A Mortgage-Free, Owner-Built Cordwood Castle

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We set the cedar logs into the frame one row at a time, spreading mortar over the top of each row to a thickness of about 3/4" and covering only 3" of the outer and inner edges of each round. The hollows created in the center could then be filled with an insulating mix of 3 parts dry sawdust to 1 part agricultural lime. Though we all tried the traditional troweling method of applying our mud, I soon preferred to scoop the mortar up in my rubber-gloved hands and plop it in place. This shortcut technique yielded a near professional look.

After one day's labor, we realized how incredibly handy the post-and-beam framework actually was: With two people working, we could lay up one full 8'-square wall section in just eight hours at an expenditure of only $34.57 ... something of an accomplishment for amateur masons!

As the walls rose, the structure took on a stone-fortress-like appearance, and visitors began rolling in to gawk, talk, and even—on occasion—work. The ubiquitous sidewalk superintendents that wandered through fell into two categories: the prophets of doom, who held that cordwood construction was impossible (since they'd never seen it before) ... and a few visionaries, who delighted in the house's innovative style, simplicity, indigenous materials, and potential for owner building.

The many weeks it took to complete the walls of our new house gave me an opportunity to appreciate fully the "sweat equity" concept that most stackwood zealots are wont to rave about. In addition to the $350 worth of red cedar we'd bought, we had to purchase only cement ($140), 11 yards of clean sand ($35), and 30 bags of hydrated lime plus one bulk load of "barn" lime ($80). Since all our sawdust was given to us from a local sawmill, the total cost for erecting all the structure's walls (1,120 square feet of surface area) came to $605 ... roughly a 260% savings over conventional stud wall construction.

After not quite three months of spare-time building, we'd reached the point where we were ready to begin work on our home's roof and upper story. The upstairs isn't a true second level, but a living space designed into the center of our roof trusses that now boasts two bedrooms, a play area, a half-bath, and ample closet storage.

According to my calculator, having the trusses built at a local plant not only allowed us this extra 560 square feet of conditioned space but also saved us about $800 compared to the cost of cutting and nailing our own ceiling and roof joists. The job went more slowly than expected, though, as late summer rainstorms hampered our efforts to sheathe and shingle the roof. By mid-August the house was finally securely covered ... and after breathing a deep sigh of relief, we mounted the windows and doors in their previously framed openings. Our cordwood home was—after five months of on—again, off again work dried in and protected from the winter for a total expenditure of $4,755 ... $245 under budget!

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