That idea led to the current construction on their 90 Pond St. property, where an eco-friendly two-car garage is in the process of being built with a building material foreign to most carpenters — 210 used tires packed with dirt.
"This is a very viable means of alternative construction," said Rose. "It's very labor-intensive work, wielding a sledgehammer in that sun. Building with tires is a skill that can be learned in half a day."
While in Paxan, Guatemala, in 2005, Rose first discovered Long Way Home, a nonprofit agency working to erect a vocational school out of tires, glass bottles and plastic bottles filled with trash. She was disillusioned by the amount of pollution they saw.
"You'd come across these rivers totally covered with trash," she said. "This stuff seemed totally criminal, but it's not illegal there. Then, I got the idea to build with trash. This gave me even more passion to break the cycle of hunger and poverty."
In time, Rose became chairman of the board of directors for Long Way Home. She took what she learned in Guatemala and applied it to her ongoing project in Georgetown. Rose's project is being assisted by four fellow LWH members from all over the country.
Used tires were chosen because of their resilience, availability and durability. The tires were bought from JP Routhier and Sons in Littleton.
Once packed with dirt, they can weigh 300 to 1000 pounds. When they are stacked and used as parts of walls, a thermal mass is formed, Rose said. This reduces energy costs, as heat is absorbed during the day and later released at night.
Juli MacDonald of GreenBridge Architects of Amesbury was brought in to aid in the conceptual process after many others turned Rose down because the design was foreign to them.
Hull and Rose are encouraging the public to roll on by today to learn more about this innovative green approach. The final row of tires are slated to be installed onto the three walls. Some demonstrations of "tire pounding," the process of packing the tires, will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
"The finished product is going to be beautiful," Rose said. "It can be sculpted. We've been working now for about two and a half weeks, and we're well ahead of schedule. These hot days have slowed us down a bit, though."
Up to 25 tires a day are put into place. A foundation exists, and the tires are being positioned much as bricks are.
"I can imagine the neighbors are going to be like, 'Wow, check it out,' as we finish this," said Ericka Temple of LWH and a Newton resident. "Perhaps, we can get others interested and help spread the word."
http://www.newburyportnews.com/local/x1907083876/Used-tires-make-for-eco-friendly-garage
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