Cordwood Building: The State of the Art
This is a book I checked out on a whim from the library, and I just bought a physical copy, even though I’m only halfway through it so far. Basically, it deals with a method of building that I find very compelling and interesting: using cordwood laid end-out as building material.
When you think of a log house, you think of big, long (expensive!) logs laid laterally to form the walls. Cordwood building uses 12″ – 24″ logs of any size, split or whole laid pointing into the structure, so that the ends are exposed. They are bedded in mortar, with an interior insulation pocket of sawdust, and are solid and load-bearing. The insulation qualities and durability are incredible, and sound vastly superior to cob or haybale construction techniques.
The wood is literally firewood that you buy by the cord, and the cheaper stuff like pine is actually preferable, since it does not expand and has better insulating qualities than hardwoods.
I am intrigued, and will definitely be building a small structure like a bathroom or storage shed right away to test the concepts. If it works out, this would be a cheap and relatively easy way to raise a larger structure, even for one person.
The author has been building and living in these for something like 35 years, and has the methodology down cold.
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