Cordwood construction - construction technology house of wood and clay

In the area where there are a large number of forests in different times in parallel originated technology facilities housing from pieces of wood, which are secured by various types of solution.In Canada, this technology is called cordwood, in Belarus and Ukraine cordwood construction, and in Russia - a pile.In fact, this technology is a solution to the brickwork or wood chocks Firewood.Their length depends on the thickness of the walls obtained.That is, cordwood construction - construction technology house of wood and clay.It is not strange, wood is very well preserved in a clay solution.In one of the villages in the US state of Wisconsin is still preserved house built by Polish immigrants still the 1880s on such technology.So, sections of trees, and this Canadian cedar, still look as fresh.

technologies What are the advantages of a house built on cordwood construction

technology Consider the advantages of this ecological technology of building houses:

• Low relative cost compared with other popular technologies: brickand brick house, log cabin.The price mainly depends on their own effort building owner and the availability of a suitable material in the vicinity.To obtain the necessary information, you can consult with those who have already erected in this technique or explore the articles and photos on the topic.Handwritten construction doubly cheaper all costs, but the work will be done.
• effective use of thermal energy.These homes are well kept warm in any cold, and in summer it is cool, no unwanted diurnal temperature jumps.
• Environmental cleanliness.The construction involves the use of natural materials that are procured independently in the surrounding area.This should be done after obtaining permission from the forest protection authorities, which allocate at Deleanu felling where minimal damage to nature will suffer.The use of different colored bottles of glass can add a decorative wall.
• The ease and simplicity of operation.For the construction of walls made of whole or chopped chocks do not need to have special skills or architectural talent.To cut construction elements quite basic carpentry skills.
• cordwood construction - it is such a technology that allows you to experience a quivering pride in creating your home or economic purpose of the building with their own hands.
• Fire.At an international conference on building with Cordwood technology - CoCoCo in 1994 we were given the experimental data on the measurement of the speed of the spread of fire in the walls of the house.So, according to them, the house built on the cordwood construction technology completely burned only three days after the fire.

Scientists have conducted historical research, but was unable to determine the exact dating of the origin of the technology.In the writings of David Square researcher has an article "poor architecture", in which he makes the assumption that it is not less than 1000 years.This conclusion he made on the basis of detection of the individual elements of this technology in Greece and Siberia, which exceeds the age of this number.

What are the disadvantages has Cordwood

technology has the technology and some disadvantages that are inherent, however, many atypical structures.

• lot of his time and labor expended in the construction of the ecological structure of the hands.The speed of construction depends on how much free time will have the owner.Saving money is obtained at the expense of your own time spent.
• House, built of chocks, it will be difficult to sell in places where never heard of such a technology.However, this is not a problem, if the structure is being built for their own use.

As you can see, the shortcomings are not so much, and you can get cozy and warm accommodation.

What materials are used for construction of Green Buildings of wood

As mentioned above for the construction of only the natural natural materials used in the home for cordwood construction technology:

• Any timber.Suitable even recently fallen trees or waste from sawmills.It is better if it is softwood.It contains resin, which impregnates the trunk, not allowing it to quickly rot.Where possible, use cedar, which has a pleasant aroma and excellent thermal conductivity performance.It they are no lower than the bricks.
• clay, sand, hay, sawdust.

Clay perfectly with wood, have similar water absorption and moisture same returns.This fact contributes to a truly unique microclimate.Solution prepared therefrom should be more pliable than the masonry.He must maintain a certain porosity to the wall to "breathe".

Recipes

solution There are several recipes that meet these requirements:

• Classic - 2 parts clay, 1 share of sand, 3-4share of chopped straw or reeds.
• on sawdust - 2 parts clay, 1 share of sand, 3 share of pre-soaked in water sawdust.
• Cement - 1 share of cement, 3 share of sand, 4-5 share of sawdust, chopped straw, dry reeds, wood chips.
• cement more rigid - 1 share of cement, 3 share of sand, 3-4 share of slag 0.5 proportion of hydrated lime.
• on the slag (only for the upper floors or the top of the walls) - 1, the proportion of cement, slag fractions 4-5, 0.5 proportion of hydrated lime.

In the end, each master for their own construction picks up the necessary proportions to your own recipe.The final solution must be slightly dryish, but able to keep in shape.

Another interesting option combinations of materials in solution - brickwork chocks on arbolit, which is prepared on the spot.It has excellent performance on load-carrying capacity and thermal conductivity.However, its resistance to rot, as well as exceptional load distribution properties make this material ideal for masonry cordwood construction.

Where fibers grow in the tree, and what does it

importance when laying the logs should remember about the rules hygroscopic properties of wood.Moisture in the cores moving in a downward direction.Therefore, in the walls of all lumps should be Komlev inside.Otherwise, the moisture from the street will be tightened in the house.

To determine the grain direction of growth, and hence the location of the butt end, you see where the knots are growing.According to the laws of nature, they are always directed upward, even eating, contrary to popular opinion.If the direction of the knot itself is not visible, then you need to look at the density of fibers over it and under it.From above they are always tighter.

can more reliably know where the tip and where the butt.To do this, chocks must be ordered at the sawmill.There they narezhut all the same length and just label each on the butt.In addition, it will ensure the absence of unfit chocks affected by decay or rotten.Remove the bark from them will be on their own.Just do not be at the same time to remove the fiber.For the home area of ​​70 m2, which has thick walls of 70 cm, will need 20 m3 of material for the walls.Of these, 15 m3 should be wood, ie logs or chocks.

to wood in lumps in the future not cracked, it is desirable to split the block of wood to large logs.In order to prevent shrinkage of the walls, well-dried logs.Well, if all the elements are made from a single wood.

construction sequence at home cordwood construction

technology for Green Buildings of the chocks it's best to build a strip foundation.It can be not only rectangular but also circular, because such houses are distinguished by their uniqueness.They often make a round or oval shape, which eliminates the need to build load-bearing structures in the corners because of their absence.The round shape is ideal, since it is the most stable and provides a better grip of the whole structure.Any special requirements for the device of the foundation does not exist.It is only necessary to make sure the horizontal surface waterproofing layer on the top surface thereof.

During the construction of a rectangular or square house structure required supporting framework for a bunch of corners.To establish that the corners of the timber joists or beam by them on the longitudinal sides of the spikes located in relation to each other in 90 degrees.The space between the support pillars filled walls.

For this layer superimposed on the base solution and the chocks thereon at a small distance from each other.Then, all the distances between the wood filled with a new portion of the solution.This layer is made just above the chocks and put a second layer preforms.The operation is repeated up until the wall is completely ready.Care should be taken so that the edge of the chocks 1 - 2 cm advocated the clay region.When masonry walls do not forget to install windows and doors.

When the wall is completely built, they must be easy to close the temporary roof of canvas or a durable film.This should be kept well ventilated walls themselves.Completely they dry out just six months later.For this reason, the construction of a better start in the spring, at the beginning of May.In cold regions the best solution to put the edge of the chocks, and between them creating a layer of sawdust or straw.

outer facade decoration

It is best to leave the Eco-house in such a way, as it turned out after the installation of the walls.The only thing you can do is to issue decorative ends sticking out of clay chocks.You can use stain, varnish, various facade paint and other materials.Samu clay can be inlaid with small stones or just whitewash.

If the natural appearance of the mud wall with protruding ends of the logs do not like the owner, then you can finish.To do this crate of thin strips on which line the walls of the plaster mixture.You can also arrange any ventilated façade, but then lost the natural beauty of the whole structure.

likely to decide to build a house man in his stead who considers himself an innovator, not afraid to implement in the life of the long-forgotten but effective construction technology.And nothing that many neighbors will find it eccentric.The main thing is that the house will be built on the consumer quality is no worse than traditional technologies.cordwood construction technology is spreading in Canada and the US, where in the first place in the building begin to emerge: originality, the natural beauty of wildlife and cost savings.If you look for information, on this topic can be found a lot of interesting information and projects.Most of them - is the garden houses.But there are home, set on a stone foundation with the walls of the chocks valuable trees.They cost millions of dollars.