who was waiting to cross the street. A woman standing next to her lost a toe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted June 9, 2008 Author Share Posted June 9, 2008 A scaffold on my building came loose on a windy day and landed on a car waiting at a traffic light. The two women in the front seat were crushed and killed. The two women in the back seat were fine (physically, probably not mentally after that).A lot of people assume that additional height means additional wind, but that's not necessarily true. You can have a windy day at the surface, and have calm winds aloft, or have a windy day at the top of the building and calm winds at ground level. I've opened windows as high as the 91st floor and never been sucked out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDeb Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 I've opened windows as high as the 91st floor and never been sucked out.Doing that would probably give me that "special feeling." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vertigo58 Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Fire drills at Pzl Place were living hell. It was a love/hate process. Once we were on the 20th floor and had to walk down all those flights when we had a fire alarm go off one day. Nope, couldnt use elevators either. I even helped a coworker with crutches as we nearly staggered to the ground level. I was not heavy and my knees were buckling (or just about). On windy days our 16 floor office would sway quite swiftly. I recall walking down the hall and feeling it tilt to & from and once in the RR the doors of stalls would creak here and there. Lovely. We were told that in a serious fire if we had to cross from one tower to the next there was a cross-over "bridge" I think on 15? They said it has never been used but it is there in the event. Imagine crossing on a swinging bridge on a windy day? Where's Irwin Allen right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Fire drills at Pzl Place were living hell. It was a love/hate process. Once we were on the 20th floor and had to walk down all those flights when we had a fire alarm go off one day. Nope, couldnt use elevators either. I even helped a coworker with crutches as we nearly staggered to the ground level. I was not heavy and my knees were buckling (or just about). On windy days our 16 floor office would sway quite swiftly. I recall walking down the hall and feeling it tilt to & from and once in the RR the doors of stalls would creak here and there. Lovely. We were told that in a serious fire if we had to cross from one tower to the next there was a cross-over "bridge" I think on 15? They said it has never been used but it is there in the event. Imagine crossing on a swinging bridge on a windy day? Where's Irwin Allen right? I had a more pleasant fire drill, in the Houston Museum Butterfly exhibit last week...the alarm went off, we got half-way out the bldg., and got to enter again thru the exit, to butterfly heaven. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChannelTwoNews Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 Managed to catch this look at how the windows are washed at the Hilton Americas yesterday morning, while goofing off... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted June 26, 2008 Author Share Posted June 26, 2008 They missed a spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downtown Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 There seems to ALWAYS be someone on top of 2 Shell. I love day dreaming during a meeting and watching those dudes.There have been three to four guys up there all week. On a related note, last week guys were putting solar panels on top of City Hall Annex. They are not wired yet. How I love my view! 2016 Main's maintenance guys like to hang out on the ledge under the address a lot. I see one up there almost every Sat. That's one way to avoid WORK!!! I'm starting to think they have it really easy...Punch in and guard the address. Too bad they keep that door locked. I'd love to go up there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gargoyle_dreams Posted June 12, 2009 Share Posted June 12, 2009 Had to mention my favorite medical blooper here. (from a calendar) **************************************************************************** During a routine pelvic exam I let out an unexpected scream. The Dr. said "I'm sorry...Did I hurt you ?" I said "No !...There's a man out there washing the window ! " *************************************************************************** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatesdisastr Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 lol nice joke i think being a window washer on a skyscraper would be crazzy. atleast you have peace and quiet while you work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
infinite_jim Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 One reason I can appreciate Foster's bldgs is that automated cleaning systems are installed on the roof and operate on a track system down the curtain wall. No lives unnecessarily risked, unless there's some freak equipment failure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxmulder Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 lol nice joke i think being a window washer on a skyscraper would be crazzy. atleast you have peace and quiet while you work. Yesterday seemed to be the big day, the observation side of the chase building was getting washed. The small Shell building(?) and a few other buidlings closer to the Pierce. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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