If you are planning to complete a large scale construction or home improvement project, the use of dumpster rental services can provide the most convenient way to dispose of all the resulting waste. However, if you are not careful, this dumpster can also leave you dealing with a significant amount of damage to your driveway once the dumpster is finally removed. Thankfully, there are steps that you can take to help prevent this type of damage.

What You Will Need

• heavy duty tarp large enough to extend several feet on each side of the dumpster
• 4' by 8' plywood boards (the larger your dumpster, the more boards you will need)
• canopy with tarp large enough to cover the area where the dumpster will be stored (only necessary during summer)
• bricks or cement blocks

Step 1: Prevent Damage From Falling Debris

The first thing you will need to do is to secure a heavy duty tarp over the area where the dumpster will be placed. This should be done by laying the tarp out and securing each edge with a few bricks or cement blocks. While you may need to remove the bricks along the front edge during the actual delivery of your dumpster, these bricks should remain in place until the last minute in order to ensure the tarp does not blow away.

Taking the time to lay this tarp down will allow you to catch any debris that does not make it into the dumpster. This is especially important when disposing of construction materials that may cause damage to your driveway if allowed to fall directly on the asphalt.

Step 2: Prevent Scratching

Next, you will need to cover the area where the dumpster will be with 4' by 8' plywood boards. These boards will help to prevent the dumpster from scratching your driveway surface when being picked up and delivered. These boards can also help to evenly distribute the weight of you dumpster over a larger area rather than allowing all of this weight to rest along the edge of the dumpster.

When laying down your plywood, be sure to keep this wood as close to the center of your tarp as possible. This will allow for an even amount of coverage on each side of the dumpster once it is in place.

Step 3: Prevent Indentations

If you will be completing your home improvement project during the hot summer months, you will need to account for the fact that asphalt softens as it heats up. Consequently, your driveway will be far more susceptible to indentations when placing the weight of a large dumpster onto your driveway during the summer season.

In order to prevent this type of damage, you will need to cover the area where your dumpster will be housed using a canopy and tarp. This will prevent the area from being heated by the sun and can ultimately minimize the risk of your driveway being damaged. This step will need to be taken after your dumpster is already in place since the delivery truck will not be able to effectively position the dumpster if the canopy is already in place.