Do You Need to Cover a Skip in the Rain?

You can never be certain in the UK what the day will bring in terms of the weather. The forecast might have predicted clear skies and gentle breezes, but there’s always a chance that will transform into high winds and crashing rain. If you’ve hired a skip for a clearance or construction project, bad weather can cause all kinds of problems, so it’s worth covering a skip in the rain.

In this article, we’re going to discuss that question in more detail.

Does water drain from a skip?

Most skips come fitted with a drainage hole that allows rainwater to seep out. When hiring a skip from your local skip hire company, be sure to ask whether their skips include such a thing. Be sure to double-check when the skip is delivered, as some models include a stopper for the drainage hole, which comes in handy if the skip is being loaded with loose material like soil or gravel.

Should you cover a skip in the rain?

Whether your skip has a drainage hole or not, it’s a good idea to cover it when it’s raining. Certain materials, such as soil and sand, will absorb a lot of the water, making the load much heavier than it would otherwise be. This may cause difficulties for your skip hire company when it comes to collecting the filled skip.

Also, if your unwanted items are to be sorted and recycled prior to disposal by your skip hire firm, a heavy downfall could seriously damage some items that might otherwise have been salvaged, which can have a detrimental effect on the environment.

Finally, if your skip isn’t fitted with a drain hole (or if that hole is blocked by its contents), it could fill with water and pose a potential drowning hazard for local wildlife, which is not a pleasant thing to witness.

What should you use to cover a skip?

By far the most popular thing to cover a skip with is a common tarpaulin. These heavy, waterproof plastic sheets are usually large enough to cover the skip’s opening and can be easily held in position with a couple of bricks. If you don’t already have a tarpaulin at home, then the groundsheet from a tent will also work, provided it is large enough

Enclosed Skips

A popular and effective alternative to covering your skip in the rain is to hire an enclosed skip for the job at hand. Enclosed skips serve the same purpose as an open skip but benefit from the addition of a heavy lid that will keep the contents of your skip dry in even the worst weather conditions. These enclosed skips can also be locked overnight, which limits the risk of animals getting into the skip or people rummaging around in your unwanted items and potentially injuring themselves.

Do you need to cover a skip in the rain? Final thoughts

Whether you prefer an enclosed skip to protect your waste from the elements or an open skip that you can cover up yourself, if needed, Black Country Skip Hire is here to help. We have been serving the people of Bilston, Wolverhampton, and the surrounding West Midlands for many years, providing a fast and reliable skip hire service, whatever the weather. Call today on 01902 494 452 or 01902 408 383 to see what we can do for you.