Category: DIY

Spring Cleaning Time is Here

Spring is almost here, which means it’s time to start thinking about spring cleaning. This annual tradition is a great opportunity to refresh your home and get rid of the clutter that has accumulated over the winter months. Spring cleaning can be a daunting task, but with a little planning and organization, it can be a rewarding experience.

The first step in any spring cleaning project is to declutter your space. Take a look at each room in your home and identify the items that you no longer need or want. This could be anything from old clothes and toys to outdated electronics and appliances. Make a pile of these items and decide whether to donate, sell, or dispose of them. Once you have decluttered your space, you will have a better idea of what needs to be cleaned and organized.

Next, it’s time to tackle the deep cleaning. Start by dusting and wiping down all surfaces, including shelves, countertops, and furniture. Don’t forget to clean hard-to-reach areas such as the tops of cabinets and ceiling fans. Vacuum carpets and mop hard floors, and don’t forget to clean your windows and blinds.

If you have a lot of items to organize, consider investing in some storage solutions. There are many options available, from plastic bins to decorative baskets and shelves. These can help you keep your space tidy and make it easier to find what you need.

Spring cleaning is also a great time to do some home maintenance tasks. Check your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they are working properly. Replace the batteries if necessary. Test your HVAC system to make sure it’s running efficiently, and change the air filters. Clean out your gutters and check your roof for any damage.

Finally, don’t forget to take care of yourself during spring cleaning. It can be physically and mentally exhausting, so be sure to take breaks and stay hydrated. You can also enlist the help of friends or family members to make the task more manageable.

In conclusion, spring cleaning is a great way to refresh your home and start the new season off on the right foot. By decluttering, deep cleaning, and organizing your space, you can create a more inviting and functional environment. Don’t be afraid to tackle the task, and remember to take care of yourself along the way. Happy cleaning!

You Need a Dumpster for Your Kitchen Renovation

Homeowners who are looking to invest in a kitchen renovation project have plenty of options available to them. Not only are there hundreds of materials, styles, and colors to choose from, but the range of appliances and fixtures that can be incorporated into the space is endless. With careful planning and budgeting, you can create a one-of-a-kind kitchen that will not only be functional and aesthetically pleasing, but is also reflective of your lifestyle and personal tastes.

But first, you have to get rid of the old kitchen. And for this, you are going to want to rent a dumpster from Big Daddy Dumpsters.

Renting a dumpster makes your kitchen project easier

Renting a dumpster makes your home renovation project easier by allowing you to quickly and easily dispose of debris and waste associated with your kitchen remodel. Rather than having to load up and transport load after load of debris, to the curb, possibly reaching limits imposed by your community, you can simply fill the dumpster as you go and have it taken away when it is full. This eliminates the need to run back and forth and makes job clean-up simpler at the end of the day.

Simply schedule a dropoff and pickup time for your dumpster, and then you are free to work on your renovation at your own pace. You won’t have to rush to get the garbage to the curb on one specific night of the week to avoid angering your neighbors.

Now, with the dumpster in place you can get to work.

Planning your kitchen renovation

First, plan and budget: The first step in a kitchen renovation is to plan and budget for the project. Identify what changes you would like to make to your kitchen. Consider the size of the space, appliances, and cabinets that you would like to include. Determine whether it will require any ajor structural changes or if you can make do with minor changes. Make sure to consult an expert to review the design plans and give a realistic cost estimation of what it will take to get the job done.

Second, clear your palette. Take out everything you aren’t keeping, and anything that isn’t directly attached to the plumbing and electric. With this blank slate you can begin creating your dream space. This is where you will make heavy use of your dumpster, dragging unneeded items away to be handled by someone else.

Third, fill in flooring, cabinetry, and framing. By carefully measuring and planning these steps, everything else will flow smoothly and beautifully as you transform your space.

Finally, add countertops and your appliances. By adding your distinctive touch, you personalize the space. And modernizing these appliances increases the resale value of your home, if that is your goal. And while you are, of course, recycling some of the materials, any non-recyclable packing materials can also conveniently go in your dumpster.

Then, when the work is completed, call Big Daddy Dumpster to haul away the debris.

How to Dispose of Your Old Computer

With advances in technology, we upgrade our computers often to make sure we have the latest and greatest technology. Or sometimes, we just get new computers for Christmas or the new year.

But what happens to the old computer when it has been replaced? Disposing of an old computer correctly is an important process. Your old computer can contain your most sensitive and personal information – credit card information, details of your purchases and contacts, and even access to bank accounts and email accounts. In the wrong hands, your old computer can give someone access to essentially become you online.

So whether you decide to donate, recycle, or destroy the computer or hard drive, there are several considerations when disposing of an old computer.

Assess your computer

Information: What kind of information did you have on your computer? Was it primarily a work computer with a few files and documents, and access to a work account or two? While it sounds innocuous, in the wrong hands this could give someone access to your company hard drive. Did it have all of your personal accounts? This information can determine how careful you need to be in your steps to wipe the memory.

Age: Is the computer so old that it is hardly usable? Or is it a fairly new model that might have a few years left being used by a family who might not otherwise have a decent computer in their home? This can determine whether your next step is simply to recycle the parts, or to donate it to a charity or foundation in your area.

Brand and upgradability: Certain computers were made to be easily modified and upgraded. These are somewhat future-proof and might be good targets for donation. Others are harder or more expensive to upgrade, and hit a wall for operability over time. This can influence your decision.

Examine your options

Trade it in: Most manufacturers offer a modest trade-in value for your same-brand computer. They re-use the parts they can, and see that remaining parts get recycled or upcycled. Also, as large corporations, they have an incentive to be careful with whatever data remains (though you should ALWAYS do a factory reset before sending it in. This helps make data far harder to access.

Donate it: Many cities have multiple charities that can get your old computer to someone who needs it. Sure, you have access to the latest and greatest items, but others are thankful just for the chance to get online from home instead of the library. Your donation can make someone’s life a little easier. ALWAYS do a factory reset first.

Recycle it: your community likely has a computer recycling business. These businesses will often erase or physically destroy the hard drive, then break the computer into parts based on their value. Sometimes they will even pay you a small amount for the computer, but often they make their money from recycling or selling usable parts. I don’t know if I said it yet, but ALWAYS do a factory reset first.

5 Ways to Refresh Your Kitchen

If your kitchen looks a little dull, it’s time to refresh it. From small changes to big overhauls, it’s easy to give your kitchen a facelift without breaking the bank! In this article, we will explore five ways to instantly refresh the heart of your home: your kitchen. From new hardware to a fresh coat of paint, you’ll soon have a kitchen that feels completely renovated, but at a fraction of the cost of a full renovation. Keep reading to find out all the best ways to refresh your kitchen.

Add Storage Space

The first way to make your kitchen feel almost like new is to add storage space. Consider investing in organized shelving systems or hanging solutions such as hooks for pots and pans and racks for utensils. Are you using available storage space close to the ceiling?

Anything you can do to get items off of your countertop makes cooking easier. And everyone loves a kitchen with countertops that are clutter-free.

Get the right kitchen tools

A second way to make the most of your kitchen doesn’t involve a physical renovation at all. Investing in quality kitchen tools can make your kitchen feel new by making it more productive. If you select durable tools and kitchenware that can stand up to frequent use, and that make hard tasks feel easy, you have made an investment in how you feel about your kitchen and cooking. This is priceless. It’s worth the extra money to buy quality items that will last.

Try a new coat of paint

A new coat of paint can make your kitchen look energized and refreshed. The colors can draw attention to certain architectural features like trim and doors, and they can hide the. The clean lines of a wall painted with a fresh coat of paint can give the room a brand-new look. Depending on the color chosen, paint can transform a room from looking outdated and worn to modern and stylish. The entire design of the space can seem more open and bright with a new coat of paint.

Subdivide your shelves

Do you have stuff stacked on top of stuff in your pantry? Are your shelves layered like an archeological dig? Invest in smaller shelves or separate matching containers to hold all the random stuff that accumulates on your shelves over time. Not only will your kitchen look cleaner. but it will be easier and more fun to use, making the whole kitchen experience more enjoyable.

Sort and toss

And maybe consider that you just have too much stuff. Throw some of it away. Do you have items that do the exact same thing as others? Keep the one of highest quality and liberate your kitchen by donating the other one or throwing it away. Not sure how old that ingredient is? Maybe that means you don’t use it often enough to justify keeping it on your shelf for future generations.

A couple of simple changes can help transform your kitchen without investing in a messy and inconvenient renovation.

New Wood Flooring is a Huge Return on Investment – Here’s How to Dispose of Your Old Floor

When sprucing up your home or flipping a house, redoing floors is an investment that pays for itself. As an example, new wood flooring offers as much as 118% return on investment.

 

And replacing a floor is both functional and beautiful.

 

But when replacing a floor, you can create a great deal of waste. Properly disposing of an old floor is an important part of the process. Here are suggestions for how to dispose of different types of floors as you replace them.

Wood flooring

 

Wood flooring is beautiful and durable, but requires maintenance. This means that some part of figuring out what to do next means assessing the viability of the existing wood floors. Are they in pretty good shape? Are they rotted through from years of neglect or exposure to water? Here are the possibilities.

 

Re-using your wood floors – If the floors are in relatively good shape, there is a better option that replacing them. Reconditioning and restoring old wooden floors not only adds to the charm and beauty of an older house, but it also saves the work that comes with removing an old floor and putting in a new one.

 

Re-cycling your old wood floor – if re-using doesn’t fit your needs or skill set, there might still be a little life left in the old wooden floor. Many communities have re-purposing sites that take your old items, sometimes even paying you for them. Then they resell it to an interested buyer.

 

Throwing it away – of course, the last option is the one that is always available. You can throw away your old wooden floor. In this case, you might need to rent a dumpster.

 

Vinyl or laminate flooring

 

In many cases, vinyl or laminate flooring is nearly impossible to reuse or recover. Trouble matching with new pieces, and permanent staining mean you have to start with the strongest response: throwing it away. If recovery isn’t possible, rent a dumpster to dispose of the old floor after checking with your local waste disposal company to make sure they take that particular style of waste.

 

And always check for asbestos. In many cases, older floors will have trapped asbestos beneath them, and the cost of removal with asbestos treatment is astronomical. Check before you make a costly mistake!

 

Photo created by author on Dall*E

How to Dispose of Old Insulation

One of the most cost effective improvements you can make to an old house during a renovation or flip is to replace or enhance the insulation. In some cases, this means the relatively simple task of adding blown insulation or another roll of sheet insulation to existing layers.

 

Other times it involves the challenging task of removing a lot of old insulation. And that means finding out how to correctly dispose of it in a safe and economical way.

Fiberglass

Perhaps the most common form of insulation used in the United States is fiberglass. Whether blown into walls and cavities, or laid in sheets in walls and crawl spaces, fiberglass is a lightweight and efficient insulator.

 

 

For that reason, many new insulation jobs involve simply adding to the existing fiberglass and leaving the old stuff where it is.

 

If you must replace good fiberglass insulation, perhaps to achieve a certain LEED rating; you can examine donating existing insulation to a cooperative or recycling center in your area.

 

However, time, heat, dust and humidity – or water and mud – can take its toll on fiberglass and render it useless. When this happens you will need to dispose of it.

 

Fortunately most communities accept fiberglass insulation in their dumps. You should always do a reality check, and communicate with your dumpster supplier to confirm. But you can usually cheaply and safely simply carry the fiberglass insulation to your rented dumpster.

Mineral Wool

A less commonly used form of insulation is mineral wool. Often used to combine soundproofing with heat and cold insulation, this product can also be blown or come in sheets.

 

There are various types of mineral wool, made with different ingredients. There is no general advice about this. It is your responsibility to determine whether it complies with your community’s waste disposal requirements.

 

The experts who rent you your dumpster can help with this identification and in making sure you are following community guidelines.

Vermiculite

A final commonly used form of insulation in old homes is vermiculite. This is a most problematic form of insulation because it often includes the hazardous material asbestos. In the case that your vermiculite has asbestos, you should proceed with caution. Your project might involve trapping the asbestos in place and working around it.

 

If you have expert help who confirms no asbestos content, again check your community’s waste disposal guidelines to determine whether you can safely rent a dumpster and fill it with your old insulation.

Image created by author on Dall*E

Great Ideas for a Closet Renovation

In an era where good housing is hard to find, and not enough is being built, families are working to maximize the space they have. This means making the most of every bit of space under their roof.

 

After kitchens, basement, and other major room improvements, many homeowners find they need more storage space. One option is to rent a garage in a climate controlled facility where you store the stuff you don’t want to think about. The other is to renovate your storage space and get the most out of every inch.

 

Here are some ideas to help you make the most of your available space.

Hanging Shelves

Hanging cloth shelves is a great way to make the most of space dominated by a single hanger pole. Their smaller size allows each shelf to hold a little something – or slightly more than it seems like it should. Go vertical and economical to expand your storage space.

Add shelves up high

Too often, the space above your hangers goes to waste. This awkward space is too tall to hold a lot, and too “overhead” to hold anything big or heavy enough to take up that space. So why not break up that space with shelves? Small, light boxes can hold seasonal items or seldom-used accessories. Be sure to clearly label them to save time and energy. Best yet, they won’t throw your back out when you lift them down.

 

Don’t forget to add a small foldable footstool to make those items easier to reach!

Add a row of small specialized shelves

One problem with shelves and cubbies is that they are often exactly the wrong size. Too big for some items, too small for others. Giving yourself various options of shelf sizes means that not everything needs to be the same size – and that means less wasted space.

Hire a professional closet designer

Of course, if it fits within your means, you can hire a professional closet designer to remake your closet to get the most out of every inch. A professional designer will have access to all sorts of ideas you might not encounter on Pinterest, and have experience with solutions. Better yet, they will be able to let you know what will and won’t work before you make a mistake.

 

Photo by Max Vakhtbovych: https://www.pexels.com/photo/design-of-modern-white-wardrobe-with-shelves-6782348/

Why Contractors Build Ongoing Relationships with Big Daddy Dumpsters

If you are a contractor it makes your life easier to have a few trusted individuals you can lean on to get every job done. One of those companies that you need a lot is the one that takes Waste & debris away from your construction site.

Sure, you could enter each construction project with a blank slate and do price checks for all available companies. Or maybe even run a bidding process where they compete against each other for your services for every project.

And maybe you would save some pennies after doing a dollar’s worth of work and wasting precious time.

One number

But if you develop a relationship with one waste carrier, your life will be simpler.  suddenly instead of running a bidding process, you just have to dial one number. This is far simpler than crunching numbers on multiple bids.

Familiar people

Also if you work with one company,  you know the people who pick up the phone when you call. And they know you.

Instead of being stuck on the phone or in meetings trying to explain your expectations,  a familiar representative on the other end will already know what you demand. They know you and your preferences. They can catch unintentional mistakes,  and possibly save you money by already understanding how you work.

And if plans change? Having a developed relationship means that you can get over small bumps in order to deliver big results.

Emails with specials

Also if you develop a relationship with one dealer, you can subscribe to get their email updates and special deals. This way you can best understand what their competitive prices are and figure that into your future bids.

Best price available

These ongoing relationships between providers and contractors are mutually beneficial. If your provider comes to know you and can count on your business, they can offer you the best price available. More importantly they can offer it to you every time rather than feeling like they have to bid, or compete, or hide their profit margins.

It is easiest to do work with friends and familiar companies because you get reliable service at a cost that doesn’t break your bid.

This is why many contractors deal regularly with a company they know and trust, like Big Daddy Dumpsters.

 

Photo by Sora Shimazaki: https://www.pexels.com/photo/happy-multiethnic-coworkers-discussing-documents-on-city-street-5669661/

Which Home Renovations Have the Biggest Impact on Resale Price?

In an era of rising home prices and a national housing shortage, home owners are working hard than ever to maximize the value of their home;

This means making the most out of their home renovations.

Your next home renovation can not only improve your quality of life, but can increase the resale value of your home if or when you decide to sell.

Here are the renovations that yield the biggest results according to Money Magazine.

Most impactful renovations

According to a recent article in Money Magazine, these changes offer the largest return without addition extra space:

  1. Refinish hardwood floors: 147% return on investment
  2. New wood flooring: 118%
  3. Upgrade insulation: 100%
  4. Converting a basement to a living area: 86%
  5. Closet renovation: 83%
  6. Converting an attic to living area: 75%
  7. Complete kitchen renovation: 75%
  8. Bathroom renovation: 71%
  9. Kitchen upgrade: 67%

Two other high-value changes involve adding new space in your house:

  1. New bathroom addition: 63%
  2. New primary bedroom addition: 56%

Most of these renovations create a great deal of waste. Each of these conversions require tearing out existing building items and bringing in new materials.

This means removing a large amount of waste, and would be helped by renting a dumpster.

Renting a dumpster is cost effective

When you already know that your renovation will be a cost-effective addition to your home, it makes sense to make the work as easy as possible for yourself.

Sure, you could make bunches of small piles of waste. You could slowly fill large trash cans and bags and drag them individually to the curb over the course of weeks or months for your renovation. You could do what some people do, staging their waste in the work area or a garage to always put out the maximum allowed amount of curbside waste.

But, why?

Renting a dumpster can help make your renovations go faster. Better yet, if you already know the positive return on your investment, you can include the cost of the dumpster in your calculations.

The time and energy you save by renting a dumpster can make the project flow more smoothly and happen on time.

And the profit is already baked in to the project – why sweat more than you have to?

 

​​Photo by JESHOOTS.com: https://www.pexels.com/photo/floor-plan-on-table-834892/

Don’t Forget to Recycle these Common Household Items

When you have a major home project, it is easy to throw all the garbage in the same place. Perhaps you have rented a dumpster, or bought garbage bags for the work (or both) and the simplest thing to do is throw all the trash in the same place.

However, some of those same recycling habits and systems that work for your everyday mess will also work for your special project.

Remember to incorporate recycling into your major project, because it could save you time and energy, and even money.

Recyclable items often overlooked

When doing a large project, home owners and contractors often forget that the large amounts of cleaning supplies they use often come in recyclable containers. It will seem easiest to simply toss the containers in the dumpster with everything else, but simple is not always best.

These days paint cans and trays are often recyclable, as are the containers for cleaning liquids. Many boxes for building materials are corrugated cardboard which can go directly in recycling bins in most communities.

Looking for recyclables and sorting them out can mean fewer trips to the dumpster, and fewer dumpsters needed for your project. In those cases, recycling is a little more work but can add savings to your bottom line.

Recyclable items that require special disposal

However, it is true that not every plastic container is easily recycled. Some of the liquids you need to complete your work are considered hazardous, because they contained hazardous liquids. Those containers should not get recycled unless they are correctly and completely cleaned out.

In some cases, those containers should also not be placed in your dumpster, because they pose a hazard and are forbidden from landfills.

In these cases, check the ingredients of your materials, and the expectations and regulations for your local landfill. Then, with the right information in hand, we encourage you to recycle as much as possible.

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