Removing Tyre Marks

Occasionally I get asked how to remove tyre stains.

The ease with which this process can be done depends on what they are on.  If it’s a hard surface like pavers, cement, or tiles, it’s easy.  All you need is heat.  The hard surface will not be affected by the heat, but the rubber will.  It will probably go black at first but then finally disappear as it is all burned off.

This is simply called “high temperature incineration,” and is a common way of removing waste.  All the carbon is converted to CO2 and all sulphates and nitrates are converted to SO2 and NO2 respectively.

So all you need is a heat gun, or if that isn’t hot enough (it probably is) you could use a butane torch.

If the tyre marks are on the bitumen road, however, there is nothing you can do, as bitumen is very soft and any attempt to remove the rubber will also damage the bitumen.  But the good news is that because the bitumen is black, or least grey, the tyre marks will eventually fade and disappear from view.