1. Treading Lighter on Earth Walls of Tires in Your Home

2. How are rubber tires a green building material? Reduces the amount of wood in construction of a home by 50-60% Use of unwanted waste material –250 million tires discarded in the U.S. per year –Nearly half sit in tire dumps –An estimated 2-3 BILLION tires are sitting in dumps right now

3. How are tires used in building? Earth is packed in the tires Tires are placed in tiers as bricks are Layers are leveled for stability “Mud” is applied to fill in the gaps Interior finish is a cement stucco or earthen plaster

4. Structure of an Earthship U shape provides strong support for lateral loads

5. Pros Reduce building materials Resistant to fire, tornados, hurricanes, termites, and earthquakes Dampen outside noise Built in thermal mass No foundation needed Easy to build Durable Can be economical

6. Cons Need moisture protection, especially if buried or bermed Labor intensive Mistakes can be costly Approval for building may require jumping through hoops

7. What the other millions of tires do in the landfill: