Window Cleaning in Crows Nest

The planning controls describe a strip built hard to the footpath, with zero setbacks and continuous awnings. That puts upstairs windows directly over the traffic on the Pacific Highway, one of the area's major sub-arterial roads, and in among the London Planes on parts of Willoughby Road. Grime settles on sills and glass, and spring tree fluff sticks to whatever film is already there.

North of the shops, one edge of the suburb has a very particular exposure. Council's controls ask buildings facing the Warringah Expressway to manage traffic noise with measures such as double glazing and enclosed balconies, so those homes may depend on glass that stays shut, and its outer face can only be cleaned from outside.

In the Holtermann Estate the glass is usually low but fussy. Timber windows and joinery in Victorian, Federation and Edwardian styles are listed as characteristic elements, and verandahs often sit in front of them. Council's history walk also highlights terraces on West Street with decorative filigree ironwork on their balconies, which leaves little room for a ladder.

Then there are the flats, a large share of local housing, from older walk-ups to newer apartment buildings. Water-fed poles reach upper storeys of low-rise blocks from the ground. A taller building needs its reach assessed first, so give us the number of levels when you enquire.

A cottage on a 4 to 6 metre frontage has limited wall to give to windows, and a verandah further shades the ones at the front. Taking the road film and dust off that glass lets noticeably more light into rooms that were never especially bright. The same goes for an upstairs office or flat above a shop, where the street-facing glass may be the main daylight source.

Shopkeepers get something extra from it. Crows Nest's character rests partly on that traditional parapet shopfront, and grubby upper windows make a well-kept tenancy below look tired. Keeping them clean suits a dining strip where customers sit outside beneath the building.

Timber frames benefit from attention too. Frames and sills are cleaned along with the glass, removing grit that holds damp against old joinery. With purified water and no detergent, nothing is left behind on the paint or the pane, and it dries spot-free.

Working from the ground has practical value here. No ladder rests against filigree, a verandah roof or a shop awning, there is less fuss for outdoor diners, and upper floors can be done without getting into each flat. Interior glass is available on request, which helps tenants at the end of a lease, and before-and-after photos give agents and committees a simple record.