Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean that construction shuts down completely. You still have work to do and trash to get rid of. You will still need to rent a dumpster to deal with all that construction waste, and renting a dumpster comes with its own issues. You will need to make sure that you know how to deal with all the challenges that come with renting a dumpster in winter. Here are six tips that can help.

1. Choose the Right Spot

Firstly, you’ll need to check to see if it is legal to put a construction dumpster on the street during the winter in your town. The next issue you have to handle during the winter is snow.  You will need to plan where to put the dumpster so that it isn’t in the way when the area is plowed. You also need to keep snow storage in mind, which means not placing the dumpster where the snow piles go.

2. Prevent Frozen Hinges

If the dumpster that you got is a covered one, it will have hinges on it for the lid to lift. Those hinges can ice over and freeze closed, especially if the weather thaws and refreezes. Before you start work each day, you should check the hinges. You can use a rubbing alcohol mix as antifreeze to help keep the hinges from freezing and to clear them off if they do freeze.

3. Consider Snow Weight

When enough snow falls into your dumpster, the snow will weigh the dumpster down. That can mean you will have to pay more. So if your budget can’t handle the extra snow weight costs, you can cover the dumpster with a tarp or get a lidded dumpster. Keep in mind that making multiple trips during the day can be troublesome with a tarp that covers the dumpster.

4. Plan Removal

In order to remove the dumpster, the rental company has to get a truck to it. You need to make sure that they have a clear path to the dumpster for that truck. Before you have it placed, make sure you have a clear path plotted out. You may need to deal with some snow removal for that path, but you can still give the truck an easy path to pick up the dumpster and deliver a new one.

5. Watch for Frozen Contents

This one may not be so much of an issue until the company goes to empty the dumpster, but ice can get into the dumpster and freeze everything to the sides of the dumpster. You can help keep that from happening by covering everything up. You could put plywood sheets over the top of the dumpster and then secure those with a tarp to help keep water out of the dumpster, avoiding the freeze.

6. Protect Your Employees

Your employees are an integral part of your business, so you need to make sure that they are protected when they use the dumpster. That means making sure that no ice is around the dumpster that could cause them to fall. Putting down salt and sand regularly can keep that from happening.

Call us at Afford A Dumpster if you need a dumpster this winter. We will help you decide what size of dumpster you should have. We can also talk to you about pickup and delivery schedules. We will also be able to tell you what kind of trash will need to have special handling. And lastly, we can help you take care of all the winter issues you have to face with your dumpster.