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The dangers of overloading a skip

Commercial, Domestic Skip Hire, Skip Hire, Waste

The dangers of overloading a skip

There are plenty of different projects that might mean you have to hire a skip, but in the end, it all comes down to one overriding reason: you’ve got stuff you need to get rid of, and if you’re contemplating a skip, then it’s probably going to be quite a lot of stuff.

We’ve written before about what size skip you might need for different home DIY projects, and it’s understandable that when choosing your skip it’s tempting to go for as small a skip as you can get away with. It tends to mean that you’ll be paying less to hire it, after all.

But having too small a skip carries its own risks, so this month we’re going to examine some of the dangers associated with overloading a skip, and why getting one that’s too small may cost you more in the end. We’ll also share a few tips on how you can make better use of the space you have and even get more in than you thought possible!

Overloading a skip

If you really don’t want to have to hire a second skip, it can be very tempting to cram as much into the one you’ve got as possible.

However, it’s important at this point that you don’t end up with things sticking up or sticking out the side of the skip. If your skip is on the road outside your house, anything sticking out the side could prove a significant hazard for anyone passing it, whether that’s pedestrians walking on the pavement or vehicles driving by on the road.

And when our driver comes to take your skip away, if they were to try and do it with things sticking out everywhere, that would put all road users and passersby at risk for the whole of their journey back to our site. Not to mention the damage that might be done by things falling out on the way.

How high can you fill a skip?

Every skip has a thick red line on the inside – near the top – which indicates the maximum height you can fill your skip to. If you fill it any higher, your driver will be well within their rights to refuse to take your skip away if they judge that doing so might pose a risk. 

And, of course, if they do refuse to take your skip away, then you’ll be faced with an extra hire fee for the extra time you’ll be needing it for – either that or you’ll be left with the pile of rubbish you’ll have to remove to make it safe to take away.

How to organise a skip so it doesn’t overload

A more simple solution could be to load your skip properly, so before doing anything, it’s worth spending a bit of time planning how you’re going to go about it. Doing the job methodically will mean you shouldn’t end up with lots of empty, unused space that you can’t get to and make proper use of.

This is the right way to go about the job:

  1. Start with any small, flat items – these can go at the bottom of the skip.
  2. Next, add anything that is likely to bed or crush down when it has heavier items placed on top.
  3. Now it’s time to add those larger, heavier items which are going to be occupying the majority of the available space.
  4. Finally, use any small items, or things that can be easily broken down into small pieces, to fill any remaining gaps between or within those bulkier bits of waste.

Hiring a second skip

If you’ve really underestimated the amount of waste you’ll be generating as a result of your project, then it might quite quickly become obvious that the only thing to do is to hire another skip to deal with the excess. That is inevitably going to be considerably more expensive than if you’d got the right size in the first place.

With a range of skips available to hire from Enfield Skips, you’re sure to find the perfect size for your particular project, whether that’s a 3 yard skip for a small loft clearout or a 14 yard skip for a house clearance. And don’t forget to use our Skip Size Calculator first to give yourself the best chance of getting the right one.

Order your skip online or give our team a call today for more information or advice.

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