Open Association of Landscape Industries
costly mistakes
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by briggsandscrapem on -
Well funny Gary, wish id been there. We managed to break the same window twice within a year, i went mad at the gardener responsible. I always tell them to use weedkiller to edge off with if it looks too risky.
Gary Hedges said:Agree more bad luck, when I worked as an employee many years ago I smashed a patio door and got a long lecture by the boss on low speeds etc, as he demonstrated his technique he hit a stone chip and smashed the other patio window.
I carry a couple of 8x4 sheets of thin ply now and cover any glass doors, windows etc.
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Roy Parker on -
or they are on stone free soil
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Permalink Reply by Fenlandphil on -
Top suggestion is the thin ply sheets.
It won't cover every eventuallity but should reduce the risk.
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Permalink Reply by Paul @ Ashgate Garden Care on -
Lawn edging shears. I invariably use them if their is a risk of damaging a car or window. It's far quicker than waiting for the glazing company to arrive.
The other alternative is to strim so that the strimmer head is rotating away from any glass / vehicles or as the man says throttle back a bit.
Saying that, I pick up one or two jobs a month just doing the lawn edges as some of our local grass cutting outfits don't do edges which is another alternative.
Fenland Fencing said:Goat..?
Fenlandphil said:
What is an alternative to strimming, scythe?
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Permalink Reply by briggsandscrapem on
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Dont forget your ladders for the upstairs windows. Oh yes, smashed by me at some sheltered accomadation last year. While we're at it how about next doors car windscreen (me again) whist parked out on the road about fifteen yards away, lawnmower this time about 10 years ago.
Fenlandphil said:Top suggestion is the thin ply sheets.
It won't cover every eventuallity but should reduce the risk.
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Roy Parker on -
think i going to get a team of tame rabbits to eat around the egdes and the corners that you can not get to with the mowers
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Permalink Reply by Fenlandphil on
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If I remember correctly there used to be something akin to long handled electric shears available years ago, would something like that work?
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Permalink Reply by Kevin Barnett on -
Thats why those of us who aren't cowboys get public liability. By the way i've not broken anything either but in the recent hot weather i've pebbledashed my shins a few times !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Gardens4u.co.uk on -
same here paul. near many , many windows / pateo doors. i think if you know your strimmer , direction of spin you can ::tilt;; it opposite way away from that window/door to effect the bits/stones will 'flick' AWAY from you...................... also use 1/3 - 1/4 revs and it will i guess reduce the 'offspin'' by 10,000 : 2,500 ?
considering the revolutions / spins / second ........... 'know the ground, area, grass you are strimming is the most important though'
was it a big / rough, hard stone?
www.gardens4u.co.uk
Paul @ PPCH Services said:Bad technique rather than bad luck.
I have yet to smash any windows strimming in 9 years of self employment, work with low revs and this will not occur.
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by David Cox on -
To be fair I hit stones strimming probably a couple of times a month - And at low revs they do fly out- but they Never go far and Never high enough to hit a window - So I agree with paul - low revs means low speed, low flying stones which dont break a window. Saves fuel too :)
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Permalink Reply by John Mulholland on -
Hi very late with this comment, but here is my tuppence worth.
Something to consider and I have been guilty of this myself when strimmers were the new to the trade. Strimmers should be use with the chord parallel to the ground (or slightly angled not inverted cutting/rotating vertically. the guards are not designed to contain debris in this vertical position.
If using vertically/or operating near fragile material (cars, windows) check for loose debris, reduce speed and and do not allow strimmer chord to hit the soil, i.e just nip the grass edge will reduce chances of producing flying debris and distance that debris will travel.
Ease into the area that you are cutting I knew one man that could remove petals off a daffodil one at time with a strimmer.
For a little side note (if not against using herbicide) Where the blades of grass overhang the edge of the soils (mowing strip) or path applying herbicide to these overhanging blades of grass only gives a satisfactory result A minimum picture frame effect of dying grass or bare soil (overhanging prone grass blades only) What I found happened with this method was that the prone (overhanging material) took an age to regenerate and the vertical growing blades stayed vertical keeping the edge crisp.
Basically a more refined method than most local authorities use as they apply the herbicide in a four inch band around the lawn/grassed areas. Leaving 4 inch yellowing picture and resulting 4 inch bare soils strip primed for weed investation..
Ultimately accidents happen but you can reduce the severity of them by slowing down and being careful
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Permalink Reply by Andrew Baker on -
We use a battery powered strimmer for edging. It does not have the power of a petrol unit and so is unlikely to break a window, although still capable of drawing blood on your face if used without a visor.
All the usual caveats apply still - don't let the line touch the ground, strim so the debris flies away from hazards etc.
Great machine, push button operation, lasts for many hundreds of feet on one charge, light and super accurate. made by CEL, Bristol. Can be used with confidence on the biggest gardens.
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