There comes a time when you need to arrange a skip and declutter. Not only is it good for the soul but a little organised destruction (or deconstruction) can be very satisfying.
Just seven weeks ago we moved to a wonderful old bungalow. While we had already decluttered much of our belongings as we were downsizing, it was becoming clear we needed to declutter the property too.
We loved the nooks and crannies in the garden but there were some structures that were beyond salvation and needed to be lovingly moved along before the slaters carried them away….and there was wood, lots of wood. Wood was tucked around the side of the garage, suspended from ceilings, stacked under the house, stashed in gaps….in fact, over 10 days we removed 18 cubic metres of it, filling 3 x 6m³ skips!
It was like the United Nations of the insect world in those wood-piles! Slaters, white tail spiders (and all their distant relatives), centipedes, millipedes, a small snail city, slugs, bugs, wiggly black worm-looking creatures and heaps of weta needed rehousing!
During the process of filling the skips I learned a thing or two from my Englishman that I thought was worthy to share. Decluttering and a bit of deconstruction was very rewarding, but there are a few things to keep in mind:
Tips for DIY Deconstruction
Cover up: Be sure to wear working or gardening gloves and covered footwear. If the wetas in the woodpile don’t give you a nip, a rusty nail could see you up at the doctors for a tetanus injection. It doesn’t make you fool-proof, but it does help avoid splinters and white tail spiders too.
Poke your skip! Particularly when stacking wood in the skip, get clever with your packing (as you would with your car boot on a long summer holiday weekend). With a long piece of wood poke and prod the contents of the skip to ensure everything is stacked as efficiently as you can so you can fit even more in!
Tape ’em up: When removing constructions with old windows, tape up the windows first with strong packing tape. If the window breaks, it keeps the pieces together — enough to be carried to the skip at least, and saves ages picking up splinters of glass should they fall.
Bang ’em in: Be sure to hammer any nails or tacks sticking out of old wood – either banging them in, or over so they are safe. Don’t worry about removing the nails (a lot of hassle, unless you are planning on reusing the wood).
Reverse engineer: When you take down a structure, think about how it was built in the first place. While fun to get a crowbar and hammer and whack the %@#$!# out of something, you’ll probably cause unnecessary damage to yourself and the surrounds – especially if you take down a supporting wall, or post.
Face off: When pulling down structures that will have dirt, dust, bird & mouse droppings etc be sure to wear a dust mask. It’s no fun getting a face full of ‘stuff’ or breathing in mold spores and dust mites – in fact, it can make you very unwell. Be sure to wear eye-protection too as things fly around.
Love thy neighbour: Be considerate and be aware of people around you or helping you – whether it is noise, dust or water. Keep your working area as clear of debris as possible. The ground can soon end up with tripping hazards such as wire, tacks and strange shape pieces of wood to get entangled in. Remember, Sunday is not a power-tool day.
3 o’clock-itus: At the end of a busy day mistakes happen. Heads are bumped, feet stumble and general common sense flies out the window. As the day wears on, don’t be tempted to make safety shortcuts. Tiredness can cause mayhem! Stop and have a tea (or something colder). It will be there tomorrow waiting for your fresh head.
