Could old tires become roof shingles? How recycled rubber is being turned into roofing materials

Old tires are often watched as items that have reached the end of their useful life. But with a little creativity, a used tire can be changed into something completely different, as one DIY project illustrates by turning recycled tire pieces into shingles for a birdhouse roof.

The project came about through a partnership with Discount Tire. The goal was to find a new way to reuse an old tire, and that eventually led to a small bird house with shingles made from recycled tire material.

Finding a new use for an old tire

The concept grew from noticing discarded products during garbage and recycling days. The creator frequently watches objects left at curbs and imagines how they might be offered another purpose instead of being thrown away.


When Discount Tire reached out about finding a different way to reuse a used tire, the challenge resulted in the birdhouse project.

The creator admitted that the project primarily seemed intimidating. Cutting up a tire sounded like a tough job, but once I got going that perception changed.

Turning the tire into shingles

The initial step involved removing the tire's sidewall. An old kitchen steak knife was used to puncture the sidewall by carefully pushing the blade through it. According to the project description, the tire material cut more easily than expected, enabling the entire sidewall to be removed.

Then the sidewall was cut in half as the shingles had to be relatively flat pieces. Applying pressure by stepping on sections that were not being cut made this part easier.

Next, the innermost section of the sidewall was divided into smaller pieces that could be used as shingles.

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Putting the recycled shingles on the birdhouse

The base of the project was a small birdhouse bought at a craft store. Some paint was included before the recycled tire pieces were attached to its roof.

The shingles were attached with a combination of hot glue and superglue. Before attaching them permanently, the pieces were laid out in a dry fit to make sure they would come together as envisioned.

A creative recycling of used materials

The project took a lot of work but also showed how something meant to be thrown out could be incorporated into something new.

It was also a reminder that many of the objects we use daily are ripe for reuse and repurposing in unexpected ways. In this case, a used tire became the material for a small birdhouse roof.

The project description asks people to consider different ways to use old tires rather than just throwing them away to the landfill. A little creativity can offer a completely different purpose for materials that might otherwise be discarded.

Source: Down Home Inspiration

Source: Down Home Inspiration