Cordwood Masonry

[kevjay]

Any members out there who have looked into other methods of construction other than log? We are going to build using Cordwood Masonry, also called Stackwall construction. We are also considering using papercrete vs. mortar although I'm a little leery of it yet.
We would like to hear from anyone who is considering CM or who has any experience/info/insight with it, even if you read this post two years from now please feel free to email for an update of how it all turned out. We intend to create a website with photos and a journal.
Best to all in their endeavors!
Kevin and Terry.

[hawkiye]

While I have not built using the cordwood masonry method I have been studying alternative building methods for years. I am a 3rd generation mason so very familiar with concrete and masonry.

In My view a couple of the negatives I see in the cordwood method is cracking and water retention. Cordwood and mortar expand and contract to cold and heat at far different rates. Since the cordwood and mortar are the structural element this would lend itself to too much cracking.

Second, along with this the cordwood has cut ends facing out and in that would draw water like a sponge this along with the porous mortar and cracking around the wood pieces would draw in water and invite mold. Now of course the walls can be sealed but would have to be done a couple times a year but this still would not prevent the water from getting in the inevitable cracking.

You might be thinking what???s the difference in a log home with mortar as chinking. The difference is the mortar is not structural the log structure stands on its own without mortar using the rebar butt & pass method. As the logs shrink there are some gaps from the mortar but they can be filled in, however this only needs to be done once after the logs have shrunk and no more. The butt & pass is the only method that doesn???t require elaborate methods of pre built gaps and structural jacking to account for significant log settling to prevent doors and window from being jammed and having to be redone. This proves beyond a doubt the far superior structural integrity if the butt & pass method to any other log building method. Frankly it is amazing to me so many other log builders continue to build log homes using such inferior poor methods.

The logs that don't have the outer perimeter compromised by cutting or turning are naturally resistant to the elements along with the roof over hang to prevent water damage. The mortar chinking unsealed allows the house to breath without compromising heat loss from the inside and no sealing yearly or bi yearly is necessary.

Can these negatives be over come for cordwood masonry? Probably to some degree but not significantly and it would defeat the cost saving purpose in my view. Also I would stay away from papercrete as mortar for cordwood. You would be building a giant spong. I have experimented with papercrete and it soaks up water like you can't believe.

Blayne

[kevjay]

Thanks for your response. I had the same initial concerns regarding the potential negatives associated with cordwood masonry that you brought up, but after doing more research and discovering how old the method is, I knew there had to be more to it than I could find online.
I should have thought about the wording in my post a little better. Really, I'm wanting to hear from people who have actual experience with stackwall construction OR who know someone personally who lives/lived in one. I practically said the exact opposite in my post. Sorry, kinda new at this.
I've spoken on the phone to two people who have built their own structures and both currently live in them. The "newest" one is 12 years old and the negatives you mention are easy to overcome using proven stackwall methods. I'm just wanting to talk to others who have actual experience inasmuch as one can never know it all.
As far as Butt and Pass compared to other *log construction* methods - no need to sell me on it. It has many advantages over other methods. If I ever build a log home, and I plan to, Butt and Pass will probably be the method I use, although I'm not of the mindset that any or all other methods of log building are meritless. There are simply too many 100 - 1000 year old structures that still exist, both stackkwall and log - for any one method to stand alone as the pinnacle of credibility.

And oh yes, I also agree with you on the papercrete. I had a conversation this afternoon with someone who used it and I'm no longer even considering it for use in a stackwall.
Thanks. KJ.

[dave]

what is the reason you decided on cordwood masonry, kevjay? I read about it on the net, and it certainly looks interesting. Did you take a building class for it?

[kevjay]

In a nutshell, in our situation at least, it's faster, cheaper, more aesthetically appealing, much more versatile, and provides an even higher "R" value when all is said and done. But of course, after all is said and done, much more has usually been said than done.
kevjay

[dave]

faster? I too like the look of this building method, but my one concern was the amount of time it takes. All the sites I've seen seem to say it takes a loooong time to make those walls.
Am I missing something?

[Be12c]

Hello
I am also somewhat considering a cordwood home. I have a friend who has built and is living in one in Roxboro, NC. It's a beutify home.

You need to keep long overhangs, and fill the gaps created by some shrinkage, but overall, it's a great house. When I talked to him about it, and about what I was thinking, he said that if he had to do it over again, he would do timberframe and then fill in with the cordwood. That way the waether wouldn't dictate your progress as much, and the settling wouldn't directly effect the structure.

I'm still thinking it all over, but would love to hear about your project. The one thing I kow for sure, is that whatever method I do, it'll take advanage of any passive solar oportunity I can.

Scott

[adubar]

Cordwood masonry, can take quite a bit more time to construct than regular stickframe (and a lot more time than the butt and pass method). It is certain that the process can be sped up but at a sacrifice to the finished product. In my experience you can't rush masonry projects.


You will find quite a few proponents of this method on the internet. What a prospective builder should familiarize themselves with beyond the hype surrounding this method are the facts about the method and modern construction materials.

A little research will bear out that most proponents of this method site the very old buildings in Europe and Eurasia as well as structures built by early European settlers in the Americas as their proof regarding the effectivness and "rightness" of the building method. What you won't find are very many examples given of more recent construction, using fast growth timber, that has had time to weather and age. Many examples built in the 50's, 60's and 70's suffer from rot and decay. Those that show little of this were primarily built with logs treated with chemicals that are no longer available due to their toxicity--or, may have actually been able to have been built using old growth.

It is one thing to build a home and live in it for a couple of years and then sell it; another thing to build a home to last.

One architect devised a creative work-around for the timber issue to build his stacked wall house --- surplus sealed aluminum cylinders. Another, aluminum beer cans.

All in all, building with this method may be on par with the longevity of modern stick frame construction --about 30 years.



-Regards