If driving forms a big part of your life you will, depending on where you live, probably use different kinds of tyres during different seasons. In this article, we’re sharing best practices and tips for winter tyre storage to help make sure that you’re ready to hit the road when you need to. 

The anatomy of a tyre

While tyres may seem robust, they can degenerate if not maintained and stored correctly. In most cases, tyres for road vehicles are constructed from a mix of up to 30 types of rubber, textiles, steel belts, beads and antioxidants, all of which is designed to withstand a significant amount of heat and wear and tear. 

Although tyres can cope with a lot, they are not indestructible but are susceptible to damage from: 

– Excessive heat or cold

– Termites and vermin

– Exposure to grease, petrol, solvents and oil

Because of this, it’s important to store your tyres properly when not in use to make sure that they are ready to go when you are. 

What’s the difference between summer and winter tyres?

During different seasons, road conditions vary quite a lot which means that you will need to change tyres. Summer and winter tyres are designed to specifically cope with different weather conditions and temperatures as follows: 

– Summer tyres – This type of tyre tends to have a very solid / firm build with few, more shallow grooves. Summer tyres will usually have a tread depth of 7 or 8 milimetres and are made of a relatively hard compound which is able to cope with road heat caused by high temperatures. 

– Winter tyres – Your winter tyres will be constructed from a softer compound with a tread depth of up to 10 milimetres and a large number of sipes and deeper grooves. This allows the tyre to ensure an adequate grip on the road during weather conditions such as snow, ice and water. 

If you’re wondering just how important it really is to switch tyres for the winter, here it is: when temperatures reach close to 0, a car with winter tyres (doing 30mph) will usually be able to stop within around 35 metres. The same car, in the same conditions but with summer tyres may take at least 45 metres to stop. I don’t think we need to tell you the important difference that this could make to you and your passengers!

Winter tyre storage: Best practices and tips

When summer rolls around there are a few tasks to be done in order to keep your home and your vehicles in good working order and, one of the biggies here is your winter tyres. The average cost of winter tyres is around £130 and so, needless to say, you’ll want to look after them in order to avoid having to replace them.  Therefore, in this section, we’re sharing our best practices and tips for winter tyre storage: 

First things first

Before you even think about storing your winter tyres, you should first clean them down. This is important for a few reasons which are: 

1. Certain kinds of mud and dirt can erode the rubber and textile content of your tyres

2. Mud and dirt in your tyres might contain insects and vegetation which may attract vermin and other insects

3. If you need to put your winter tyres back on in a hurry you won’t want to have to mess about with cleaning them first

After cleaning your tyres, wrap each individual bag in a vacuum bag and use your vacuum cleaner to make the bag airtight before taping it closed. This will prevent the natural oil in the tyre’s rubber from evaporating which may cause drying out and cracking. 

Storing your tyres in a shed or a garage

Lots of people choose to store their winter tyres in a residential garage or shed for convenience and safety and, while this is a solid option for tyre storage and many other things like washing machine storage or seasonal jacket storage, there are a few things you need to know and we’re going to run through some of these here: 

In the garage

Sunlight and temperature

A garage is the ideal place to store your winter tyres as long as you follow a few golden rules which are: 

– Sunlight – When storing your tyres try to find a spot which is not subject to direct sunlight as this can overheat your tyres (particularly when wrapped in plastic) and cause them to dry and crack

– Extreme heat – As above, excessive heat is not good for your tyres and, so, if your garage tends to get really hot, you may want to think about some form of ventilation

– Cold – Similarly, extreme cold can be damaging to your tyres so, if your garage tends to turn into an icebox, it’s a good idea to maybe invest in tyre covers which will protect your tyres from the worst of the cold

– Position – Where possible, you should always store your tyres upright – and rotate occasionally during the storage time 

If stored and looked after correctly, your winter tyres should last for at least three years – and in some cases up to 10 years. 

In the shed

Not gonna lie, a shed would not be our first choice for tyre storage (unless it’s a super modern, great quality one) but, if this is your only choice, the following will help you to keep your tyres safe in your outhouse: 

– Wrapping – As with keeping your tyres in a garage, wrap your tyre in a vacuum bag and seal carefully before placing inside a tyre cover

– Temperature – Once stored in your shed, use old blankets or rags to cover your tyre and protect it from sunlight and cold

– Plug it up – Carefully examine your shed for any holes or cracks which may provide an entrance for vermin and insects and plug them up

– Wood protect – If you shed is made from wood, invest in a specialist product which will stop it rotting, therefore giving easy access to pests

Waking up your tyres

As we’ve mentioned, careful maintenance and storage of your tyres is essential if you want them to stay in great working order for when you need them next. While storing your tyres in a garage or shed is great, not everybody is lucky to have either of these things. In this case, you can follow the instructions above for storing your tyres in either a basement or loft. Alternatively, many areas have garages and even tyre hotels which you can use for taking care of your winter tyres until you need them again. 

Finally, once you take your tyres out of storage, be sure to check the pressure and overall health of the tyres before putting them back onto your car (if you’re not sure how to do this, a mechanic should be able to help you for a small fee).