The summer is the perfect time to carry out that home construction project you’ve been putting off. The weather is good enough, so there are no more excuses, and if you’re worried about the mess you’ll have at home – or in the garden – then fear not, because skip hire is a simple way of ensuring you get rid of waste from your property in a legal way.
To help you order and properly prepare for your skip, we’ve got a short guide to the main points you should be considering.
Get the right size skip
There’s more than one skip size!? Of course there are, in fact, you can get skips that might be as big as your house (you probably won’t want one of those). Getting the right size skip for your exact purposes is important for your project timeline, as well as your bank account.
If you order a skip which is too small, you will need to order another one. This means spending more time arranging collection and delivery and spending more money on multiple smaller skips when a bigger one would have done the job. On the other hand, get a skip which is too big and you’ve wasted space and money – it also makes your skip more attractive to fly tippers.
Not sure what skip size you need? It’s ok to ask, most helpful skip hire companies will be happy to talk about your project and make a recommendation based on estimated waste.
Placement and access
The next thing to ask yourself is: where will the skip be positioned? There are plenty of places you could have it put, but which option will be better for you – and can the hire company gain access to get it there?
You’ll no doubt have seen skips in the road, and this is a popular option for homes without driveways or large gardens. Keeping your skip on your property removes the possibility of needing a permit though, and can also allow you to keep a better eye on it (fly tippers and skip rumagers are less likely to trespass).
If you live on a narrow street, or if there are gates which need to be open to allow delivery of a skip, make sure you factor this in and let your skip hire company know – it could save a lot of heartache.
Skip permits
Remember earlier when we mentioned skip permits? Well not to worry, because even if you are in an area where the council requires you to have a permit for a skip in the road, your skip hire company should be able to help you out. It’s better to work out whether you need this well in advance, ensuring you aren’t held back at a later date when you really need the skip.
What can’t I put in a skip?
This is a common question – and those who don’t ask it are usually throwing the wrong things in their skip! For your home construction project, you should only be throwing rubble, wood, bricks, soil, plastics, metals and other safe items. Where it gets tricky is with items which are hazardous in some way, so here’s handy list for what shouldn’t go in your skip:
- Electrical items
- Batteries
- Plasterboard and gypsum
- Medical waste
- Fluorescent tubes
- Tyres
- Gas cylinders
- Chemicals
- Paints and oils
For a full list of what you can’t put in your skip, check with the skip hire company before you place your order and tell them what you’re getting rid of.
Brown Recycling provide skip hire for home construction projects throughout Staffordshire – including Stoke-on-Trent, Crewe and surrounding areas.
