We’ve never built anything before but we’re very pleased with how it’s turned out.” Jan and Baz Whitlock sent pictures of their cordwood garden cottage in Bristol, England. They used the ebook Cordwood Construction Best Practices as their go-to source/guide. Jan & Baz write: “Here are some pics of a small cordwood build we’ve nearly finished it in the middle of our garden in the UK.
“It’s around 12 feet square, we used lime mortar, the wood is softwood-larch and pine. It’s in the garden between 2 areas. Front door to enter, back to get to next bit (side to BBQ area). I haven’t totalled the cost-the cordwood was free, mortar not much, but the post and beam frame and roof were costly… could have been done with much smaller beams etc – we just went for chunky so it would last.”
“We still have to render the blocks once we get a bit of decent weather. We are planning to insulate in between the beams, as we have found it retains heat well. We have electric and a radiator, so it could be used as an extra room to sleep in when the family all descend on us.”
It is a lovely place to sit, we have great views & it’s a perfect spot to watch the sunset.
“We just used the lime mortar-there’s a lot of old stone buildings around us with thick walls, all done with lime mortar and they’re still standing and cool in the summer so we figured it would be fine.”
“We cut and dried the wood in our polytunnel for around a year, and dipped each log in a borax solution before using. The mortar was easier, as we have a nearby supplier of lime mortar, which we mixed using your instructions for lime putty mortar. We used what they call an unhaired course mix and added a bit of argical as it’s pretty damp in Cornwall. We mixed it in a cement mixer a batch at a time and after a while learnt how much wall we could do per bucket of mortar.
It was really good to have a range of shapes and sizes for filling awkward gaps but I often wanted little triangular ones and wood does not split into 4 evenly. (We ended up with a nice lot of kindling!) I would advise anyone attempting a build with a partner to be sure they have a good relationship, as we had quite a few heated ‘discussions’ during the process (but were always ready to tackle it again the next day)!
We could only get green or clear bottles, so after cutting I painted the inside end with glass paint that is set by putting in an oven-a few didn’t take well, but the majority did and it’s nice to have some different colour in there.
Baz writes, “Another pic of the inside…using an old sanding disc, I used friction to “scorch” the wood to darken and bring out the richness in the grain and also to protect the cordwood...this part of the UK it’s very damp so charing the ends of posts etc without using chemicals is not uncommon. We will see how that turns out in years to come… for fun, under the window is “hidden” a sailing ship for our gran kids to find,on other walls there are a clown and a cat…skirting boards are nearly finished and the white double doors are going back to wood…it’s been fun and thanks for the positive feedback…ocean apart, but same ideas …happy builds, Matey’s…”
Should you wish to learn how to build a cordwood cottage, cabin or home, please visit www.cordwoodconstruction.org While you are there, click on the pictures, read the brief articles, check out the latest workshops and newsletter and if you are interested click on the Online Bookstore to see all the cordwood literature available in print and ebook format.If you have questions that aren’t answered on the website you can email me at richardflatau@gmail.com
Readers have requested a brief bio, so here goes:
Richard & Becky Flatau built their mortgage-free cordwood home in 1979 in Merrill, Wisconsin. Since then, they have written books, conducted workshops, facilitated the 2005, 2011 and 2015 Cordwood Conferences and provided consultation for cordwood builders. Cordwood Workshop DVD (2018), Cordwood Construction Best Practices (print 2017) and Cordwood Conference Papers 2015 are the newest publications available from their Online Cordwood Bookstore. The books & DVD are also available as ebooks for a quick and easy shipping free download. www.cordwoodconstruction.org
This is the Cordwood Workshop DVD will show you how to build a best practices cordwood home.
The 30 detailed menu items from the Cordwood Workshop DVD.
Thank you for your kind attention to Cordwood Construction. If you would like more information, please visit www.cordwoodconstruction.org
Or email richardflatau@gmail.com
Western Red Cedar in a 30 year old cordwood home in British Columbia. The mortar joints are approximately one inch and the cordwood has all been split into unique and interesting shapes. 
(Above) lots of well placed cordwood in a wall at Greg and Clare’s. 
Above is a fine example of various shapes embedded in a mortar matrix. 
Ned Thilo used a brick framework with a random display in the center. He also used an off center crescent moon motif to create a work of art.
As did Chelsea and Mark with their Alaskan sauna. 
Eric and Beth used rocks, bottles and a lightning bolt. 
Here deer antlers, bottles and marbles are used. 
Maranda is rightly proud of the work she (and others) did on the star wall at Kinstone.
A sauna in Poland benefited from a very large, undulating piece of log and a red earthen mortar.
Rounds and splits with 8 inch cordwood. 
Paying attention to and having many different sizes and shapes is incredibly helpful in creating your own piece of wall art. This process starts when you are splitting and stacking your wood for drying.
The cabin rests in the middle of 320 acres of hardwood and conifer forest. 
The interior shows off Don’s Brilliant Bottles invention (which light up at night) and its curved walls.
Plowing snow is easier with a straight line.
Octagon with a “square” back room. Rainless’ B and B in the Adirondacks.
Post framed, curved front with a rectangle on the back, a masonry heater and two stories high by Sebastien Demers. 
A 3D model with a round front and a rectangle on the backside by Sebastien Demers of Quebec.
This beautiful round cordwood guest cottage, by Bruce Kilgore and Nancy Dow has a post and beam framework hidden in the middle to support the roof. 
Note the pitchfork and saw embedded in the mortar.
Looking toward the lake. Nice view!
Folks attended from all over the country, but the majority were cheeseheads (aka Wisconsinites). 
Smiles, laughter and learning were the order of the day. 
As you can see, a good time was had by all.
The 12 sided cordwood chapel with thatched roof.
The Dragon’s Keep with living room. Most excellent photos are courtesy of Rick Swanson. 
An entrance center with a Star Wall. 
Looking to the every changing horizon.
The chapel has nature motifs from St. Francis of Assisi’s poem The Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon. The yellow orb is Brother Sun. 
The stone circle is the largest in the USA. Visit 
The reflecting pool gives one a chance to sit and refresh. 
The exterior is 12′ x 16′ and makes a nice footprint for a tiny cabin.
The straw-clay cottage sits on a pier foundation and has three coats of earthen plaster. It has honey bee motifs in the walls. 
The scales of the dragon in the Dragon’s Keep are apparent and the trapezoid window shows her wing.
The large dragon (there are 24 in all) shows off his green eye. 
The 10 point “shed” provides a nice coat hanger for weary travelers.
A roundwood, log cabin style roof for the second floor. 
A living roof needs a sturdy framework, proper waterproofing protection and good drainage. The rule of thumb with living roofs is to build them like a fine cabinet maker. 
The angle cuts for a round living roof can be complicated for a beginner.
A simple shed roof is very easy to build.
This roof is separate from the building structure.
Reciprocal roofs are beautiful, but do not provide adequate insulation in cold climates, but they sure do look good!
Peter Turkow’s childhood cordwood home. Known as “The House with the Hat.”
9. Door frames and window boxes attached and ready for cordwood infill.
![Leftover Log Ends [Cordwood]](https://cordwoodconstruction.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/bird-feeder.jpg?w=200&h=200&crop=1)
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