When a late autumn storm rolls across West Lancashire, the big gardens and tree lined roads of Aughton tend to take the brunt of it. By morning there can be snapped limbs across the lawn, a split conifer by the drive and a fence panel lying in the border. Skip hire in Aughton gives you somewhere to put all of that in one place, so the garden is usable again within a weekend rather than a month of trips. This guide covers how we would approach a storm clean up, from staying safe to loading branches so the skip takes as much as possible.
Make the garden safe before you clear it
The first job after a storm is not lifting branches. It is walking round and looking up. Limbs that have cracked but not fallen can drop without warning, especially once the wind picks up again. Keep children and pets away from any tree with hanging wood.
If a branch is resting on an overhead power line, do not touch it or the tree. Call 105, the national number for power cuts and damage to the electricity network, and wait for them to make it safe. Large trees that have partly uprooted, or anything that needs climbing or a chainsaw at height, are a job for a qualified tree surgeon. A skip helps with what comes down, not with taking a dangerous tree apart.
It is also worth checking whether a tree is protected before cutting more than the fallen wood. West Lancashire Borough Council looks after tree preservation orders and conservation areas, so a quick check with them avoids problems later.
What a storm clean up fills a skip with
Storm waste is mostly bulky rather than heavy. Twiggy crowns, leafy side branches and conifer fronds take up a lot of space for very little weight. Thicker limbs and trunk sections are the opposite, being compact but surprisingly heavy, particularly when they are wet through.
Alongside the timber there is often other damage. Broken fence panels and snapped posts, a shattered greenhouse pane, smashed plant pots and a flattened garden shed roof are all common after a bad night. Most of this can go in the same skip, though glass is best wrapped or boxed so it cannot cut anyone unloading. If you are replacing a run of fencing at the same time, our page on skips for a fence replacement covers that side of the job.
Skip hire in Aughton and the right size for fallen branches
For one or two fallen limbs and some fence damage, a 4 tonne midi skip is usually plenty, as long as the branches are cut down to size. Where a whole tree has come down, or several gardens on the same road are sharing the work, a bigger skip saves a second delivery.
Many Aughton properties have long drives and generous plots, so placement is rarely the hard part. Our page on bigger homes and projects in Aughton explains how we handle larger sites. If you are unsure, describe the damage when you call and we will suggest a size.
Cutting and loading branches the right way
Whole branches thrown in at an angle leave huge air gaps, and a skip full of air is an expensive skip. Cut limbs into lengths that lie flat across the floor of the skip. Strip the side shoots off thicker branches and keep them for later.
Start with the heavier, straighter sections along the bottom. Then pack the twiggy material and leaves over the top, pressing it down as you go. A few people treading the brash down at the end can make a real difference to how much fits.
Keep everything below the rim. A skip loaded higher than its sides cannot be collected safely, and loose branches poking out are likely to fall onto the road on the way back to our yard.
Placing the skip around fallen trees
Before the lorry arrives, check that the route to the drive is clear of debris. Our driver needs good overhead clearance to lower the skip, so look for damaged branches hanging over the entrance. Laying boards under the skip protects block paving or a gravel drive.
If the skip has to go on the road outside, it needs a permit from Lancashire County Council. We arrange this for you, and it normally needs around two working days. After a big storm, demand for skips rises across the area, so booking early helps.
What stays out of a storm skip
Garden clear ups can uncover items that do not belong in a skip. Old tins of fence paint or wood treatment, petrol cans for the mower and any gas bottles from a patio heater must stay out. So must car tyres that have been used as planters. If a shed roof is made of old corrugated sheeting, it may contain asbestos, and it must not go in. Ask us before you break it up.
For a small amount of green waste left after the skip has gone, the Abbey Lane recycling centre in Burscough takes garden waste. It opens Thursday to Monday, nine in the morning until five, and vans and trailers must book.
What happens to the branches afterwards
Once we collect your skip, it returns to our own yard and transfer station in Burscough. Green waste is separated out, and timber and metal from broken fences and sheds are pulled aside too. Our approach to recycling means far less of your storm debris ends up in landfill. Our garden waste skip service page has more on how we handle this type of load.
Book a storm clean up skip
We have worked across Aughton and the surrounding villages for more than a century, and storms are part of every winter here. Our Aughton skip hire service can usually get a skip to you quickly once the roads are clear. For skip hire in Aughton after a storm, call 01704 779345 or get in touch online and tell us what has come down.
