How to Keep Water Out of Your Rental Dumpster Bin

Dumpster bin rentals are great because they allow you to get rid of all your junk in one go. You can throw almost anything in there, from construction debris to household waste. Once you’ve decided on which bin to rent, it’s probably going to be on your property until you’re done discarding and the bin is ready to be picked up. However, in that short time, the weather can affect the dumpster bin, leading to a racked-up bill.

The weather is outside of our control, especially in Ontario, where water from rain or snow can come in at any time. This runoff water can make its way to your bin and weigh it down. This is because debris weighs more when wet, especially construction and other types of waste that soak in water. Therefore, it’s best to keep rainwater and snow out, as it can add a considerable amount of weight to your rental bin for which you’ll pay overcharge fees. Read on to discover how to keep the water out.

Shelter Your Bin

Rental bins are measured by the yard and are typically too big to have any kind of lid or cover. This can lead to water flowing in. In addition, if there’s anything organic inside such as old plants or even traces of food, the water will create an odour and dirty your property. Place your dumpster in a covered area on your property or seal it with a tarp or other kind of shelter to protect it. Some dumpster rental companies will rent out protection items to keep your bin clean, so check with them to see if they can help you out. Alternatively, you could create a lid out of makeshift materials.

DIY Protection

If your rental company doesn’t provide tarps or renting a cover isn’t in your budget, you could create your own shelter with items you have laying around. Old cardboard boxes work great; you can break them up into horizontal pieces and wrap them up in plastic, heavy duty garbage bags. Then, tape them together and spread them over the bin’s contents. Make sure you’re covering everything, and don’t miss the rim of the container. You could hold the bags in place using bricks or heavy stones.

This isn’t a full-proof method because even bricks can get dislodged in a storm or heavy rainfall. This could lead to the rain getting in, especially if the garbage bags aren’t secured safely, making the cardboard wet. You could also try using plastic tablecloths or any other rain-proof material, and place a weight to hold it down.

Use Boards

If you’re renting a bin for any sort of construction or renovation project, it’s likely that you’ll have plenty of boards. Plywood or any other kind of hard, sturdy board are great temporary lids because they are stable enough to support the weight of snow or weather a heavy storm. If the weather is too extreme even for a resilient board, you could secure it by tying a heavy tarp to the bins with rope. Weigh this down with plywood on top for the most weather-resistant solution.

Prevent Unauthorized Dumping

A great side benefit to adding a cover to your bin is that it prevents any unwanted dumping. Even if you use a DIY cover, you can avoid passersby throwing trash in. Although rental bin covers are not fully secure in that they do not lock people out of the bins, they do prevent the chance of having strangers throw stuff in. This will reduce the likelihood of having your bin fill up with other people’s trash.

Choose a Different Day

We experience such unpredictable weather in the GTA. Your weather forecast could be for a clear day, but then you wake up to a heavy storm on the day your pick-up is scheduled. If you can be flexible about your drop-off and pick-up days, you’ll be able to switch to a day when the weather is more ideal. For example, if the bin sits on your property for two weeks of snow, it is already many times heavier than it should be, leading to overcharge fees. You can always switch up the date depending on the weather, so be vigilant. Even if you incur a small penalty fee for changing last minute, you will still make significant savings compared to a heavy waterlogged bin.

Locate the Drain

If all else fails and you couldn’t rent a lid, make a DIY cover, or otherwise protect your rental bin, check if it has a drain. Some companies will have drains at the bottom of their disposal bin for getting rid of waterlogged containers. Generally, the bin will have an entry point where you can walk in and open the drain. This will result in accumulated liquid slowly pouring out.

Dry Waterlogged Items First

Often, heavy amounts of water can gather onto items in the bin, especially without protection or any sort of drainage. You can prevent a certain amount of overcharge by avoiding extra weight in the container. Waterlogged items can be dried off first, leaving your rental bin significantly lighter. For example, if construction debris wood gets wet from rain, leave the items out to dry in the sun as much as possible before placing them in the bin. Most rental companies will give you two weeks before pickup, which leaves you with enough time to handle waterlogged items.

Unwanted water and snow can make things extremely inconvenient and cause overcharge fees easily. Our team at Gorilla Bins is expertly equipped to provide convenient solutions to prevent weather weighing down your rental. We can also take away your bins as soon as you’re ready, leaving the bin exposed for less time. We know that waste disposal needs are unique, so reach out for a quote or any tips. To book an appointment, call Gorilla Bins today at 877-700-2467 or contact us here.