Rubber tires play an essential role in modern life. Since tires wear out relatively fast, recycling tires began some time ago as re-treading, which is the retention of the tire interior and application of new tread to the exterior. This has helped to recycle some of the millions of tires discarded annually.

In the retreading process, the old tread is removed by grinding and the resulting dust is termed buffings. These buffings are non-laminated polymerically bound black SBR rubber. To give more aesthetic appeal to the material, colorful non-recycled EPDM rubber granules are added along with a urethane binder. A typical homogenized mixture is approximately 80% black rubber and 20% colored rubber although this percentage can be varied. The percentage of black rubber indicates the post-consumer content. Heat and pressure convert the mixture into either a block 37” square by 6” thick or a cylinder approximately 48” in dia. by from 30” to 60” long.

A knife slices the block into sheets in thicknesses such as, ¼”, or ⅜”. The sheets can then be die or water-jet cut into tiles, 36” square being the most common or other tile sizes including interlocking. The cylinder is peeled like a veneer log. A knife slices material from the cylinder to produce sheets that can be up to 280’ long depending upon the thickness.

Tire Veneer is easy to clean and maintain when a finish is applied. The material will resist stains, chemicals, weather, impact and punctures. It is also non-corrosive. The non-skid, resilient surface reduces noise.

Tire Veneer is often used as a resilient interior and exterior environmentally responsible flooring material. It is also used for a variety of other applications such as consumer products, vibration dampeners and furniture surfaces. Tire Veneer has many exterior applications such as sports & recreation, animal housing, truck beds and any high traffic area.

Tire Veneer cuts with a utility knife, saw, router, die cutter, laser or water jet. It can be installed bonded or unbonded to any flat, clean, hard and dry surface. Tire Veneer will not shrink, buckle, warp or crack. It is readily available in several thicknesses, in tiles or rolls and in many color patterns. Custom color patterns and combinations of colors are available upon request. All coloration penetrates throughout the material.

Tire Veneer is a completely safe, non-toxic material that causes no harm to the environment during its manufacture or use. By making a recycled material look and feel desirable, Tire Veneer takes a step forward, transforming an environmental problem into an appealing solution.

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