Process Cordwood construction

that roundhouse built in secret in pembrokeshire coast national park. builders cut timber surrounding woods.

in jurisdictions construction plans subject building inspector s approval. before building, soil conditions on site must verified support heavy cordwood masonry walls.

with felled timber, bark should removed in spring shovel, chisel, or bark spud. sap still running in spring time , provides lubricating layer of cambium between bark , wood, making separation easier task if left until fall when 2 layers well-bonded together. once debarked, logs should sit dry @ least 3 summers limit splitting , checking. important cut logs, once debarked chosen building length. richard flatau, cordwood construction: best practices (2012) suggest splitting 70% of wood better drying , seasoning.

after drying, logs must sawed desired length (usually 16, 18, or 24 in.). in case metal handsaw preferable chainsaw because finer cut helps ward moisture , pest penetration. cut off saw or buzz saw make quick work of cutting cordwood chosen lengths. furry ends on cedar, rasps can used smoothing.

the wood needs transported building site. convenient have source of cordwood , construction site nearby. once proper foundation has been poured rises 12-24 inches above ground level splash guard, construction of walls can begin. temporary shelters can used cover worksite , cordwood rain. post , beam frame supplies shelter subsequent cordwood mortaring.

inexperienced homebuilders should experiment number of practice walls. expedite building process , provide more satisfying results. when experimenting m-i-m, (the more common form), 2 parallel 3 4 inch beads of mortar laid down along foundation, followed middle filling of insulation material. logs laid on top consistent mortar gaps, protruding no more 1 inch on inside , outside of wall. actual placement depend on size , shapes of logs. layer of mortar spread, insulation poured in between, more logs follow , on. when experimenting throughwall, thin, layer of insulative mortar laid along foundation, logs seated firmly in mortar bed, in fashion, leaving enough space between them point mortar. mortar gaps filled make relatively flat top surface, thin layer of mortar added , process repeats. shape , exterior orientation of logs important appearance. pre-split “firewood style” logs check less when in wall , easier point or smooth , press evenly around round pieces because mortar gaps smaller.

if constructing house corners, each course of cordwood should cross hatched strength. near end, small filler slats of wood may required finish joining or tops of walls. windows , doors framed standard window boxes , wooden lintels. glass bottles can inserted creative stained glass effect. (plumbing , electrical wiring issues consider not elaborated on in article).

a cordwood house should have deep overhanging eaves of @ least 12- 16 inches keep log ends dry , prevent fungal growth. if ends maintained dry , aerated, age without problem. owners have coated ends linseed oil, or set outside log ends flush mortar further weatherproofing. on time, checking normal, , can remedied periodic mortar or caulking maintenance.