Urban living is on the rise with a surging interest in "walkable neighborhoods". Maybe it's being driven by the increased cost of commuting or maybe the values of the current generation have changed. Whatever the case may be, "downtown America" is going through a revitalization that is bringing the suburbs back into our inner cities.
Designers, builders, HOA's and home owners are looking for ways to get more out of less space. Personal space, and outdoor space in particular, comes at a great premium in urban living. A growing trend to capture roof top space as useable living space is driving innovation in an important renewable market: tire recycling.
Nearly 300 million used tires are discarded in the USA every year. Several decades ago the states began to address the stockpiles of waste tires that were accumulating across America. As regulations began to impact the handling and disposal of used tires, a new industry emerged to safely collect, transport and recycle waste tires. Initially the waste tires were used primarily as an alternative energy source in paper or cement production. Gradually over time, new and innovative uses were developed that converted recycled tires into a renewable raw material source for numerous industries including paving, playground safety, landscaping, flooring, roofing and even substitution for virgin synthetic rubber in new product manufacturing.
Using rooftop space for outdoor living creates several challenges:
Tire rubber (called crumb rubber after tires are recycled and the rubber is reduced in size below a 1/4") is extremely durable and is compatible with most flat roof waterproofing membranes. Using crumb rubber as a raw material to produce roof top deck protection tiles in compression molding manufacturing processes enables producers to create designs that are dense enough to accommodate traffic and withstand puncture loads, allow for good drainage (don't cause standing water) and keep the weight per square foot low enough to be used over many types of structural deck construction that cannot accommodate the weight of products such as concrete pavers.
Furthermore, some of these innovative roof protection tiles are installed in a "floating" application that doesn't require penetrating the roofing membrane (which would most likely lead to leaks).
Finally, there are a multitude of color options available that allow the personalization of the space to make it feel more like home.
Always check with your local building codes and always make sure the structure can accommodate the added weight before putting anything on your roof. Some roofing materials come with a manufacturers warranty so you should also check with the manufacturer to make sure using the space as outdoor living space or putting a product over the roofing membrane won't void your roofing manufacturers warranty.
If you want to explore more about these types of innovative, renewable products search the web for Rooftop Patio Rubber Tiles or Rubber Deck Tiles and be sure to visit