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Judi Lynn

(160,211 posts)
Mon Mar 30, 2015, 10:59 PM Mar 2015

Colombia transforms old tires into green housing

Colombia transforms old tires into green housing
By Paula Carrillo (AFP) 4 hours ago in World .

The highlands around the Colombian capital are scattered with small buildings that look like out-of-place igloos but are in fact innovative houses made from the tires that litter the country's roads.

The woman behind the project is Alexandra Posada, a 35-year-old environmental activist who sports a cowboy hat and jeans while she works, her buff biceps rippling in her tank top as she slings around old tires and shovels them full of dirt.

"I get these tires for free because it's a huge problem for people to get rid of them," she told AFP.

"They take thousands of years to decompose -- which we've transformed from a problem into an opportunity," she said. "If you use them as construction materials, they become virtually eternal bricks."


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A view of a house built with discarded tires in Choachi, Cundinamarca, Colombia on March 16, 2015

Eitan Abramovich, AFP/File
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Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/world/colombia-transforms-old-tires-into-green-housing/article/429605#ixzz3VvcY98DK

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Colombia transforms old tires into green housing (Original Post) Judi Lynn Mar 2015 OP
Not a new idea, but great to enlightenment Mar 2015 #1
Have seen programs on tv addressing Dennis Weaver's spectacular ideas for that home. Judi Lynn Mar 2015 #4
How do they live with the stench tires give off? procon Mar 2015 #2
Could be they've found a process to neutralize the odor and clean the tires. Judi Lynn Mar 2015 #3
Old tires usually do not have much smell left mackdaddy Mar 2015 #5

enlightenment

(8,830 posts)
1. Not a new idea, but great to
Mon Mar 30, 2015, 11:44 PM
Mar 2015

see someone actually doing it!

Many years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Dennis Weaver's Earthship in Ridgeway, CO. Fabulous place, fantastic ideas. It's sad that we don't take advantage of the bounty of materials we create and throw away.

http://www.motherearthliving.com/green-living/a-visit-with-environmentor-dennis-weaver.aspx

Judi Lynn

(160,211 posts)
4. Have seen programs on tv addressing Dennis Weaver's spectacular ideas for that home.
Tue Mar 31, 2015, 04:53 AM
Mar 2015

What an outstanding place to visit!

procon

(15,805 posts)
2. How do they live with the stench tires give off?
Tue Mar 31, 2015, 12:37 AM
Mar 2015

I'd be barfing and end up practically comatose from trying to breathe around so many of them.

Judi Lynn

(160,211 posts)
3. Could be they've found a process to neutralize the odor and clean the tires.
Tue Mar 31, 2015, 04:52 AM
Mar 2015

I'd think they would want to consider that as one of the first steps.

No one likes horrific smells. Yikes.

mackdaddy

(1,520 posts)
5. Old tires usually do not have much smell left
Tue Mar 31, 2015, 10:45 AM
Mar 2015

Old used tires usually do not have much if any smell left as the volitile chemicals are long out-gassed by the time they get to this stage.

The other thing is that in this use, they are stuffed full of dirt pounded with a sledge hammer, and are usually fully enclosed in a coating of adobe and plaster. There are a ton of videos on youtube on earthship and tire type building. The only place they would leave the tires exposed are on and exterior retaining wall like those in the above photo.

Most of these tire walls you would not even know there were tired in there. They just look like thick adobe walls.

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