DUMPSTER LINGO MADE EASY

8/11/2017 (Permalink)

When ordering a dumpster, be sure to ask, what days it can be delivered and picked up. many companies will rent for a specific length of time.

DID YOU KNOW that SERVPRO of West Chester can support a repair project after we have handled the front end water, fire, or clean up efforts at your home or business? 

One of the many project management 
tasks we will handle for our customers is arranging for a dumpster to be delivered and removed. Let's say that you have had a water damage in the bathroom that SERVPRO of West Chester serviced for you. And now the bathroom's drywall, cabinetry, flooring, trim and cove are all going to need to be removed and replaced. We can continue to support your repair efforts.  

SERVPRO of West Chester is committed to making your home look like It Never Even Happened, so we will gladly handle your repair efforts if you would prefer for convenience sake. We gladly will work within the parameters that the adjuster's estimate has identified.  If you are tackling corrective measures without involving your insurance carrier, we can help, too. Ordering a dumpster is the first step, but what size do I need?  

A cubic yard is the volume of a cube with a length, width and height of one yard (3 feet or 36 inches). You can easily calculate cubic yardage by converting all three dimensions of an item into yards and multiplying them. For example, if you have debris that is 9 feet long, 3 feet wide and 12 inches tall, you have one cubic yard of material. Here’s how it breaks down:

• Given that 3 feet is equivalent to 1 yard, 9 feet equals 3 total yards in length.
• The width is easily measured as 3 feet equals 1 yard in width.
• Given that 12 inches is equivalent to 1 foot, 1 foot equals 1/3 of a yard in height.

Multiplying the three dimensions, once converted to yards, will give you the total cubic yardage of your debris. In this case, 3 yards x 1 yard x 1/3 yard equals a single cubic yard.

While calculating cubic yardage will not always be that simplistic, especially for materials like concrete, gravel and dirt, having some understanding of how to do so can go a long way in filling up a dumpster.

Estimating Cubic Yards in Your Dumpster Rental

An easy way to answer “How much is a cubic yard?” is to compare it to common items you’ve seen and used. The most popular example of this is equating cubic yards to pickup trucks. In this case, the typical full-size truck bed can hold between 2-3 cubic yards of material. That means a 10 cubic yard dumpster can hold at least three pickup truck loads (depending on the weight of your debris).

Here’s what our other common dumpster sizes can hold in terms of truck loads:

• 20 cubic yard dumpster – Equivalent to about six pickup truck loads.
• 30 cubic yard dumpster – Roughly equivalent to nine pickup trucks of debris.
• 40 cubic yard dumpster – Can hold about 12 pickup trucks of materials.

It may also be beneficial to think of a cubic yard in terms of wheelbarrow loads, as it’s a great tool to bring materials into your container. Typically, 9-12 wheelbarrow trips are equivalent to one cubic yard of material. Keeping this in mind can help you estimate cubic yards as your project progresses.

Knowing what a cubic yard looks like can be helpful when filling up your dumpster, but it’s critical to follow some basic guidelines to ensure you get what you need.  Most importantly, keep your materials below the edges of the container. Nothing should be sticking up over the top or hanging over the sides. Stacking your materials into the dumpster accordingly, as you see in the picture above, can go a long way in maximizing your space.

Note: Volume is not equal to weight limit in regards to the size of a dumpster. In addition to knowing the total volume of what you’re throwing away, knowing the approximate weight of these items will help you avoid overage fees and receive the right size dumpster for your project.

SERVPRO of West Chester has been supporting the greater West Chester communities for over 26 years. Call the office 24/7 for any type of clean-up support, 610-692-8884. Also for updates, like us on FB.