Building Material 7: Cordwood
If you like the look of log cabins, but are hesitant to go through that much lumber, cordwood building might be a good compromise. Cordwood building uses wood that is cut into short lengths, about the size of firewood, which might otherwise go to waste. You can check with local sawmills, furniture manufacturers and even log home builders to see if they have any scrap wood, or you can use dead trees.
The pieces of cordwood are laid into mortar so that the length of the log makes the wall. The ends of the log stick out of the mortar on either side. The mortars that are commonly used include mixes of cement, lime, clay, sand or sawdust. Cordwood is a natural building material that offers both good insulation and good thermal mass. The logs provide insulation that keeps heat in the building, while the mortar provides the ability to store and release heat into the building. The wood might expand or shrink over time and crack the mortar, but you can remedy this problem through caulking.
Over one-third of the world's population lives in earthen structures [source: Hunter, Kiffmeyer]. On the next page, we'll take a look at one natural building material made out of earth.
