Cordwood Masonry for Enthusiastic Builders

Steadily growing in popularity for the last few decades, cordwood masonry has become a do-it-yourself housebuilder’s method of choice for home construction. Its basic techniques and sturdy design have made an affordable, creative, and relatively inexpensive design for rural residents seeking a rustic style. Although more common in colder, northern climates, the tradition of cordwood masonry has stretched across the U.S., with houses appearing in the south and midwestern regions.

Based on the principles of stone masonry, cordwood masonry involves a sturdy foundation which ascends into walls of mortar and logs laid with rings facing outwards, create a “stone-like” effect from a distance. In between logs are pockets of insulation, typically a natural mixture of sawdust and lime, hidden by the mortar layered around and over each log. The mortar is laid with a trowel the same as stone work; a bent butter knife is typically used to “point” around the logs, smoothing mortar and cleaning it away from the wood protruding slightly from the layers.

Typical wood choices include dried cedar or oak. A great deal of wood is necessary to build even a reasonably-sized structure, hence the reference to “cord wood” in the name. Logs are cut, de-limbed, de-barked, then stacked to dry for a season to keep the wood from shrinking once the house is built. Window and door frames are usually constructed from old lumber and fitted into place before the mortar and logs block them in; popular roof choices include sheets of tin.

After a day’s labor, the unfinished walls are carefully covered with tarp or Visquine weighed down with rocks to protect the wall interior from rain or snow damage. Since cordwood masonry is a popular choice for do-it-yourself construction, many projects take years to complete — so long as the walls are protected during construction lapses, builders can work as quickly or slowly as they desire.

While a simple form of construction, cordwood masonry is time-consuming and sometimes difficult labor. Many choose to mix their own mortar using a homemade metal trough and elbow grease, challenging themselves to keep it wet long enough to mix, layer, and apply. Others find lifting the logs into place for even short one-story homes is back-breaking labor, even with the aid of scaffolding and pulleys. Many builders, however, feel that cordwood masonry is no more difficult than framing a house with two-by-fours and has the advantages of a sturdy construction site that lets the owner choose their own pace for finishing the project.

Creative designers often build round cordwood houses with beam support for the roof. Small creative touches include glass bottles inserted in the wall — two bottles, one colored and one clear, are paired with their necks facing inward and mortared into the wall, colored end inside to create a stained glass glow when sunlight filters through. Others choose to display logs from special locations or unique tree rings by mortaring those into special places in the wall.

The unusual beauty and casual rustic style that defines the cordwood house may surprise some visitors; but the owners behind those carefully constructed designs are never surprised by this unique form of masonry.