Uses for Old Tires
Finding creative ways to
use worn out tires can save them from the landfill. This guide contains uses
for old tires.
Solutions: Uses for Old
Tires
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Ways to reuse old tires as
posted by the ThriftyFun community.
Mosquitoes Love Tires
Please don't leave old
tires laying around, they are mosquito breeding grounds if they are allowed to
catch rain water. Store them indoors somewhere until you figure out what you
want to do with them. If you do choose to discard them, check around. Where I
live, you can't just put them out with the garbage, but the city offers an
annual "tire amnesty day" (usually around Earth Day) where they will
take them at no charge, and they are recycled.
By Becki in Indiana
Beware of Cadmium Poisoning
Just a caution about
growing food in tyres. Tyres contain cadmium which fixes the colour in rubber.
Cadmium, though little talked about, is one of the more poisonous of the metals
in our environment. Potatoes are known to accumulate cadmium, as do cabbages,
carrots, radishes, lettuce, turnips, tobacco, cocoa and peanuts. Obviously
potatoes are a concern because they form a large part of most people's diet. As
is the case with all heavy metal poisoning, the early symptoms are not noticed
until it is too late.
By Aussieluci
Old Tires Are Safer
I was reading about using
old tires and they discussed chemical leaching. One thing they said was that
the tires *were* old so that they had had lots of time under adverse condition
to oxidize and vent harmful gases and chemicals. That is why new tires smell
bad and old ones typically do not. I found this info and a lot more on tire
houses at http://www.touchtheearthranch.com This was
in the FAQ section. I'm quoting:
"The surface of used
tires has been subjected to years of exposure to oxygen by high speed rotation
in the atmosphere. This exposure causes a phenomenon called oxidation.
Oxidation 'interlocks' the surface molecules with oxygen and 'out-gassing'
(fly-away molecules of synthetic rubber) is considerably limited, if not
stopped completely. It's the new tires that stink/outgas, they just need to
"rust" for a while, before they are suitable for use as a building
material."
By Jennie in MT
Hanging Table or Planter
I made a hanging table with
a tire. I bought a wood round the size of the tire. I drilled 4 holes through
the wood and the tire. and hung it with heavy duty chain. I then hung the
chains over a strong tree branch and bolted the chain together. I cut small
holes in a couple of places in the wood for cup holes. I painted and sealed the
wood. I now sit under the tree and even with the wind the glasses of iced tea
don't slip off. I'm going to make another one as a hanging planter for shade
loving plants. Same idea but smaller round of wood inside the tire to cover the
bottom, a few drain holes and plant. Hang the same way as the table.
Fishing Uses and Recycling
The fishing fleets use them
as bumpers for boats, tied off short and thrown over the port or starbord side
they prevent boats from slamming into each other or the dock when tied to them.
Draggers and trawlers use Cookies; small donuts of tires and tire casings whole
to make cod ends for fishing on the bottom of the oceans. In California and
more and more states, they are starting programs to recover energy by burning
them instead of coal. The most common use now is ground up for asphalt fillers.
By James
Build With Tires
Tires filled with earth and
plastered over to create a walled enclosure with a roof will ensure the room
made will take excess heat away from the room and, in times of cold, bring
extra heat into the room. Such is the power of the tyre, no more lengthy power
bills.
By Moore
Horse Tire Swing
I don't know how they do
it, but I have seen where they take an old tire and cut it to make a tire swing
that looks like a horse (complete with stirrups). It was at our local petting
zoo.
By Khickman
Planters With Inside Out Tires
In Spain, I saw beautiful
displays of geraniums in planters that were made from old car tires. They just
cut through the middle all the way round and turn them inside out so they look
like old fashioned egg timers. Paint the outside white, line the top part with
plastic, stick in some soil, plant up and away you go!
Strawberry Planter
I've seen a beautiful
strawberry planter made of tires. Stack them pyramid-style, so that they
overlap leaving sections of the insides of the tires open for planting
strawberries. Yum! The one I saw had the outsides of the tires painted bright
colors.
By Shaunta
Retaining Walls
You can use whole tires,
just like block walls staggering them. Start off with a level surface, dig down
if you have to and start your first row, making sure it is level from one end
to the other. Now comes the hard part, you have to pack each tire with soil and
I mean tightly. I use a short handled sledge hammer. When you get the first
row, done drive a 24 inch piece of 3/8 rebar at the back of each tire. Start
your next row, staggering the tires so the lines do not match up and do the
same thing all over. I have done one wall 90 feet long and 12 feet high 8 years
ago and it is still solid as a rock. You need to plant a high fibrous root
plant in each tire, I like red honey suckle as it cascades and hides the tires
and the wall but monkey grass lariope does well also.
By Stanley
Tire Table
We found a picture and want
to replicate it. You take 2 or 3 old tires and place them one on top of another
with a round of different shaped wooden board and either paint it or cover it
with faux diamond plate. Use it as a nightstand or table top stand for a room
or guys area.
By Canadian Momma
Making a Planter
I have used old tires for
planters and it works good. Just scallop around the tire and turn it inside
out.
Sand Box
When I was a little girl,
my mom got a hold of a huge tractor tire, laid it flat on the ground and filled
it up with play sand and we had a fun sand box! You can put a tarp over it when
not in use to keep it from being the local "kitty box".
Tire Sandals
I don't know where to find
instructions, but I remember some kind of sandals where the soles were made
from old tires.
Here is a site I found to
make the sandals.
I also came across this
other website that shows different uses for tires. Scroll to the bottom for
different links. Hope this helps!!
By Jackie
Several Outdoor Uses
·
Retaining walls on steep sloping land to prevent erosion -
partially buried and planted into - the roots hold it all together.
·
Growing potatoes - as the plant pops up add another tyre and more
soil/mulch - to harvest just remove the tyres one by one
·
As a raised garden bed - arrange 2-3 tyres deep, as many tyres as
you need for the size shape you want. As you lay each layer fill with good
garden soil. The height/curved shape adds visual interest and the tyres
themselves are quickly covered with foliage. The roots will find their own way
between the tyres if necessary.
·
As insulation - walls of a garden shed/root cellar - lay on top of
each other in a staggered pattern like bricks - fill with earth to stabilise.
·
Garden swing - tied to a sturdy bough with rope.
·
Decorative planters - there is a way to cut old tyres so they form
a planter - there will probably be a link on the net as its impossible to
describe without pictures!
·
Tractor/large truck tyres can form a quite dramatic garden bed
just filled with soil and used on their own - you can paint the outside to
blend in with your garden.
·
To define a bike riding course - for corners/chicanes.
·
For edging garden beds - pleasing scalloped shape if cut in half
circles.
More Ideas
·
Paddling Pool - drape a shower curtain over the centre of a large
truck tyre and fill with water to make an instant pool for small children.
·
Cold frame - lay a tyre on its side awsy from direct sun - plant
with seedlings. Cover the top with cling film but remember to leave holes on
each side for ventilation.
·
Planter - tomatoes, potatoes, aubergine (egg plants) and peppers
can be grown inside tyres which have been laid on the ground. The tyres give
wind protection aand the dark rubber helps keep the surrounding soil warm.
·
If you are strong enough to be able to cut tyres into sections,
they can be nailed to the garage wall at the same height as your car bumper to
prevent scrapes.
·
Strips of old tyres can be nailed to ramps and/or stairways to
prevent slipping.
By June
Brainstorming On Used Tires
Well, the first thing that
comes to mind is your ever friendly tire swing. You could also make your kids a
tire wall to climb or an obstacle course. Of course these are rather obvious
choices so here's some not so obvious choices:
·
Got a big dog? Put their dog dish inside a small tire and the dog
won't be able to drag it around the yard.
·
Cut in half and hung on a wall they make a hose hanger.
·
Put a trash can in the center and you have a no tip container for
baseball bats and other long sporting equiment.
·
Stack to make a planter that you will be able to start plants in
early because the tires will absorb heat and keep the bed warm or just paint
the tire and plant right inside of it.
·
Mount a tire on the inside of your garage wall for a bumper for
that new driver (or the clumsy old driver:) ).
·
Plant them half way in the ground and you can use them to set up a
track for your kids and their bikes or you could line a long drive way and
paint them with reflective paint.
By Debra in Colorado
Use As A Base
I have some suggestions for
the use of old tires, if this is the proper place to offer them:
·
My father was a coach and athletic director. He would put a tire
on a sand or clean dirt surface, line the bottom with newspaper (to keep the
concrete in) fill the tire with concrete and add an upright pole. When dry, and
with eye-bolts in the appropriate places, these could be used for tether-ball
supports, net supports, etc., and could be easily moved from place to place as
needed or into storage. The concrete made them heavy enough to make them stable
enough for reasonable use. Adding eyebolts into the wet concrete will provide
an attachment for tie-downs. Screwing the eyebolts into something, like a large
nut or piece of metal, ahead of time would provide more purchase in the
concrete. You could make them even heavier by adding another tire and filling
it with concrete. If the tires are of different sizes, just make sure the
larger in diameter is on the bottom.
·
They could also be used as supports for tomatoes, beans, etc.. In
case of approaching storms (hurricanes, ice storms, etc.), they could be laid
down with their plants still attached and then secured to the ground. They
afterward could be stood back up with much less damage than would have
otherwise resulted. You could cover them appropriately to add further
protection from the approaching danger.
·
They could be used as pup tent supports: use 2 supports, a
clothesline, and a blanket. Voila!
·
How about a clothesline? To take a hose across, use one support on
either side of a driveway with a big hook-screw for the hose to run through.
·
They could be used to provide support for shade material, like
over newly transplanted plants.
·
They could be used to provide support for a temporary fence,
chains, cables, rope, etc..
I'm sure there are many
more possibilities and refinements possible: have at it, folks!
By Loy
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