![]() There is no detailed information about the origins of cordwood construction. However, more contemporary versions could be found in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Remains of cordwood structures still standing date back as far as one thousand years in eastern Germany. Different mortar mixtures and insulation fill material both affect the wall's overall R value, or resistance to heat flow and conversely, to its inherent thermal mass, or heat/cool storage capacity. As a load-bearing wall, the compressive strength of wood and mortar allows for roofing to be tied directly into the wall. Cordwood walls can be load-bearing (using built-up corners, or curved wall designed) or laid within a post and beam framework which provides structural reinforcement and is suitable for earthquake-prone areas. Instead, three- or four-inch (sometimes more) beads of mortar on each side of the wall provide stability and support, with a separate insulation between them. In the more common M-I-M, and unlike brick or throughwall masonry, the mortar does not continue throughout the wall. ![]() In throughwall, the mortar mix itself contains an insulative material, usually sawdust, chopped newsprint, or paper sludge, in sometimes very high percentages by mass (80% paper sludge/20% mortar). There are two main types of cordwood construction, throughwall and M-I-M (mortar-insulation-mortar). Cordwood construction can be sustainable depending on design and process. Wood usually accounts for about 40-60% of the wall system, the remaining portion consisting of a mortar mix and insulating fill. Walls typically range between 8 and 24 inches thick, though in northern Canada, some walls are as much as 36 inches thick.Ĭordwood homes are attractive for their visual appeal, maximization of interior space (with a rounded plan), economy of resources, and ease of construction. Walls are usually constructed so that the log ends protrude from the mortar by a small amount (an inch or less).
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