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They Build Homes Out Of Tire Bricks
"We use old tires formed into 350-lb. `bricks' to put up homes and other buildings," says Mark Bossert, president of Re-cycled Tire Homes, Ltd., a Canadian company that is currently putting finishing touches on a 3,100 sq. ft. tire house. It. has also helped build or plan five other tire houses ranging from 1,600 to 2,
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They Build Homes Out Of Tire Bricks TIRES/WHEELS New Uses 19-6-18 "We use old tires formed into 350-lb. `bricks' to put up homes and other buildings," says Mark Bossert, president of Re-cycled Tire Homes, Ltd., a Canadian company that is currently putting finishing touches on a 3,100 sq. ft. tire house. It. has also helped build or plan five other tire houses ranging from 1,600 to 2,300 sq. ft.
"Custom built tire houses cost 40 to 60 percent less per square foot than conventionally-built houses and tire brick houses are super energy efficient," says Bossert. "Tire homes cost $25 to $60 per sq. ft. for custom-built, super energy-efficient homes."
The tire brick technique was first tried in the Southwestern U.S. about 20 years ago. Bossert took the basic idea and added "extras" like an in-ground heat storage system that captures the sun's warmth in spring and summer to provide heat in winter. The system eliminates the need for a furnace, even in Canada, although Bossert installs electric baseboard heat as a back-up.
The building technique is simple.
Tires (15 in.) are stacked flat and rammed full of dirt for a total weight per tire of 350 lbs. Packing the tires is the most time-consuming and labor-intensive part of construction. Tires are overlapped and interlocked with the row below just like bricks.
The tremendous weight of a wall made of tire bricks makes a cement block or concrete foundation unnecessary.
Typically, earth is bermed up to the unvented, sloped roof around the east, west and north walls to make the house energy efficient. Interior walls are finished with adobe. Outside walls could also be adobed if desired.
Entrance to the house is through the front (south side). Bathroom and kitchen are located in the front where there are big windows.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Re-cycled Tire Homes Ltd., Unit 228, 230-1210 Summit Drive, Kamloops, B.C., Canada V2C 6MI (ph 604 573-2828).
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