Are you digging the foundations for an extension in Dublin? Why You Should Buy a Mini Digger

One of the most common types of construction work in Dublin is adding on to your home. It makes your property bigger and more valuable. The most important part of the whole build, though, is the foundations. They have to be perfect before any blocks are laid or the frame is put up.

The foundations are the strong base on which your project is built. If they are wrong, then everything is wrong. You can dig them up with either a small digger or a group of men with shovels.

If you need to make a big extension, a mini digger isn't just a good idea; it's the only smart choice.

Speed: From Weeks to Days

Let's be clear: it is very hard work to dig foundations by hand. A group of workers will have to dig the trenches to the right depth (usually 1 meter or more) over the course of several days, maybe even a week, for a normal small extension.

A mini digger that weighs 1.7 tons or 3 tons can do the same job in a day. Sometimes, just a few hours. This incredible speed advantage not only gets the job done faster, but it also saves a lot of money on labor.

Accuracy and Precision

Building has strict rules. Your foundation trenches must be the right depth and width, and the bottom must be perfectly level in order to pass inspection. It's really hard to do this by hand.

A mini digger operator can make a perfectly flat, level base by using a grading bucket, which is a wide, toothless bucket. To get the right width, they can also shave off thin layers of dirt from the trench walls. For a smooth inspection and a strong base, this level of accuracy is needed.

Taking care of the Spoil (The Mountain of Soil)

When you dig the foundations for an extension, you get a lot of dirt, which is called "spoil." A trench that is 10 meters long, 1 meter deep, and 600 mm wide can hold 6 cubic meters of dirt. That is a huge pile.

A mini digger doesn't just dig; it also moves. The operator can use the machine to make a single, neat pile of spoil, or even better, load the soil directly into a mini dumper or skip as they go. This "dig-and-load" method keeps the site clean and saves time by not having to move the dirt twice with a wheelbarrow.

Power for the Ground in Dublin

We've said it before: the soil in Dublin can be a real pain. It usually has rocks, old building materials, and hard clay in it. This can be cut through by a mini digger with hydraulic power, which can also move things that would stop a manual crew in their tracks.

Breaking Ground (For Real)

Before you can build an extension, you usually have to take down what is already there. This is often an old concrete path or patio. You can turn a mini digger into a mini-jackhammer by adding a hydraulic breaker. It can break up the old concrete in a few minutes. After that, you can switch back to the bucket to pick up the pieces.

Start your extension project on solid ground. The best, most professional, and most cost-effective way to make sure your foundations are done right is to hire a mini digger.

DCM Hire has the power you need to build your foundations. For your extension project, give us a call about renting a mini digger hire in Dublin.