First of all, I’m sharing this article because it is just so blissfully CLEAR. Oh, my God, I could visualize myself doing everything he talked about. It was a How-To-Writing miracle! I didn’t even realize how confused I was until he cleared it all up for me. NOW, I know what a rubble trench foundation is, and I want one for all of my small building needs!. You had me at Frank Lloyd Wright!

I’m sorry, this blathering is exclusively for people obsessed with “How to build your own house” type entertainment.

But also, I’m thinking cordwood for all of my home building needs. Why? Because I’ve got a bunch of trees perfect for the job, and even if I didn’t, there is so much wood everywhere there that it’s too much damn wood, honestly. It is just kindling as far as the eye can see. So I’d better try and build a damn house out of wood, even if I love the idea of cob, and rolling around in the mud and building in a feminine way.

Because, after all, the dream is to build it myself (or at least enough of it that I can claim it with a straight face).  And a logger, I will never be.

But I did just get an ax, and cordwood is much more manageable for my physique and resources. A cordwood structure uses up a lot more wood than log cabins do–which is actually good for my purposes because it’s a hard thing to describe to people who are wanting for trees, but those on the north coast know that…they can be fucking overwhelming. Like, an enormous wall of wood coming at you, that is just endless and ancient and towering and flammable and filled with animals and aaaaahhhhh!!!! I mean–it’s awe inspiring. But it is also “ahh!” inspiring.

And bonus: cob is an acceptable mortar. Best of all worlds.

I really do not want to come off as anti tree. I am very pro tree. In fact, part of my agony over building material is a reluctance to cut down a tree.

But I need to get over that reluctance. Because it’s gonna be cordwood walls and walkways and bathrooms and I will have RIPPLING back muscles from all of my chopping and slinging!

Or, I will throw out my back immediately.

Probably, ultimately, both.

Anyway, if you are a nerd this way, here is a how to article on cordwood building.

https://www.yourownarchitect.com/cordwood-construction-best-practices/

Also, I’m working on a blog about eviction court. It’s just a bigger one so it needs some time. Stay tuned!

Get your Bones