The technology for building houses and farm buildings made of wood and the mortar that holds it together is called clay-pot or Cordwood. Masonry differs from brick in different diameters of chipped or whole pieces of wood. The length of the chocks should be the same, which determines the thickness of the wall.
In the US state of Wisconsin, there is a village built by the first settlers to arrive from the Old World. One of the houses was built using cedar clay polish technique by Polish immigrants in the 1880s. A coop made in the same technique adjoins one of the walls. One of these old houses was dismantled, each wooden element was numbered, then on the old base the building was again erected. The logs looked as if they were harvested several years ago, nothing betrayed their age. The most famous Cordwood eco-house building technology promoter, Rob Roy, in his book Cordwood Masonry Housebulding, claims that the technology is so simple that it spontaneously appeared in different parts of the world, and the name of its discoverer is a mystery to history.
Advantages of construction using clay-pot technology
- Low cost in comparison with popular technologies: log house, brick and frame houses. The price largely depends on the owner’s own work and the availability of material in the vicinity. To get the necessary information, you can consult with someone who has already built in this technique or see articles and photos on the topic. Own labor reduces the cost of construction twice, but a lot of work remains to be done.
- efficient use of energy. In such houses it is warm in any frost and cool in the summer, there are no daily temperature peaks.
- Ecological cleanliness. During the construction, natural materials are used that can be assembled independently. By choosing the right trunks, you can slightly thin out the neighboring forest or planting without harming nature. The use of colored glass bottles can add decorativeness to the walls.
- Ease of work. For the construction of whole or chipped chocks do not need a special skill or architectural talent. For cutting elements, basic carpentry skills are enough.
- Clay pot is one of the technologies that allows you to experience indescribable pride in creating your own home or office building.
- Fire resistance. In 1994, a Cordwood-CoCoCo construction conference was held. In her materials there is detailed information about the spread of fire in the walls of wooden chocks. A concrete example of a propane explosion in one of the houses tells us that it took the fire two days to destroy the seasonal structure.
In one of the issues of Harrowsmith magazine, researcher David Square published an article entitled “Architecture of the Poor,” where he said that the origin of the technology, once again gaining popularity, is unknown. In small Siberian and Greek villages, structural elements using the Cordwood technique, which are at least 1000 years old, have been preserved.
Disadvantages of Cordwood Technology
- A lot of time and labor, if you build an eco-house with your own hands. The speed of construction depends on how much free time the owner will have. It turns out saving money against the time spent.
- A house built of chocks will be more difficult to sell where they have not heard of such technology. But this is not a problem if the structure is built for their own needs.
Materials for the construction of log houses
- Wood. Suitable fallen trees, waste from a sawmill. Coniferous wood is considered the best. Where it is available, cedar is used, which has a pleasant aroma and thermal conductivity is not worse than that of brick.
- Clay, sand, hay.
Clay creates a wonderful tandem with wood, they have the same moisture absorption and a similar return of moisture. This contributes to the formation of a unique microclimate.
Do-it-yourself eco-house: walling
The length of each log should be 60-90 centimeters. So that the wood does not crack further, the logs are recommended to be split. So that the walls do not shrink, the logs are dried and freed from the bark. Ideal when all the elements are from the same wood species.
The solution is prepared from a mixture of building clay and quarry sand, taken in equal quantities, adding hay, sawdust or straw for reinforcement. The required consistency of the mixture is achieved by prolonged kneading.
Look at the process of erecting a “woodpile” wall:
Foundation
The foundation is prepared in advance, for example, point. Often houses of firewood and clay are erected in a round shape, then there is no need for a frame, grip, and so enough due to the shape. If the structure is with corners, then pre-install the frame of the beams, then fill it with building material.
A layer of mortar is laid out on the foundation, on top of it with small intervals lay chocks. The distance between the wooden elements is filled with a solution, its layer is leveled. The edges of the chocks should protrude slightly from the clay mass. At the right level install windows and doorways.
Finished walls are covered with a permanent or temporary roof so that external moisture does not penetrate into the solution. Full drying of the walls takes place over 5-6 months.
For better thermal insulation, it is recommended to lay only the edges of the chocks on the clay mixture, and fill the space between them with sawdust and fill with straw.
Exterior finish
If the natural look of the clay wall with the ends of the logs does not suit the owner, the decoration is performed. From thin rails make a crate for further alignment of the walls.
It will be interesting to build a house out of logs and clay, first of all, to innovators who are not afraid to implement long-proven, but once forgotten technologies. Claychock gives an opportunity, saving money, to build beautiful, original houses. Cordwood is a technology widely adopted in the USA where its environmental friendliness is valued. A lot of books and magazines are published on the topic, publishing information on the most interesting projects: from decorative garden houses to massive buildings. The largest of them, on a heavy basement made of stone, built from logs of expensive wood, reach prices of millions of dollars.
Cool house! We must try at least to make such an arbor.
That's really all new - this is a well-forgotten old, because this technology has been revived from the past! I think that due to its low cost, it will become in demand in a crisis, and besides, buildings in this way are distinguished by an interesting, original look, and besides, it turns out environmentally friendly housing.
Millions of people dream of owning their own home. And they want not just to buy a box with windows, but to do everything entirely by themselves - starting from the project ending with flowers in the flowerbed. And this is natural, because your home is a family home, a meeting place with friends and family, a place where children will grow up, and grandchildren play.
Thanks for the useful information!