Skips are known as large open-topped waster containers designed to be removed by lorries, as opposed to being emptied by bin lorries.

While this is something you probably already know, Staffordshire Skip Hire will share a handful of other facts about skip you may not know.

What you didn’t know about skip hire

Where did the term skip come from?

The word ‘skip’ originally came from the old Scandinavian word ‘skeppa’ which means basket. The North Germanic people of the Early Middle Ages began an emigration in the 8th century bringing with them their language and culture. The word ‘Skeppa’ was absorbed into old English as the word ‘skep’ eventually became the term ‘skip’ we are familiar with today.

Why are skips the colour they are?

When skips started to become commercially available and popular, the UK Highways Act imposed regulations on skips stating that it should be visible in the dark and the colour that was regarded as the most easily visible in low light was yellow.
Today it is different with many skip companies choosing colours that more closely align with their businesses branding and they make their skips for visible with lights and cones.

Are there any restrictions on placing a skip?

Skips placed on a public highway must be licensed or permit and have the required safety lights and markings. Otherwise the skip provider could face fines of up £1000. To obtain this permit, you need to be an authorised skip hire contractor. This licence is obtained from the Local Highway Authority, as detailed under section 139 of the Highways Act 1980 and lasts for a maximum of 15 days.

Skips placed on private land do not have the same restrictions.

Why do skips exist?

Basically, convenience and cost. Let’s face it, it is much easier for people to simply fill up a large container and have someone else to take it away from the.
It is also often much more economical to a waste company that specialises in recycling such as Staffordshire Skip Hire to deal with your waste as we have the scale and facilities to effectively deal with it on a large scale.

When were skips first used in the UK?

Prior to 1960, some companies used carts or wagons that had the same function as skips. The introduction of builders skips as we know them now coincided with the widespread availability of portable machinery capable of lifting and shifting the weight.

Get in touch for more information

If you have any questions about skip hire, please do not hesitate to contact us today.

Clearouts are a great time to sift through the stuff that we have collected in our home. Removing the rubbish, the unwanted and the unused. And for the most part, anything we decide to keep ends up in the loft. Out of sight, out of mind. So what happens when we decide that it is time to clear out the loft?

Safety First

When it comes to our loft, many of us are using precariously balanced ladders, and an abundance of upper body strength to get through the hatch. This can mean that safety is thrown to the wind.
If you are clearing out your loft, extra care needs to be taken in order to avoid injury and potential damage in your home. We recommend that you utilise two people to move things up and down your ladders. Along with investing in a good quality ladder that is long enough to get into the loft space.
You will also need to consider how you will be transporting items from the loft and down the ladders. To decrease the risk of injury and falling, consider lowering items down in some form of collection item, such as a garden bucket, or a holdall. If necessary, these can be attached or rope or straps to be lowered right down. Please avoid throwing items down the ladders as this can move your ladders and they can become unstable.

Where To Start

Each of us has a different way of pilling stuff into our lofts, some of us have boarded the space so we can cram more in, others have popped a board or two down to avoid the insulation, then we have the extremes, the completely kitted out space and the throw caution to the wind and put everything on the insulation. Depending on how you have your loft, will depend on how you can work through everything.
We recommend that you create yourself a space towards one end, and work through it, putting stuff to keep into that space and moving along. This will help you to work through it without forgetting where you have been or doubling the work. You can then load any unwanted goods into your container to be lowered down.

To The Skip

When it comes to loading your unwanted items in the skip, remember to keep your eyes out for the few things that shouldn’t be placed into your skip. Check out our handy guide on what you can and can’t put in the skip.
Positioning larger and heavier items in the skip first will help you to fully utilise the space as you can place your smaller items in the gaps. We appreciate that this might not always be the case when you are working from one side of the loft to the other. There are a couple of ways that you can work around this.
Create a sorting space – either use the floor of a room in your house, or pop a sheet down near to your skip. You can then place the smaller and less bulky items here until the larger items are in the skip and you can load over them.
Create a small item side – if you know you only have a few larger items to dispose of, you can load the one side of your skip with the smaller items until your larger items are in place.
Cherry-pick larger items – If your loft space, if larger enough to enable you to remove the larger items first safely, you can cherry-pick the larger items first to create a base layer in the skip.

Choosing The Right Skip

Choosing the right skip for a loft clearance can be somewhat tricky. You never know how much you will be removing to know how much space you will need. If you can have a sort out before ordering you will have a better idea, however, we know that the limited space means that this isn’t always possible.
Consider how large your loft space, and roughly how much you are hoping to dispose of, you can then discuss this with a member of our team who has a good understanding of how much you can safely fit into a skip. Remember, ordering a slightly larger skip than you think you need is better than having to hire a second skip. Commonly, people will find things in the house and garden to fill the skip.

For more information on hiring the right skip for your loft clear out, please get in touch with a member of our expert team today who will be happy to assist you. Remember to check out our blogs regularly for more ideas and information.

Whether you have moved into a new home, or you have just simply neglected your garden, summer is a great time to get the revamp underway.
Looking out across your wilderness, you might be thinking would it be easier to just call someone in to do all the groundwork for you, but thanks to Staffordshire Skip Hire you can now hire your own machinery to help you get the job done!

Digger Hire

Hearing the words digger hire might have you thinking that the machines won’t actually fit into your garden. We are pleased to say that we also have mini and micro diggers in the fleet, making it far easier to get the machines into your residential garden!
Hiring a digger can make larger garden clearances a much easier process than digging everything out by hand. We also have a range of attachments available for our diggers that will enable you to make easy work of a selection of tasks. Discuss with our team how you will be using the digger and we can make recommendations to any additions you may find useful (and maybe even some hints and tips to see you through).

Mini diggers are great for a wide range of garden jobs, but they shine through for certain tasks such as:

• Breaking down small constructions
• Digging holes and trenches
• Excavating ponds
• Levelling out landscapes
• Removing tree stumps
• Repairing sewage lines
• Installing a pool or hot tub
• Ploughing snow in preparation for other work

Skip Hire

It might be great fun getting behind the controls of a mini digger for the day, but have you considered where you will be putting all the unwanted ground that you will be digging up? Hiring a skip after the initial dig will have you working twice as hard to move your waste. Consider hiring a skip at the same time as your machinery to make the removal of waste one simple step.
When it comes to deciding on the size of skip you require, we always recommend over-estimating. It’ll be much kinder on your pocket to hire a skip that is too large than to need a second skip. You will also be surprised at how quickly a skip fills up, especially with garden waste. Check out our blog on Garden Clearance for more information.

If you are unsure which machinery is best for your job, please contact a member of our expert team today who will be happy to assist you and make recommendations where possible. Check back to our blogs for a range of other ideas on how the Staffordshire Skip Hire team can assist you with your home and garden renovations.

Home renovations can leave you with an abundance of waste that you can’t fit in your average household bin. Or that might be too big (or too much) to fit in the back of your car to head to the tip. This includes renovating your bathroom.

Bathroom Fixtures

When it comes to renovating your bathroom, there are usually three larger fixtures that you will need to dispose of. The toilet, sink and bath.
These items are far too big for your standard bin, and for many cars. In many instances, if you have them fitted by the company you purchased your new ones from, they will take away your old ones too. However, in a bid to save a few pennies, many of us opt to either fit them ourselves or call someone cheaper in to fit them. This means that we have to dispose of the old ourselves too.
The good news is that hiring a skip from Staffordshire Skip Hire means that you can dispose of all three items in one place, right in front of your home, without the hassle of moving things around too much, or waiting for them to be collected.

Bathroom Revamp

It is unusual to find someone who is swapping out their bathroom fixtures and not revamping the rest of the room at the same time. Especially as removing the fixtures can cause damage to the surrounding decoration, plaster and flooring.
When hiring a skip to remove all of your fixtures, you can ensure that you are hiring the appropriate size to also remove any further waste that your total revamp may require.
We recommend that you consider the size of the overall bathroom as you may need space for flooring, old plaster and anything else that you might be removing.

Selecting Your Skip

It is easy to underestimate the size of the skip that you require, especially when you are loading it with bulky items. There are a few things that you might want to consider when choosing your size. Firstly, consider a skip with a drop door, this will mean that you do not need to lift heavy and bulky items over the rim of your skip. (You may want to load the bulky items first to fill the skip effectively).
Consider a slightly larger skip than you originally thought, just to be on the safe side as you tend to find you have more waste than you anticipated. For a full bathroom suite, we recommend nothing smaller than our 5-tonne drop door due to the length of your bath.
For advice on selecting the most suitable size, please contact our team today who will be able to advise you based on your specific needs.

For more information on our skips, or to book your skip hire today, please contact a member of our friendly team who will be happy to help you. Check back to our latest news for more information.