Skip Hire Blog

Here at TopSkips we're all about making skip hire easy, thats why we provide an easy to use online ordering system, online videos at www.topskips.tv to help you choose the right skip and our "7 Secrets to Successful Skip Hire".

Well just to make it even easier, we've now included Google Checkout as a payment method at TopSkips.com, so you can now order and pay for your skip hire in another fast, convenient, and secure way. This is in addition to the PayPal and credit/debit card options already available and powered by Worldpay!

Here at TopSkips we get asked a lot of questions by customers about skip hire and it occured to us that there may be lots of you wondering about the very same issues. So we've decided to answer these questions through the blog...starting today!

Q: "I would like to know the price of a 6 cubic yard skip with a drop door".

A: The 6 cubic yard skip with drop down door allows one end to be lowered for use as a ramp and would have a hire charge around the same as a normal 6 cubic yard skip (remember though; prices vary dependent on location).

They are commonly available in 6 yard and 8 yard sizes with the very rare occurance of a 4 or 2 yarder being documented. The drop down door is particularly useful for work involving a wheelbarrow, possibly transporting heavy inert material and results in the largest type of this skip coming in at 8 yards as that's the most inert a wagon can carry.

Industry lingo: 'drop ends', 'drop down doors', 'tailgates'.

What would you say if I told you we'd found a skip being used as a swimming pool and we have pictures to prove it?

Incredible right?

I mean, we've got a pretty open mind when it comes to skip hire but it seems there's some people who really do think outside the box when it comes to what can go inside a skip!

In fact we've got pictures of quite a few strange uses for skips as over the coming weeks the TopSkips blog will be showcasing the work of UK based designer Oliver Bishop-Young. Oliver is 22, was born in Pembrokeshire and studied a BA in Design at Goldsmiths University in London, his work is fantastic and we're particularly interested in his adventures in the world of skip conversions!

Starting this Wednesday and running every Wednesday for 7 weeks, we'll focus on one of Olivers' conversions. Each one will challenge your conventional viewpoint of the humble skip and definitely give you a midweek to remember!

Catch the first one this Wednesday 13th August...and bring a towel!

Be honest, when I wrote in Mondays skip hire blog entry about a skip that's a swimming pool, you didn't believe me did you? Well here's the proof and an intro from its creator Oliver Bishop-Young...

"I saw a TV advert in 1995 depicting a whole street throwing their 'chintz' furniture into a skip. The image revealed the potential for a skip to become a point of both material and experiential exchange within the community. From then on I submerged myself in the affairs of skips".

Submerged is definitely the right word, it's amazing what you can do with a hose and some damp proof membrane. Passers-by were said to be amazed at the sight of someone floating in a skip and who can blame them?!

As Oliver says "A Converted skip is a great tool for bringing the community together. And, after a long hot day, how good it is to plunge into your very own pool".

Well, it certainly puts a new spin on the term Skip Diving!

Get hold of Oliver at olly@oliverbishopyoung.co.uk and Don't miss next Wednesdays skip conversion, when we'll really 'ramp' it up!

It's always great to hear what you think about our skip hire service and seeing as it's A-Level results day, let's hear how we've done from one of our customers...

“I wish all businesses had the problem-solving, negotiation skills, friendliness, positive attitude and professionalism of the people I have dealt with at TopSkips - principally Jonni George and the team. They have been unfailingly helpful, calm, constructive and adept at handling any little snag. I have had a difficult week with other things going on and they have made it MUCH easier to bear. Thanks a million”.

Heidi Botomley

Well surely that's an A or even A*! A big thanks to Heidi for her feedback and keep up the excellent work Jonni and the team!

Jonni hard at work, and no it's not a staged photograph; he really is writing something important down!

Here's another skip hire question from one of our customers...

Q: "I have placed an order for skip hire and on your list of waste materials I selected paper/card/plastic/metal. Can I also place electrical/electronic waste in, eg cooker hob, computer, HIFI, monitor?"

A: Unfortunately, we don't accept a number of items in our skips, these include food waste, paint cans, aerosols, gas canisters, tyres, and electrical equipment such as cookers computers, HIFI's and monitors/TV screens. Waste electrical and electronic equipment is controlled by the WEEE Directive, if you have such items to dispose of; then you have a number of options available.

If you're a householder disposing of electrical equipment; it's not illegal to place it in your bin for regular collection, however, TopSkips encourages you to use one of the following methods for a more sound environmental solution:

- Community recycling projects can benefit from your old working equipment, try your local school, community centre, youth organisation or even Freecycle which is a non-profit online movement.

- Cash in and sell your working electrical equipment through a local paper or shop notice board.

- See if your nearest recycling centre accepts white goods and electrical equipment.

- Your local authority will collect bulky white goods items such as fridges and washing machines for you, some do it free and others will charge you a small fee.

- If you're buying a new appliance, check with the store whether they can take your old one away for recycling at the same time!

Computer Microchips ready for recycling

If you need skip hire over the Bank Holiday weekend (which is this Friday!) make sure you get it booked in now.

It's our busiest time and we're already taking orders so if you're planning a clear out give our Skip Hire team a call on FreePhone 08000 82 10 82 or click here to book your skip hire online 24 hours a day on our safe and secure server!

And did you know we also do:

Portable Toilet Hire

Container Hire

Asbestos Removal

So whatever you need, it's best to get it booked in now!

Name: TopSkips

Specialised subject: skip hire

Q: I have approximately 80 bin bags of soil to get rid of, what size skip will I need?

A: In this specific case the best skip to hire is the 8 yard large builders skip; this can take up to 80 bin bags of waste. More importantly though; this is the largest domestic-use skip you can fill with inert waste as it results in a 5-6 tonne load, which is the most weight the average skip wagon can take.

If you need a skip for industrial use; there are larger 'Roll on Roll Off' skips available that can take greater quantities of inert. As the name suggests, these are pushed off and pulled on to the back of skip lorries and require more room on-site.

To find the right size skip for you, including info on bin bag capacity, visit the skip sizes section of TopSkips.com where you can also see our video explanations in full glorious Technicolor!

It's Wednesday and this is the TopSkips skip hire blog which means its time to shine a spot light on the second in our series of Oliver Bishop-Youngs skip conversions.

In last Wednesdays blog entry I said we'd really 'ramp it up' this week, did you guess what I was talking about? Well if you said skip ramps, you'd be kind of right as Oliver has managed to convert a skip into a skate ramp and here's the idea behind it:

"A skate ramp built in the skip with materials sourced from skips brought in an element of play. It showed how the process could be used to provide public spaces that are not naturally present in the area".

And what an idea, with BMX-ing making its debut at the Olympics in Beijing, its possible Skateboarding could be next in 2012 and if Olivers skip-skate-ramp catches on; we'll surely be bringing home the Gold!

As Oliver says "Matching the properties of a reclaimed material to a suitable use can be all it takes to keep a material from becoming landfill. Hardboard made a great mini skate ramp in the skip".

Turning used hardboard into a skate ramp, now be honest, you didn't see that coming did you?! It's a fantastic example of recycling in action and we love it!

It's amazing what you can do with superglue!

You can get hold of Oliver at olly@oliverbishopyoung.co.uk and Don't miss next Wednesdays skip conversion; it'll be a walk in the park!

Last Saturday the TopSkips skip hire team hit the go-kart circuit in 125cc pocket rockets looking for speed, adrenaline and a bloomin good time! And as usual we had one of our in-house reporters, Motoring correspondent Kyle Davidson, on the scene to capture every detail...

The scene was set for an exciting afternoon with a total of 62 drivers and only 40 places available in the semi finals. After everyone was suited and booted they hit the circuit for a practice lap and then prepared for the heats!

Driver 01, TopSkips MD Mark Attwood was involved in the 1st heat and 5 laps later posted a 2nd place finish with onlookers immediately wary of just how fast this man was. In the 2nd heat Kyle Davidson and Craig Eagan took to the circuit resulting in a promising 2nd place finish from Kyle and a disappointing 8th place for Craig.

We caught up with Craig after the race – “I was fast but not fast enough, I got ploughed into! what’s a man to do!”

More encouraging performances where shown by Sam Day, Ant Eyre, Steve Wild and Luke Grimshaw who all finished in respectable places and kept in the running for a semi final place.

25 heats and a couple of hours later Mark was scaring the other drivers with his consistent top 3 finishes in the heats and with the semi finals looming, progression looked nailed on. He was in the top 3 of all 62 drivers taking part with Kyle not far behind in 8th place and both cruised through to the semis. Luke and Craig also made it through finishing around 20th with Mr Wild bringing up the rear and scraping through in 39th spot.

The Semi's

And so we entered the semi finals with a first round stage involving the two highest TopSkips qualifiers Mark and Kyle. Both had been close in the heats, posting similar times thanks to aggressive and accurate driving techniques.

So image if you will the smooth, black tarmac, the chequered start line, heat rising from the track, engines revving and 5 red lights above the track…then 4 lights red…3 lights…2 lights…1 light…and they’re off!!

And what a race it was, be sure to check the blog tomorrow for what unfolded over the next 8 laps of pure driving excellence. See you then!

Yesterdays blog entry was about TopSkips' day at the Go-Karting track and our progress up to the Semi Finals, here's what happened next...

So where were we? ah yes; the first semi final, a packed grid with TopSkips MD Mark Attwood starting 3rd and Kyle Davidson just behind in 4th, both proudly representing the skip hire industry! The red lights fade, toes twitch anxiously over the throttle...and they're off!

Down to the first corner and both Kyle and Mark jostle to make the sprint to the front. Coming out of the bend, Kyle manages to edge himself into 3rd position leaving a huge pile up behind him with Mark in the thick of it.

And that was where the race was decided as the following 8 laps saw the 3 drivers that escaped the collision exchanging 1st 2nd and 3rd places and all guaranteed qualification to the final. With Mark out of the running, Kyle was left to represent TopSkips and did so in style finishing 2nd and making it through.

The second semi final saw TopSkips pair Luke And Craig battle a strong field of racers for two of the three qualification spots for the grand final. After a sterling (Moss) effort Craig came in 5th with Luke just behind in 6th place leaving us with a lone representative in the final; Kyle 'The Stig' Davidson.

The Final Countdown

The final had arrived and our one hope for glory Kyle Davidson pulled on to the grid, starting 8th of 12. He had one eye on 1st place, another on the lap record and another on the rapidly disappearing red lights.

A great start and first half of the race saw Kyle climb from 8th to 4th spot which he held until the final lap when the 3rd place driver was shown a black flag for dangerous driving and given 30 seconds in the sin bin. This left the path clear for a podium position which Kyle secured finishing 3rd, only 0.88 seconds behind 2nd place who was only 0.68 seconds behind 1st!

We caught up with Kyle after the final “I thought I was going to be a Go Kart Champion! If only my mother could see me right now!”

You're a champion in our eyes Kyle, a true champion.

So...back in work mode yet?

Well don't worry, just get through today and reward yourself with a visit to the TopSkips skip hire blog tomorrow where you'll find the 3rd in our series of skip conversions by designer Oliver Bishop-Young.

And as I said last Wednesday, it'll be a walk in the park!

See you there.

(Missed the first two skip conversions? Just scroll down to catch up!)

Here we are once again, its Wednesdays TopSkips skip hire blog entry and time for the 3rd in our series of skip conversions by British designer Oliver Bishop-Young.

After a week in the pool and on the skate ramp, we're going to slow it down a little and go for a stroll in the park as this time Oliver has created a 'green space' inside a skip, come to think of it with almost 90% of the contents of our skips being recycled, you could say it's a green space in a green...space!

Anyway, over to Oliver...

"The urban landscape is dominated by cars and often lacking in green spaces. Building a park in the skip looks to address this. Skips are such good tools for claiming space in the city and sharing it with people, not cars; as demonstrated by my park in a skip on Brick Lane".

And why not, it seems there's plenty of takers for the park bench and even a bit of 'bench envy' from the chap standing, look at that disgruntled glance he's displaying; his favourite bench is taken, we've all been there.

As Oliver says "The idea was to bring some much needed grass to the area and provide a space for the public to rest on a reclaimed park bench".

A park bench in an urban setting; it's a great conversion and I bet the local hobo couldn't believe his luck!

Get hold of Oliver at olly@oliverbishopyoung.co.uk and Don't miss next Wednesdays skip conversion for an alternative solution to the problem of skip jacking!