Your average DIY home improvement projects can actually require using materials that are considered "hazardous." In fact, many of the common building materials you work with in a remodeling project can have potentially dangerous components in them.
While this may be apparent to you with the liquids, adhesives, paints and other chemical-based products involved, other materials can pose a threat. Depending on their composition, your cut-offs, scrap pieces and other debris from these materials can become "hazardous waste" when they hauled off and disposed of.
Is Your DIY Project Waste Material Hazardous?
No one wants to feel like they have to bring out a HazMat team to deal with their DIY debris! While many people will avoid buying or using products or materials they think might be toxic or even hazardous, that's not easy to do.
Quite likely, as a conscientious homeowner, you do your best to minimize the presence of any hazardous materials or products in your home already. Unfortunately, they can't be completely avoided.
The fact is that construction waste is not the same, but it's not all hazardous.
When it comes to your DIY renovation or building project waste removal chore, however, the presence of potentially hazardous materials needs to be expected. While some substances and materials are easily recognized as being hazardous, you might be surprised at what else is actually considered hazardous, as well.
Unfortunately, much of the debris from construction and demolition projects, for example, will contain dangerous wastes. And local, state, and federal rules require this to be properly managed and disposed of. Consequently, this can apply to your own remodeling or renovation project.
In addition to the waste from the actual building materials, some of the other debris that might be produced from your DIY building project can include treated wood, paint and solvent wastes, glues and roofing tars, and a variety of other materials.
And all of this material, hazardous and otherwise, has to be removed, handled and disposed of properly and legally.
Common Hazardous Construction Waste Materials
This list represents many of the more common materials that are often used in building projects. Because this is not a complete or exhaustive list, it's a good idea to check the content and ingredients of everything you use in your project.
Some of these items are also considered “Universal Waste” by the state of California. This means that they are materials that can be handled and disposed of in a different way from most other hazardous waste materials.
Here is a short list of the more common ones:
- Aerosol cans
- Asbestos-containing materials
- Empty containers or drums
- Lead-containing materials
- Mercury-containing light bulbs and lamps
- Mercury-containing switches and relays
- PCB-containing light ballasts
- Oil-based paint
- Sludge from various solvents
- Paint thinner
- Shop towels and rags contaminated with hazardous waste
- Sanding dust
- Treated wood
It's also important to remember that all construction waste and other types of industrial wastes should simply be treated as potentially containing hazardous wastes. It's always better to err on the side of caution!
Options for Your DIY Construction Debris
As a DIY homeowner, you like doing things yourself. And that might include hauling and disposing of your project debris. But not everyone wants to deal with the messy, difficult, and sometimes dangerous task of DIY construction debris removal.
So, what are your options? You can:
Haul it yourself
This is the most labor-intensive option. You’ll need to fill up your own vehicle with trash and drive around town to various dumps and recycling centers. You might save some money, but you also run the risk of damage to your vehicle, or you could end up needing medical getting an injury.
Call Junk King
For professional junk removal you simply make the call, and we show up with the workforce and equipment to take care of everything. Point the way — you don’t need to carry debris to the curb or take it anywhere — and we’ll haul it away and recycle everything we can.
What about the hazardous stuff?
For your actual hazardous waste, your best bet is to find the local disposal center in your city or county that is authorized to handle that type of material. Don't know where that is? No worries! You can simply go to the website Earth911.com and use their location tool to find the proper facilities in your area.
Junk King Is Your the Best Solution for Construction Waste
Junk King also offers your greenest solution for DIY construction debris removal. We recycle wood, metal, plastic and other materials with extreme efficiency. And because we pool resources and distribute junk to waste facilities efficiently, there’s less fuel burned than by individual homeowners driving around to dump sites.
The best reason to choose Junk King for your DIY construction debris removal, though, is simply how easy it is. Make an appointment and you’re done!
Schedule Junk Removal For Your Next DIY Project
Do you have a current or upcoming project that will need clean-up and removal? If so, call Junk King! Our team specializes in construction waste removal. We can be at your facility in mere minutes, so call us today! Our crew is fully insured and well-trained, so you can trust them to get rid of your unwanted items in a professional and courteous fashion.
One of the best things about hiring Junk King is that we recycle a much of the material we pick-up. This is proof of our commitment to being an eco-friendly removal service. If you have questions about what we do or what we believe, give us a call at 1-888-888-JUNK (5865)
