Category: DIY

Rent A Dumpster Near Me

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You or your company has a big project coming up. Maybe it’s a remodel or a demolition. Maybe it’s a building project.

You need a dumpster. Where to look?

Of course you can start with searching the big names in dumpster rentals.

1-800-Got-Junk?

1-800-Got-Junk is a national leader in dumpster and bag rental. They are able to be everywhere because they are a company that sells their brand as a franchise. Local owner-operators pay to use their branding and get their references, then do the work under their “Got Junk?” branding.

The Got Junk? brand received a lot of national attention for their involvement with the popular series Hoarders. In that series, psychologists and waste removal companies teamed up with family members to  address serious hoarding in the home of a loved one. the show Android a popular run, earning the got Junk brand a lot of publicity. while the company can supply labor, it cannot apply the kind of mental help that is necessary to get someone over clinical hoarding.

Hopefully that’s not what you need for your project!

You can click here to go to their website.

Waste Management

One of the nation’s largest dumpster and waste removal companies, their familiar green and yellow W & M logo can be seen almost everywhere in the United States. If you have ever seen a large green dumpster outside of a construction site, it was likely theirs.

Their national model seems attractive, but the moving company Move.org recently rated them 4 stars (out of 5) because of their “middle-of-the-road customer reviews.”

As is common with many dumpster rental companies, they are focused on providing you the last part of the puzzle – junk removal. You will need to apply the elbow grease to get the work done and get the debris out to the dumpster yourself.

Click here to go the Waste Management website.

Big Daddy Dumpster

In some parts of the country, users can take advantage of Big Daddy Dumpsters. Specializing in three sizes of Residential and Commercial dumpsters oh, Big Daddy Dumpster saves you money by limiting the options, bells, and whistles from which you have to choose.

By offering one price, based on the size of the dumpster, you get a straightforward picture of the cost of your project.

They won’t provide extra hands for the work, or dedicated recycling bins. What they will offer is a single, understandable price, clearly broken down in their conversation with you.

Click here to visit the Big Daddy Dumpster website.

Of course, you can always simply search on Google for the dumpster rental nearest you, and take your chances with what you find nearby.

Google search “dumpster rental near me”.

However, many people like the peace of mind that comes from using a trusted brand with years of experience and a commitment to staying in business for the long haul – even if it’s just the haul from your project to the landfill.

 

 

Common Costs Added to A Dumpster Rental

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When you buy any product or service it is not unusual to have additional costs added at the end.

However, most people don’t usually rent a dumpster. so those extra costs might surprise you if you aren’t prepared.

In the best-case scenario the company you rent from offers a single price that includes everything.

However that company takes on multiple costs in the process Falling Away what remains of your project.

Here are some common costs you might see added to your dumpster rental.

Common Dumpster Rental Costs

Taxes

Taxes are the most predictable cost with any purchase. and your locality these may include a sales tax and perhaps a service or Usage Tax. Even for companies that claim to provide one low price, the tax will be added as a separate final cost. They want to remind you that Uncle Sam, and not the company, is getting that money.

Distance Fees

Depending on the location of your project and the distance between your dumpster rental company and that project, you may be charged a distance fee. You should be informed of this upfront and it should not be a surprise that shows up on your bill later. The company must haul the dumpster to and from your location, and to the dump or landfill, so there are multiple considerations in assessing these fees.

Hazardous Materials Fees

A common pass-along fee that dumpster companies charge depends entirely on the type of materials you are placing in your dumpster. Every municipality has its own rules and costs for disposing of certain types of materials. For instance, some materials might have to go to a separate location that is further away, or that might require additional sorting. These items include concrete.

Insurance Coverage or Damage Protection

Another common expense that sometimes is billed separately is insurance coverage or damage protection. The insurance protects you in the case of something going wrong with the dumpster. This should generally be included in the price, but some companies will offer that to you as an additional cost. This may be required to be an additional cost, so the insurer knows that you have been informed and can collect the money directly.

The damage protection shields the dumpster company from liability in case there are deep scrapes or gouges when the dumpster is delivered or removed, or if other damage happens on the property that needs to be repaired.

Excess Weight

Even if everything goes as planned, a “one-price” company might surprise you with a final upcharge for excessive weight.  although your company May advertise their dumpsters on the basis of size, they typically are build at the junkyard based on weight. If you exceed the anticipated weight many companies will pass that charge on to you. You can ask as you rent if that could happen to you.

Typically companies take all of these things  into consideration when they are renting a dumpster to you. Being prepared and asking these questions upfront helps make sure there are no surprise additional costs to your project.

Your Big Daddy Dumpster Rental Experience

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When it comes time to move a parent into an assisted living facility, someone must be deputized to handle the house and belongings. Often it is the person who lives the closest. Unfortunately, this person has become the de facto caretaker already, and the pain of loss and transition can make the moving experience emotionally challenging.

 

It is frustrating how little stuff a person gets to move with them into assisted living.

 

Even a cherished bed is going to be left behind for a safer, lower bed in the residences. Often people can keep their familiar dresser or a few small individual furniture pieces.

 

The scale of the work to clean the house out can become overwhelming.

 

There is furniture, clothing, old memories. Some of it you will keep and sort through, of course, but a lot of it needs to be thrown out.

 

The realtor won’t be any help. She will provide a tight timeline, and probably telling you that the only thing that sells slower than an empty house is one with outdated furniture and that “lived in” feel.

 

You might even need to take out carpets too. This could prove to be a huge job.

 

 

The right sized dumpster for the job

 

First, analyze which things might be useful at a thrift store, and how you could get it there. Your local St. Vincent DePaul will likely be helpful, agreeing to come pick up some items for a minimal fee. They might even sent over a couple of workers big enough to do most of the work themselves.

 

But you might still be left with a lot of stuff.

 

This is where renting a dumpster from Big Daddy Dumpsters come in handy.

 

You may have never rented one yourself, but the concept makes sense.

 

Go to their site to get some guidance on what size dumpster you needed.

 

For residential purposes they offer a 10 yard and 15 yard option. The 15 yarder might be large, but you don’t want to run the risk that the slightly smaller (10 yard) version won’t hold it all.

 

You will be amazed at how simple it is. The employee who answers the phone will be very accommodating, and help you work out a time to drop off and pick up the dumpster.

 

Now you have a timeline for your work that makes the realtor, your parent, and your siblings happy.

 

 

A Family Reunion of Sorts

Transitioning a loved one into a smaller, more supportive place is a hard time emotionally. But the whole process doesn’t have to be hard.

 

Spend a day with family sharing memories, tearing up carpets, and putting old furniture and useless items in a dumpster. It’s therapeutic.

 

Big Daddy Dumpsters can make their part easy. One phone call to set it up, and you can concentrate on everything else.

 

Why Rent a Dumpster?

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You have seen the ads. A company promises to bring a huge dumpster and place it in front of your property for some amount of time. The plan is that you will easily haul away trash from a major project.

 

“Why would I do that?” you asked yourself. “That’s got to hurt my curb value.”

 

Perhaps you’ve wondered if making phone calls and paying for the delivery is worth it at all.

 

But let’s look at the alternatives.

 

Are There Alternatives to a Dumpster?

 

You could get a dumpster, but why? You could just purchase several boxes of large garbage bags.

 

Let’s walk through this process.

 

You fill one bag, then another. You still have to move it someplace. If you’re doing it the day before trash day, great! You can just haul it to the curb. However, many municipalities Have limits on how much trash they will pick up at an individual household.

 

Now you have become a small business manager, determining how much trash to put out … and where to store the rest of it for the next week.

 

Most of us store our trash in the back or side of the house.  So now you are in the business of moving your trash twice.

 

Ordering a dumpster puts YOU in charge of the schedule.

 

Garbage Bags are Not the Answer

 

Besides for many types of garbage, bags aren’t the answer. Table parts, furniture legs, lumber, and more all require separate handling.

 

The easiest way to handle this is the heart directly outside as you’re taking it apart and heave it in the dumpster.  You don’t have to disassemble anything. Just throw and go.

 

This can save countless hours fussing and struggling to break down pre-built furniture.

 

Additionally, with heavy items like old paint or wet and moldy drywall, you will use up dozens of bags and getting it all out to the curb. With a dumpster you can fill and dump buckets or other more solid containers. This makes it less likely that you will rip a bag and have to re-bag it, or that you will get a cut from sharp edges or screws and nails.

 

 

So renting a large dumpster from Big Daddy Dumpsters can save you time, energy, and money, and maybe keep you safer from cuts and scrapes.

 

The only real question is, why haven’t you called to schedule yours yet? Our friendly operators are standing by to take your call and schedule your dumpster today.

When Is It Time to Replace My Mattress?

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Americans have a love / hate relationship with our mattresses. We spend almost ⅓ of our time with them, and if it goes well, we have no memory of the experience.

 

Mattresses can be expensive investments, or cheap afterthoughts.

 

With this much time and money invested in finding the right mattress, when it starts to go, you want to carefully evaluate your options.

 

Here are signs that you need to throw your mattress away.

 

  1. It sags. There’s that sweet spot where you and your loved one cuddle, or you burrow in each night. You can find it easily because you sort of “roll in.” That sag, however, indicates that your support and ability to move around at night are diminished. Toss it.

 

  1. It has lumps and bumps. Lumps and bumps and buttons are signs of broken springs or misplaced foam and support. In addition to being a sign of wear and tear, they work against your good night’s sleep. Toss it.

 

  1. It is creaky, or squeaky. First, check if the creak or squeak is coming from your mattress or your box springs. Often the springs will be the culprit, and they should be replaced. If it is the mattress making the noise, but it’s not keeping you up, you can keep it a little while longer. But soon it will be time to toss it.

 

  1. Stains with odors. Pets, children, and a wide range of non-sleeping activities can leave your mattress stained. You can change the sheets and cover that up – you’re probably not hosting dinner parties on the bed anyway … right? But odors? If a quick spray with an over-the-counter cleaner doesn’t do the trick, toss the mattress.

 

  1. Bugs, especially bed bugs. No discussion here. Toss it. But what about …? No. Toss it.

 

  1. Aches and pains from sleeping. Your mattress and a night’s sleep should leave you feeling fit and rested, not tired and tested. If your mattress is the cause of your aches and pains, there is nothing to be done. Toss it.

 

Often your mattress and your box springs are a matched set. They don’t have to be, but a good match is an important thing to consider.

 

If you’ve got two large items to throw away, maybe it is time to consider renting a dumpster and turning this into a project?

How Do I Throw Out a Mercury Thermometer?

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You know that you are supposed to be careful when disposing of mercury. But why? And what if it comes in such a tiny amount as what is in a thermometer?

Mercury is a toxic element that has confounded and enticed people since its discovery. The element 80, with the abbreviation Hg, has long been associated with speed. This is because, at room temperatures, it holds together well and glides almost without friction over a surface.

This speed, combined with its color, earned it the nickname “quicksilver.”

Because even water would not stick to it, a popular use for mercury in the past was to treat felt hats. Hatters would rub the element onto the felt surface, making the hat virtually waterproof.

Over time, though, the effect of daily interaction was very pronounced on hatters. They tended to suffer from mental illness or “lunacy” at a high rate, which was the basis for the term “mad as a hatter.” Mercury was the culprit.

Mercury in thermometers

Mercury was also very responsive to changes in temperature. If it got hotter, it would expand. Cooler, it would contract. It became the most common ingredient in home thermometers, as a reliable and sensitive gage of temperature.

However, as the EPA and global environmental groups came to realize, mercury was causing a host of other illnesses in people.

Worse yet, when dumped in the environment, mercury did not break down.

Instead, it steadily made its way to water, remaining in its original form. There it sat until ingested by fish, or the things that fish ate. Then people ate those fishes. As our testing became more sensitive, we came to realize this mercury in the environment threatened our health. This led to a ban on the use of mercury in 2008, with the goal of not using it in the US and limiting its use around the world.

What if I happen across some mercury?

Despite the ban, mercury is still around us. It can be found in an old home science kit, or a thermometer that your mom has used for decades.

If you find mercury in any form while you are cleaning out the basement or a parent’s house, including a trace amount in an old thermometer, there are specific rules for disposal.

Your community likely offers one or more ways to safely dispose of this dangerous element. A quick guide from the EPA is available here: https://www.epa.gov/mercury/storing-transporting-and-disposing-mercury

A search in your phone book or online should reveal a local drop-off site for your hazardous material.

Remodeling and Disposing of Your Dining Room

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As COVID-19 or normal nest-fluffing activities prompt us to make bigger and more comprehensive changes to our house, the dining room is typically considered as an afterthought.

We set it, we forget it.

Silverware pun aside, the formal dining room often receives little love. We do a lot of daily eating in and around our expanded kitchens, and the idea of having company for dinner is still a rare treat.

But when it is time to re-do the dining room, here is a guide for how to handle each part of the redesign.

The table – many dining room designs and redesigns focus on the table. Appropriately so. The table makes the determination for whether you will eat in the dining room at all. Is it too big? Is it too formal? Is it covered with the bills, or a vexing jigsaw puzzle?

If you dispose of your dining room table and chairs: think of St. Vincent DePaul or some other local agency that employs folks to resell furniture. If it is functional, there is likely another life with another family. If your table was damaged to the point of unusability, only then should it be thrown in your Big Daddy Dumpster.

The china cabinet: was it part of a set with the dining room table? Then it’s got to go to make room for the replacement. If not, try to determine if it can be redone in a way that complements your new look. And what about the curios that are stored inside? Are they heirlooms whose story you know? Keep them, if not …

If you dispose of your china cabinet and contents: Determine if it is functional. If so, donate it. There is simply no sense in throwing away working furniture in a country with a 40% poverty rate. If it’s broken or unusable, BDD!

The carpet: It’s the focal point of the space only in that it must work with the table. But it gets heavy use, especially on the corners where people step on it while traveling from room to room. If the whole room is getting re-done, the most likely casualty in this war is the carpet or rug.

If/when you dispose of your carpet or rug: There really isn’t a second life for carpeting or a rug. It’s time to consider renting a dumpster for your project, it just got big.

Window treatments, art, and wallpaper: Sorry, they’re gone. They served their purpose, but they were unique to that space and time and design. For the most part, they’re difficult to remove in a way that preserves them. And no one can use them again.

When you dispose of your window treatments and wallpaper: Dumpster. MAYBE your art can earn a second life at a furniture reseller, but they will have a say in that. Be willing to make the trip knowing that you will return with the same full trunk you had when you set out.

Remodeling (and Disposing of) a Bedroom

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Bedrooms are our most personal expression of who we are when we can fully be ourselves. Here, we place homages to our values and our aesthetics. We transition from posters of our favorites musicians to paintings of our favorite scenes, or expressions from the minds of our favorite classical artists.

Often we are working in the bedrooms of our children as they transition from one age to the next, moving through different phases of self expression.

Then one day we must grasp the possibility of this space without them, as they take off into the world.

When our children are young, redoing the room typically means paint and rearranging furniture. When they fly from the nest, the transformation needs to be more radical.

The bed: What will this space be next? If it will maintain its use as a bedroom, but now for guests and even the welcome (temporary) return of our progeny, we keep the bed and simply accent around it.

If your vision does not involve a bed: Donate it. In almost every situation, there is a family who can benefit from a hand-me-down bed. As long as it holds together, you have all the parts, and it is not too badly damaged, St. Vincent DePaul or a similar agency will make your life easier by taking it off your hands for a modest price. The mattress, however, is another issue altogether. Your municipality may have special requirements for the donation / disposal of mattresses, and it may be required to be thrown away.

The dresser: The advice here is pretty clear. No, it’s not easily converted into something else. Nothing says “my home office is really a bedroom” like keeping the dresser. So don’t.

To dispose of the dresser: Always start by exploring the donation route. Working furniture can live a long time, why not help it avoid the landfill?

Curtains, art, and wallpaper: This room was great for your kids. You’re not your kids. These were unique to their location and are hard to remove in a way that allows them to be used again.

When you dispose of curtains, art, and wallpaper: Try and get your kids to take them with them. Maybe they have some great memories attached. It’s clear, you’re either going to throw this stuff out now or you’re going to throw it out in 20 years after storing it that whole time. Dumpster.There just isn’t a second life for them.

Remodeling (and Disposing of) Your Living Room

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Once upon a time, the living room was the gathering place of friends and family. Every part of our time at home seemed to center on a space so important to our home that we named it after our primary task: living.

Today, much of the work of a living room has been turned over to the family room or den, a space carved out or given over to a large screen TV, movie-quality speakers, and multiple game devices and streaming services.

Our living rooms have become more formal. They are our house in it’s Sunday Best clothing.

The decision to redo the living room should keep this in mind. Here’s a guide to how to decide what to keep, and how to dispose of the rest.

The couch: Every living room has at least one multi-person couch. Large, dramatic, with distinct features that helped form the character of the room, sometimes it is the first decision made in a space, and all others happen around it. Is it in good shape, though maybe a little work. A good re-upholstering is often expensive, but slightly cheaper than a whole new sofa. But it is is heavily scratched or dinged, perhaps from a pet years ago, or another piece of furniture placed too close, it needs to go.

If you must dispose of your couch: consider giving it to a second-life furniture outlet like St. Vincent DePaul. Often these places will send a truck and a couple burly folks over to your house, and for a small price you can save yourself the big work, and know it’s going to a second home.

The carpet: The carpet in your living room was the most used feature especially on the corners or pathways where people walk while passing through. If it is not worn, and If the colors still work for your new vision, keep it. Otherwise, it’s got to go.

If/when you dispose of your carpet or rug: There really isn’t a second chance for carpeting or a rug. Think about renting a Big Daddy Dumpster for your project, it just got big.

Comfortable chair: This was likely, at some point, matched to the couch. It should face the same fate. Keep it and reupholster it if you can.

If you must dispose of your comfy chair: Donate it, unless it is too badly damaged to re-use. In that case, throw it in the dumpster.

Window treatments, art, and wallpaper: I hate to say it, but they’re the most likely casualties of the decision to remake your living room. They did what they needed to do, but they were unique to their location. For the most part, they’re difficult to remove in a way that preserves them. And no one can use them again.

When you dispose of curtains and wallpaper: Dumpster.There just isn’t a second life for them.

What Size Dumpster Do I Need?

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One of the biggest challenges in doing a major remodel project around the house is finding the right size dumpster. This is because there are so many variables.

There are lots of sizes to choose from.

They are built on a scale that is difficult for the average person to visualize.

Most people rarely need to rent one, so we have no experience.

It is hard to imagine how big your project will look when it is dumped in a dumpster.

We are going to try to demystify the process a bit.

Garbage Bags

You’ve probably already looked at the website of a local dumpster dealer and you’ve seen a picture of an average scale human standing in front of an average scale dumpster.

This is meant to be helpful. Really it is. However, we seldom think of our garbage as being scaled with our body.

Instead, we are much more familiar with the size of a garbage bag. We handle those frequently. We have a sense of their size.  So in order to help you visualize it, we are going to explain it in terms of garbage bags.

Your dumpster choices will be marked in terms of “cubic yards” or “yd³”

On average, 1 cubic yard looks about like a medium size dresser, or about 6 trash bags.

Your smallest dumpster choice, the transition point where it makes more sense to rent a dumpster than to put it out in your own trash can, is 10 cubic yards. So this is about 60 trash bags.

  •             10 yd³ = 60 trash bags
  •             15 yd³ = 75
  •             20 yd³ = 120
  •             30 yd³ = 180
  •             40 yd³ = 240

Pickup trucks

OK so maybe garbage bags aren’t how you think. Maybe you are a do-it-yourself kind of person who understands what it means to throw a shovel in the back of a pickup truck, or what it means to load the pickup truck with mulch or dirt.

And besides, it does get pretty challenging to think about size in terms of 60 garbage bags.

Let’s measure in pickup trucks.

  • 10 yd³ = 3 pickup truck loads
  •             15 yd³ = 4-5
  •             20 yd³ = 6
  •             30 yd³ = 9
  •             40 yd³ = 12

This is an especially helpful measure when you are imagining each of those pick up truck loads being driven to your local dump. If it’s right around the corner three trips is no big deal.

However, if you’re like most folks who are doing a big fix-it-up project around the house, the local dump is NOT right around the corner.

And the further away it is, the more time and effort it adds to your project to haul everything there yourself.

Now you’re loading, driving, unloading, driving back … multiple times. And this is time added to the work of demolition or removal.

Many people might even choose a 10 yd³ dumpster to avoid that pain and hassle of even one or two trips to the dump.

Also, you should round up, and get the next biggest size if you are unsure. No one is judging you for not wanting to make any more trips than you have to. Or making no trips at all.

We hope this guide helped you with your project.

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