Picking the Right Size Skip for your Needs
No matter what home improvement project you’ll be undertaking, from simply redecorating your bedroom to a complete loft conversion, living with the mess can be really frustrating – and having to work around the rubbish may also mean that your project gets held up.
The best way to ensure a quick turnaround and a stress-free project is to plan it meticulously, including the waste disposal method you’ll be using so the mess doesn’t pile up. If you’re just stripping the wallpaper and putting fresh up, chances are you’ll be able to fit the old paper into bin liners and drop them off at your local waste recycling station, but you might need something more than a bin bag for a larger project.
One of the most convenient and cost effective ways to dispose of large amounts of household waste or rubble is to hire a skip. There are different skip sizes so depending on your requirements, projects and the amount of rubbish you’ll be generating, you’ll need to choose the right one for you. there’s a skip size to suit every need.
Mini Skip
The Mini skip is only about 6 feet long and 4 feet wide and can hold up to 2 cubic yards of waste. Because it is so small, it can usually find a place to fit on almost any property, without restricting access or causing an obstruction on the road.
These domestic skips are ideal if you think you will only generate between 20 and 30 bags of waste, so for smaller DIY projects, such as:
- Garage, shed or loft clearout
- Home redecoration
- Seasonal gardening projects
Midi Skip
The Midi skip is slightly larger, at 8 feet long and 5 feet wide – so still ideal for placing on a driveway or large path without being an inconvenience. But at 4 cubic yards it can comfortably hold almost twice as much waste.
This means that if your project is a little larger, and you estimate you’ll have about 40 bags of rubbish to get rid of, this size is ideal.
- Garden landscaping
- Laying a new path, small drive or patio
- Small to medium kitchen or bathroom re-fit
Maxi Skip
The maxi skip is much larger at about 12×6 feet, and as such it is often used by tradesmen and builders undertaking domestic projects – hence why they are sometimes called builders skips. These small commercial skips still fit onto regular sized driveways, so are convenient, but offer about 8 cubic yards of space.
This means it is the ideal skip for larger home renovation projects as they can accommodate about 80 bags of rubbish.
- Building an extension or garage
- Converting a loft or garage
- House clearance or complete refurb
So whatever you’re project – you can find the right size skip to suit it! But remember if you plan on putting your skip on a road or public highway, you’ll need to obtain a Highway Licence from your council. This is usually fairly easy, but if you contact a good skip hire company, they should be able to arrange this for you. If this is the case, you might also need skip lights and street cones to warn oncoming traffic of your skip.
Should you need to dispose of any hazardous waste – which can be anything from chemicals, to a fridge freezer and even an old tyre – you should arrange for alternative waste disposal. Again your skip hire company should be able to discuss this with your and either offer you advice for how to dispose of your hazardous waste or provide an alternative waste disposal solution for you.
