A Guide To Looking After Your Car Tyres Through the Seasons ♥

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Tyres are the most important part of a car as they are the only part of the car that actually touches the ground. I say that tyres are the 'shoes' of the car, so it's important for them to be kept in good condition - you wouldn't go walking about in tattered and torn shoes would you?

Tyres are also one of the easiest parts of the car to keep in good condition. It's relatively easy to change a tyre, you don't need a mechanic to do anything do them and they're probably one of the cheapest areas to fix in a car too - we all know how much money cars can drain from us with their upkeep!

Living in Ireland and the U.K. it's important to know how to look after your car tyres through the seasons and things you need to be on the lookout for so you know when to invest in new tyres.

1. Check your tyre pressure regularly
The change in air temperature affects the pressure of the air in your tyres - a fact which everyone might not be aware of, so checking your tyre pressure regularly, especially through the hot summer days and freezing cold winter days is essential to make sure they're road-worthy and are at the safest pressure for driving.

2. Check your tyres thoroughly on very hot or rainy days
The weather really does affect the tyres of a car so much and not many people are aware of this fact. On very rainy days your tyres may lose grip on slippery roads, resulting in a car accident, especially if the rain has come after lots of dry days. It's important to make sure that the treads of your tyres aren't worn down and have lots of grip available for wet roads. You can even change to 'winter tyres' for more grip in freezing conditions.

On hot days, the pressure within tyres can expand, which can result in a blow out. This is quite a scary experience as it results in loss of control of the car, so take extra care on very hot days to make sure your tyre pressure is just right - especially if you're going on a long journey.

3. Know when your tyres need to be changed
Like anything that's used on a daily basis, tyres can wear down quite quickly, so it's important to know when to change them.

All tyres come with a serial number on the outer tyre wall and the last four digits of this number are the date of manufacture. Tyres can be kept for 10 years, however, even if after 10 years the tyres are in good condition, they should be changed for brand new ones. If you're in the Sixfield area and looking to buy tyres then visit Calmac Tyres website and book your tyres now. I change my tyres every six years as a precautionary as I have the children in the car daily.

4. Track your car at least twice a year
Tyres may wear down faster on one side when your tracking is out of sync due to driving on uneven road services. I always make sure to get my car tracked in spring after driving on the washed away roads from winter - all those potholes aren't good for any car!

5. Check your tyres for punctures regularly
During the summer we all go on adventures in our cars and these adventures might lead us down laneways to beaches, camping sights and other places where people may have left broken glass, etc., all which damage tyres and can lead to slow punctures, so checking our tyres regularly is a must.

Punctures don't have to be expensive either. Always make sure to carry a spare tyre and get a plug put in the punctured tyre - this is usually a free service.

Hopefully this guide will help you to look after your car tyres through the seasons and will keep them in tip top condition for all your seasonal adventures on the road.