They Make Fences From Used Tires

Junked tires can be used to make low-cost fences, corrals, and windbreaks, says Paul Steffanson, a farmer from High Level, Alta., who has patented several fence-building designs and is turning the idea into a business.

Steffanson has formed a recycling company to turn stacks of whole used tires into permanent livestock fencing, driveway entrances, and windbreaks.

"Using whole tires to make fences and corrals saves you money and is also good for the environment. The tires will last indefinitely and do not break down."

In one of his designs, truck tires are placed upright in a shallow trench and set side by side. A 2 by 4 is laid flat across the top of the tires and nailed to them. A 2 by 10 is placed on edge and nailed to the 2 by 4. Dirt is then packed around both sides of the tires. "It makes a fence that's 50 in. high. The boards add stability and also give the fence a more finished look," says Steffanson.

Another style involves stacking car or truck tires in towers spaced about 8 in. apart and leaning toward each other as they go up. There's a wood post at the center of each pile. The posts are wired together between rows, like lacing a shoe. "The posts are necessary because over time sunlight can cause the south-facing row of tires to weaken and sag downward. The posts keep each column of tires rigid."

He's experimenting with using whole tires as decorative entryways to driveways. The design consists of a 10-ft. high earth mover tire, a rear tractor tire, and truck tire. The tires stand next to each other in descending order of size. A "fence row" is then made by placing a truck or car tires on their sides in an overlapping, "stair step" design.

He's even used double rows of truck tires to make an 8-ft. high sound barrier that's placed next to a highway that runs alongside his home.

"A fence stacked two rows deep and five tires high, running 50 in. high (slightly higher than the average barbed wire fence) and half a mile long, uses about 10,100 tires. To start a job for a client, I contact dealers in the area and arrange for delivery of the tires. Some tire dealers will even pay farmers to haul away their tires so they don't have to pay a tipping fee. How else can you get the material to build a corral or fence and get paid for it?"