Will a concrete floor "Kill" your tires?

[starleen2]

This is from another thread - but I really didn't want to hijack it since it had to do with storage of a TD - So here goes:

concrete will kill your tires quicker than mother nature. i've seen motorcycle tires show signs of dryrotting after 2 years of storeage on a concrete floor.

park it on plywood!

OK folks - I'm gonna call in on this one - I have searched High and low over the internet and could not find ANY credible evidence other than a cursory "friend who was a mechanic" that stated that that concrete causes dry rot in tires. Please post empirical results cause, I too, store my teardrop in a garage with concrete floors (and also my car) I look up and down my street and see several people who are in immediate DANGER of the moisture being sucked out of their tire due to parking and storing long term RV on concrete pads

I'm sure there were other "other" factors that led to the dry rot other than concrete. If this is such a big deal - then why isn't there much more about it?? The cause of "dry rot" is the ozone .Protecting the tires from the sun is a bigger issue than from the concrete Dry rot only becomes an issue when tires are over 4 years old or older.

Now not to cause a fight - just prove it right - and we'll all pull our teardrop out and park them on plywood (which might just leach chemicals into the tires due to glues) - Ok just kidding on that last one

[Maureenm]

I'm with you, Starleen. There are an awful lot of driveways and virtually every garage floor made of concrete. Is the world full of tire murderers?

[stumphugger]

Perhaps a call to Les Schwab is in order. For those of you to the East, he is a big tire dealership.

[2bits]

I don't know about tires, but I have heard numerous times that it is better to park your project car that you will get to "someday" out in a field rather that on concrete due to the moisture and rust factor. I don't know how it all works or anything, but I have heard it mentioned in that venue for that reason. I have formed an opinion that grass is better for the rust factor, but it is an opinion formed from advice from people I respect and intuition. I have no hard fact to support.

I would add as another personal caveat that in my opinion even IF the said topic was true, I would think it would only apply to outdoor storage only, the same as the rust factor.

[pete42]

Absolutely it will I know first hand I parked a motorcycle in my back garage in 1999
when I had my knee replacement surgery and just last year I looked at the tires and they were checked and unfit for use......

while the above is true I park my truck for months at a time and I have never saw any signs of dry rot.

But if you leave them for a decade they might.

pete

[tonyj]

Okay, here is the empirical test:

Park your teardrop in a garage sealed from the elements, but place one of the tires on plywood and one on concrete, and see which one lasts longer.

But . . .
You must start this test with new tires and only on a teardrop that has had the same number of left and right turns and the same exposure to sunlight and environmental exposures, and etc. But don't forget you haven't set controls for the various manufacturing variables, like a particular worker dripping sweat on the product!

I have numerous wheeled vehicles ( including my camper) parked on both concrete and dirt and grass. The only obvious correlation I have ever made is that the tires that have sun exposure die faster. And tires that have slow leaks that have to be reinflated more often tend be more prone to weathercracking on the sidewalls.

But i know for a fact that WD-40 is the solution for arthritis. (Not!)

[stumphugger]

My concrete floor is not sealed properly. During cold spells, the floor is a puddle. My tires are more likely to sprout fungi than dry out.

[CarlLaFong]

It is nonsense. I had my Austin Healey parked in the garage for nearly 10 years and the tires were just fine when I finally got it running.
Before anyone brings it up, concrete will not suck the life out of a battery, either.

[Alfred]

Before anyone brings it up, concrete will not suck the life out of a battery, either.

Yes, but will concrete suck the life out of a battery? Oh, wait a minute, never mind...(My ol' man always said it would, anyway...)

AL

[Tom U]

Replacing a $100 pair of tires every few years certainly outweighs the the expense of storing it outside. (if it is true of course)

[stumphugger]

Concrete will react badly with a chainsaw. I have never tested this, but have heard it from some knowledgable folks. Something about the metal on the bottom? Once again, since my shop floor turns into a swamp sometimes, nothing of value is placed directly on the floor. Tires are the exception.

[Mikka]

Concrete has a very high level of alkalinity (sp) and if not properly treated with an acid wash, will eat through everything. My garage floor is 20 years old, never been treated. Last year, I decided to paint it. In my wisdom decided that after 20 years it did not need the acid wash. I just power washed it twice with an industrial degreaser and put one base coat and two coats of concrete BEHR paint. In less than six months the paint started to just disappear in big blotches. So I would say that concrete will sweat out whatever chemical that makes it corrosive for years on.
As a matter of fact, working concrete with bare hands will just lead to a bad rash and even burns from the concrete.
For concrete driveway, at least it gets washed down with every rain.

Just my opinion.

[DrCrash]

I have heard the air we breath can cause cancer. And some foods are bad for you.

A good dose of uncommon sence here " uncommon" due to I think common sence is not so common any more.

We drive on ashfault, concrete, dirt , and gravel roads. Other than wear the tires are fine. So it boggles my mind to think that a stationary protected car ,trailer, ect that the tires are being harmed sitting on concrete.

[rebapuck]

Just a note.

Vehicles use gas. Gas eats asphalt. Asphalt makes roads.

Maybe that's where potholes come from.

[Juneaudave]

You can buy Unozonium on ebay...That will fix that nasty concrete induced dryrot!