People in New Zealand know that they will have to do some earthmoving works on their homes and lawns. They’ll have to do some foundation digging to build a new home or a shed. At the same time, they have to excavate if they want to dig out trenches to move or drain water.
Things as seemingly simple as putting up fences would be best done on plain benches. However, it may be different if the fences pass through some rough and rolling terrains. In this case, some people wonder when they’d have to hire a mini digger.
Common Reasons You May Need A Mini Digger
If you’re looking around for a digging hand, you can See digger prices at NZ Machine Hire and other similar sites. Here are some common reasons some homeowners opt to hire a mini digger for their construction or renovation projects:
-
Driveway Maintenance Or Repair
One of the most common reasons some homeowners hire a mini digger for their home construction or renovation project is when they have to perform maintenance or repair works on the driveway. It’s considered by some a basic necessity in home construction. After being constantly exposed to heavy rainfall, some access ways can be washed out. Therefore, cars won’t be able to pass through.
Some possible causes of a poorly constructed driveway are the following:
- When the ground grade or soil on which the driveway was built is not appropriate.
- When the driveway was built using materials that were not up to standard.
- When the driveway cannot dispose of water because of its shape.
- When the driveway was built on the ground or soil that wasn’t correctly or adequately compacted.
- When the driveway is too steep, which affects the grade of the structure. This makes construction more difficult.
- When the type of soil can’t adequately support the driveway construction.
- When there’s too much rainfall in the specific construction site.
-
Building Platforms
The other common reason contractors or builders hire a mini digger for their home construction or renovation project is to dig the foundations for the building platform. The Building Code sets out the standard for this scope of works. It sets forth how to measure whether the foundation digging works were successfully completed.
The first task in building platforms is to dig a sufficient excavation that reaches up to the depth of good ground—clay is considered as one of the most suitable grounds for a building platform. Then, the mini digger should strip off the topsoil and stockpile.
The platform will be built once the digger reaches a solid portion of the subsoil. It has to be filled and then compacted in layers. Trimming is one of the tasks of the digger driver, which requires precision. To trim back, contractors use a laser level to make sure that the surface is level at the height indicated in the designs and plans.
Factors To Consider
Here are some factors on why you should consider hiring a mini digger for your home construction or renovation project:
-
Domestic Vs. Commercial Or Large-Scale Works
One of the factors that you should consider whether you should hire a mini digger for your home construction or renovation is the type or scale of the construction works that have to be done.
For domestic or single-family homes, a mini digger hire is a more suitable type of excavator. The relatively small space of a typical single-family residence would be too small for a mid-sized or heavy excavator, which is more often used in commercial and large-scale construction projects.
Aside from digging the foundation of the building platform, the mini digger would also be suitable for works on the garden, lawn, backyard, and or front yard of your home construction project. A mini digger will be the perfect earthmoving machinery if you need to do some earthmoving works for landscaping. It’s also most suitable for digging foundations for construction and trenches for sewage and service pipes.
-
Strength And Digging Depth Needed
The second factor that you have to consider is the strength and digging depth of the excavator that you will need for your earthmoving works. If the required earthmoving works can be done best by using a mini digger, you should consider getting one. However, you need to strike a balance between the strength and digging capability of the excavator that you need and your excavation site. Likewise, don’t get something too heavy for the ground of your site.
You would most likely have to use larger earthmoving equipment with more power and speed for larger projects such as commercial buildings and large-scale construction projects. Mid-sized excavators or heavy equipment that weigh more than 20 tonnes or heavier would be needed for larger projects. These heavy excavators have the superior power and strength to do those large-scale earthmoving works.
-
Space Available
Another factor that you should consider whether or not you should hire a mini digger is the available space on your construction site. If the area is small, you should use a mini digger for your planned excavation works. If you have a more expansive space, you can get a larger and heavier excavator.
Digging Hand
If you need some power to do a few earthmoving works, but the construction site isn’t too wide, it’s more likely that what you need is a mini digger. The examples and factors to consider in this article can serve as a valuable guide for you to consider.