# Cordwood House Build



## oldtruckbbq (Aug 8, 2016)

My "We've Got Land" thread has gotten pretty long over the past year +, so I decided to start a new thread to cover the house build. This weekend I'll be getting concrete blocks on the last 2 perimeter piers. When that is done, I'll start filling them with concrete and installing anchor bolts for the timbers that will go on the piers. I'll be using an epoxy anchor system for the timbers.

In about 2 1/2 weeks we will start installing timbers on the piers. The timbers we will be using are from trees cut down to make room for the house. The trees we cut down to make room for the house will end up in the house.

I was going to add some pics, but for some reason I keep getting an error and they won't post.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Where does the cordwood house part of this come in ?


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

Are you milling the logs on site/yourself?


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## CKelly78z (Jul 16, 2017)

How long have you had the cut/split/stacked/seasoned wood for the house, and what species are they ?

Make sure the split sections you will be using are completely dry, and uniform in length. What length (wall width) are you going with ?


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

oldtruckbbq said:


> In about 2 1/2 weeks we will start installing timbers on the piers.


Sounds more like a conventional type construction rather than 'cordwood'.....which I thought was you cut rounds out of the logs a fairly uniform length, then lay in a wall with mortar around them.


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## Steve_S (Feb 25, 2015)

I was going to build my place originally with cordwood and so I bought many books, watched many video's and then went and helped build a couple (other folks). What a job ! but the end result is amazing and there s no comparison. The one which stands out most has 20" long logs and used Type S mortar mixed with cedar sawdust. Cedar is a primary resource here and is the best to use for such a structure. There are barns & old farm houses (over 150 yrs old) all around here and many new builds with Cordwood as well... it has regained some popularity. There was a basic "rule" of when to split the logs when they were either 12" thick or if they were knotted / twisted. Used Wine Bottles were made into "glass portals" including a couple of those big Wine Making bottles similar to that shown below. One of the kids decided to put a LOT of marbles into one before it was sealed and placed into their bedroom wall (it looked amazing and the light it cast was really something) took two of us to lift it into place !.

Looking forward to your ongoing adventure, take your time & do NOT rush. I would also very strongly suggest you use a sheet of plywood on the inside against the wall to align all the logs nice & straight & true internally, otherwise you'll have many issues with thing on / against the wall including furnishings later. (lesson learned when helping on build One, the fella didn't think it was important, he found out the hard way why everyone told him to do that). BTW: We have 3 cordwood building companies in this area and one was involved as consultant but not listened to very well... His 35 years experience of doing was worth listening to.

One point to ensure you have a happy & safe home, make sure all your wood is properly debarked & peeled "clean". Consider a soak for the logs in a Water - Borax solution (bug defence & preservative which is non toxic or harmful to us). If Possible use Cedar or other woods which are naturally bug, rot & mould resistant and most certainly on the lower layers. One critical point observed with the older cordwood builds, the ones that lasted best, all had deep overhangs and eaves (at least 24") as that keeps that damp away very effectively.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

Just to give you some ideas, here is the cordwood house our friends made. (If case you were





















wondering what my wive's friends are doing in those big pots, they are dyeing wool.)


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## Steve_S (Feb 25, 2015)

What a beautiful home !


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## oldtruckbbq (Aug 8, 2016)

TnAndy said:


> Sounds more like a conventional type construction rather than 'cordwood'.....which I thought was you cut rounds out of the logs a fairly uniform length, then lay in a wall with mortar around them.


Got to have some type of framework, unless you go with stacked cordwood for corners instead of timbers. It's pretty standard in Cordwood construction to make a timber frame, then fill in between the timbers with cordwood.


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## oldtruckbbq (Aug 8, 2016)

Steve_S said:


> One point to ensure you have a happy & safe home, make sure all your wood is properly debarked & peeled "clean". Consider a soak for the logs in a Water - Borax solution (bug defence & preservative which is non toxic or harmful to us). If Possible use Cedar or other woods which are naturally bug, rot & mould resistant and most certainly on the lower layers. One critical point observed with the older cordwood builds, the ones that lasted best, all had deep overhangs and eaves (at least 24") as that keeps that damp away very effectively.


We are using red cedar, as that is so abundant in parts of the Ozarks that some people consider it a nuisance tree. We will be using the borax dip on our wood, as recommended by Richard Flatau and friends who built a cordwood home. Our wall will be 16" deep. Most people just use a 2x to stay plumb, but I like the idea of using a sheet of plywood. Our posts are on 8' centers so a sheet of plywood fits that nicely.

We are doing a shed roof and plan on 4' overhangs all around. I used Chief Architect for the design and layout and was able to a 3D view of the house with multiple roof pitches and overhangs. We like the look of the 4' overhang. We are planning a design using glass bottles above the living room door, which will be smack in the middle of the front wall. My sister is a graphic design artist and is going to do a design for me. She has access to an architectual plotter so she's going to print out D size drawings to use as a guide.

We were hoping to go to a workshop through Richard Flautau's site, but due to the wet weather none of the prospective projects were to the point of being able to do cordwood this year. So, hopefully next year. I'm figuring it will be Summer/Fall before we get to that point of putting in the cordwood. I've got some 8' cedar posts that were cut last winter that are to be delivered sometime this month, so I'll have to get a shelter built to keep them dry. We will peel and cut them to length as quickly as we can to get them to dry quicker. 

The internet can be a beautiful thing sometimes. I've been able to connect with several people who have built or are building a cordwood home and they have been great about sharing things they've learned. That has already saved us considerable time and expense.


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## Steve_S (Feb 25, 2015)

Yeah the cordwood community is really great and most helpful, also not afraid to share Lessons Learned ! Which is pure Platinum IMO ! forget that cheap gold crap ! LOL I personally fell in love with the Stacked Corners, Louis, a local cordwood builder has a really cool way of doing the corners, I will have to get photo's for ya. Louis also says that the different corners have differing issues and can affect the build in ways unexpected, which I saw first hand can be complicated. Not as cut & dry as one would think but you already read up on that I'm sure. Richard Flatau's info and materials is great some of the first books I bought. I bought Chief Architect Pro a few years ago (been bothered by upgrade notices every 6 months since... LOL) which is a great bit of software once you figure it out... I had to make up custom wall definitions for cordwood and it was kinda iffy. I wound up using that software to design my current place (not cordwood, rather, hyper insulated DIY SIPS more or less).

Rally glad you have Red Cedar, you will LOVE IT when you start building with it. I'll tell ya now, get TWO Draw Knives, a short one about 8" & a long one about 12" for debarking and skinning as well as a good strong coarse "Brass" Bristle brush to get the fuzzies (that's what the bugs love to eat). Brass because it will not leave anything behind to stain the wood (like steel does). I'm sure you read up on making a cutting jig for your logs, it is the only way to do it, lessons learned eh ! do yourself a huge favour, something few tell ya, make sure it's at YOUR waist height and that you can secure the saw to the jig using a hinged board and a positive stop for the log with a good roll off away from you. Your back, arms and legs will appreciate it.... you'll get that by Log #5 ! LMAO BTW, keep the bark and soft aside, it makes really great base mulch (first layer against the ground) for paths etc as it's long stringy and won't rot and makes a great base surface for regular mulch or chips. The sawdust of course is insulation & mortar added mix.. BTW: Don't put any of your Cedar waste into the Berms your making to grow stuff on the sides of your property, it won't benefit the berms or the deposits within.


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## oldtruckbbq (Aug 8, 2016)

I've already got drawings for a cutting jig. Has an angled board at the discharge end to drop the cut piece away from your feet, and it has a place to attach a container to catch sawdust. Good point about the brass brush, hadn't thought about that buy you are correct. 

I bought Chief Architect several years ago when we were going to do a barndominium on some land on a quit title deed from the guy I was partnering with on a custom slaughter business. When that deal went south and I had to pull the plug all the materials for the 32x80 clear span metal building were on a pad at his place. I arranged a deal with a church where we moved in Texas to sell them the materials for an expansion they wanted to do. When we went to look at it, my building was gone. When I tried to knock on his door he wouldn't answer, even though both their vehicles were home. Next thing I know, a couple deputies come in with lights flashing because of a report of an intruder trying to break into the house. It was an ugly situation.

I have the Home Designer Suite. One of things that I really like about it is being able to put appliances, fixtures, and furniture in a room so you can decide if it really is going to be workable. Beats waiting until you are done to find out nothing fits and you can't get around.

Good suggestion for the bark and cambium. We have already started work on a path to a little clearing that we are going to set up with a fire pit and some benches. That would be perfect for the base layer on the path.


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## Steve_S (Feb 25, 2015)

sometimes it's the little ideas & experiences that can make a big differences, especially when it comes own to dollars & cents... so many ways to save and so many ways to waste it… something I have a serious allergy to (wasting $). Sorry about the Jerk but the world is full of them, always ready to screw the next guy over... Now your onto Good Things and all your so Smile, Grin and even laugh... you'll be somewhere great in a short time. Ask anyone who's built their own shack, what a feeling it is to have your First Sleep in the house you built, or that First hot Shower (which is more refreshing than you can imagine, for many reasons). Just ask Melli, she knows what it feels like... it's "special".

BTW: On the brass brush bit, I had to use both a long handled one with a scraper end, the other was a big wide one on the cordless drill (messy & you'll curse that BUT it's the one way to clean knot holes & weirdities in the wood.


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## oldtruckbbq (Aug 8, 2016)

Worked my third straight weekend, and will probably work this weekend too. Thanks to personnel cuts to save the company money there is nobody to back me up, so no weekend off. Real tempted to take this weekend off anyway and tell them to figure it out.

Since I'm less than a year away from being able to retire early, that is quickly looking like an option. Since I don't expect my work situation to change anytime soon so that I will once again have some time to work on our place, I have 2 options as I see them. Option 1 is to just give up and quit working on our place. Option 2 is to find another way. We have chosen option 2.

Waiting for a call back from the electric co-op to get their engineer out to mark the route they will take to bring power. Then I'll have to clear the path for them. Next will be water and sewer. Once we have utilities in we will purchase a travel trailer and move out to the property. I'll be able to get some work done each day before I have to leave for work at 2PM. When I do get days off I'll be able to step out the door to work instead of driving almost 1 1/2 hours.

My plan is to have the area we will park the trailer and a shipping container leveled. Then we will bring in a shipping container to put our household goods instead of paying for storage. The shipping container will be close to utilities, so I'll install a small electrical panel, water, and a sewer line. This will allow us to run the chest freezer, refrigerator, and washer and dryer. I figure the cost of using a laundromat for a couple months will pay for that work. We will go from a 20 minute drive to work to about an hour drive, but the cost of the extra gas and tires is nothing compared to the rent payment we won't be making.

I have no illusions about it being glamorous. It is going to be a pain in a lot of ways. But then, being out on the land and being able to work on the house and have a garden will be worth it.


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## Steve_S (Feb 25, 2015)

Couple of thoughts for you to ponder on, if you haven't already LOL. Option 2 is a good plan ! little tougher but the right move IMO.

Sea Can: They are great to have, got one too but they have issues, especially with heat & cold, condensation ! There are 2 Air Ports on the ends of the container at the top (rectangular box thing) Installing a cheapo 12V box fan (like those used to cool computers & stuff) for air input and air exhaust. Cheapo simple 12V solar panel will run them during the day no problem (no batt needed). If your thinking of insulating a sea can, using only non-breathable foam. 20' or 40'. I originally wanted 2, 20' so I could have a 25' space between them to put a roof over, to use as a work area, shop / garage or whatever later. $ Reality at the time prevented that so I got 1, 20'. ok but really Not Enough (not when you pile tools like table saws and more in there that you need access too during a build). 40' would have done me well. Ponder how you will use that space while building but also afterwards. Remember, they can always be moved / adjusted later.

Garage idea similar to this: but so many creative ideas out there to fit virtually any possibility.


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## oldtruckbbq (Aug 8, 2016)

Although it will cost more, I'm going to go with 2 of the 20' containers. A truck with a 26' trailer has a tough enough time, there's no way a 40' container could be brought in without taking out a LOT more trees. Since I can use a covered work space, I'm planning on doing what is in the picture for years to come. We used containers for storage in the Army and they were unbearable in the summer. The temperature would get so high that many items were damaged. Ours will be under shade so they shouldn't get as hot. But I like the idea of a simple ventilation fan. One container to store household goods and another for tool boxes, work benches, table saw, router table, shelving for tools, the chest freezer, big fridge, washer and dryer.

In the meantime, we are throwing away, giving away, and selling items we haven't use in years and don't want to take with us. One of our goals with this build is to simplify and purging things we haven't used in years is a good way to start.


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## Steve_S (Feb 25, 2015)

Here is a company you should bookmark and hang onto for reference: 
https://www.acinfinity.com/quiet-usb-fans/

These are not cheap Chinese computer box fans, great quality, silent cast aliminium. Check out the Controller on this page. These are USB Powered, hence a wee panel & battery in the sea can, can handle it. They are well priced and well supported. NB: The Dual Fans kit's are 2 fan's daisy chained on one USB power line. Use the single fans as the controllers can handle multiples (I have an 8 port controller but they have a 2 port one)

I did the "Purge" from 3500 square feet to < 750 and dumped heaps of stuff I was dragging around, quite unburdening and a feeling of release !


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## melli (May 7, 2016)

oldtruckbbq said:


> Although it will cost more, I'm going to go with 2 of the 20' containers. A truck with a 26' trailer has a tough enough time, there's no way a 40' container could be brought in without taking out a LOT more trees. Since I can use a covered work space, I'm planning on doing what is in the picture for years to come. We used containers for storage in the Army and they were unbearable in the summer. The temperature would get so high that many items were damaged. Ours will be under shade so they shouldn't get as hot. But I like the idea of a simple ventilation fan. One container to store household goods and another for tool boxes, work benches, table saw, router table, shelving for tools, the chest freezer, big fridge, washer and dryer.
> 
> In the meantime, we are throwing away, giving away, and selling items we haven't use in years and don't want to take with us. One of our goals with this build is to simplify and purging things we haven't used in years is a good way to start.


I was surprised my sea can kept my home furnishings in perfect condition for 6yrs! I thought for sure I'd get some moisture issues, but even without a fan or desiccant, I had no signs of moisture damage. I have heard of folks with cans, in my hood, having moisture issues, but I think it comes down to a couple of things; quality of can, and location. I bought a one-tripper can (made in China, made the crossing, then sold to me). It was in pristine condition (rubber seals were tight - bit of a bear to open). I had it in a location that allowed it some sun, which helped recirculate the air inside. I avoided putting damp items inside the can, but occasionally I'd stick something in there that got rained on, but it never permeated my other stuff in can. I zipped tied some poly on walls so my home furnishings never touched the metal walls...no idea if that helped. Never any signs of condensation on walls or ceiling...surprising given our rain-forest winters where everything is damp for 6mths of the year. 

I agree the can will heat up in summer...to the point, I have to open doors and wait a bit for interior to cool down so I can enter. I also learned any chemicals (like glues, solvents, gas) are best not stored in can. 

I sort of want to sell my can, but the thing is so bullet proof, and secure, it'll be hard to let it go. One of those no hassle deals. Had it now, for 8 yrs, and other than sweep out the dirt from what I tracked in, I haven't had to do any maintenance. Was thinking I should wash it...that idea has been floating around in my head, for a couple of years...

I can't work in mine, it is full of yard stuff, tools and dirt bike. 

Oh, I have kept my can elevated at least 6 inches off ground...blocked at corners and midspan. I have no idea if that helped, but I figured allowing a little airflow underneath couldn't hurt.


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## oldtruckbbq (Aug 8, 2016)

We have 14 of the 18 perimeter piers filled with concrete, then between the brutally cold weather and my wife's health we haven't gotten much done in the past month. She had been having some issues and after a couple month wait finally had an appointment with an OB/GYN. She did an ultrasound and CT scan, then a biopsy. So, on Nov 4 DW had surgery for uterine cancer. With the aggressive nature of the tumor and the fact that she had surgery for colon cancer just 3 years ago they are recommending "further treatment". We have an appointment on the 22nd to discuss what that entails. 

We don't always get to set our own schedule. Sometimes we have to adjust to fit things around what life throws at us. I'll be continuing to work on the place as I get time to go out, she is out of commission due to recovery for another 4-6 weeks. Likely to be more depending on what "further treatment" she undergoes. We are still determined to move out to the property this spring and will be focusing a lot of our efforts toward things that need to be done to accomplish that.

Even if it is too cold to fill piers with concrete, we have enough filled that we can start placing posts on piers. It will really speed things up to be out there and able to work on the place each day instead of just every other weekend.


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## Steve_S (Feb 25, 2015)

Sorry to head about your wife, ALL my Best Wishes & Hopes for good speedy recovery.


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## oldtruckbbq (Aug 8, 2016)

A couple weekends ago I had to burn 3 vacation days that I can't roll over into next year. We had a window with suitable temperatures to we filled the remaining piers with concrete and anchors. Also shoveled a lot of dirt filling in some of the trench between footings. Did some cleanup and stripped bark off a couple logs for the timber frame.

Had the engineer from the electric co-op out to get a quote for getting temporary power to use for construction. He quoted a price about 1/3 what they quoted the other people building out here. But then, he and I hit it off and I haven't tried doing something shady then yelled at him and threatened to get a lawyer. We will get temporary power for less than a 5000W generator. I'm very happy with that because the temporary power will be used for a travel trailer, laundry & fridge shed, and construction.

The only hitch is they want us to have the water department put in our meter and water line to the foundation before they run electric. We were going to wait until after the electric was run, so this is no big deal. So right after Christmas we will have the water and electric put in. In either Feb or early March we will have the septic system installed so we can move a travel trailer out and live on site instead of having to drive back and forth.


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## oldtruckbbq (Aug 8, 2016)

Its just another step in the journey of 1000 miles, but it is a step. Earlier in the week the water district installed our water meter. Now all I have to do is run the line to the foundation. Depending on how the soil is after all the rain, I'll be working on that this weekend. I'm putting a frost proof faucet just inside the tree line so I have a convenient way to water the blackberries and flowers on that side of the property.

A rectangular water meter vault is on the way. I'll put it near the foundation. Inside the vault will be tees and ball valves to feed the travel trailer, laundry shed, frost proof faucet, and the house. I like the idea of being able to shut off each item individually instead of having to go all the way out to the water meter if there is an issue.

If its too wet to dig, no worries. I have plenty of work to do on building the laundry shed and taking down some fence.


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