Rubber tyres will stain almost every type of floor including bare concrete, painted and vinyl flooring. The stain is a chemical reaction and will not damage the tiles or impact on their durability.The stain is caused by a component used within the manufacture of car tyres called ‘6PPD’ (phenaline diamine). 6PPD is an anti-oxidant and is added to rubber products to resist environmental attack by ozone and ultraviolet light. It also has other beneficial effects in the moulding of rubber itself. The staining is dark grey / green in appearance and will show within 4 to 5 hours of the tyre sitting on the tile. The stain cannot be removed as it is a chemical reaction between the 6PPD and the surface it is in contact with.
Because the stain in a dark grey / green it is far less obvious in the darker colours and is almost indistinguishable from the colour of our Graphite tiles (which also happens to be the smartest and most popular colour). This is also mentioned in our terms and conditions of sale and installation guidelines.
If you still want to incorporate brighter colours into your floor, you could try the following:
- Use black or graphite tiles where tyres will sit
- Use Durbar plates under wheels