A cordwood wall is made of mortar (in this case a clay-based cob) and cord wood.
We began with a rock wall foundation to secure the cordwood and cob to it in order to avoid disintegration.
After cutting 6″ lengths of cordwood, we mixed the cob. Cob is made with clay, located on site, as well as water and straw. To help with the consistency we added saw dust, which proved to be an excellent source in helping with the application of the cob and eliminated having to dispose of it.
In application of the cob, Kara found using her dish gloves oppose to the large thick plastic gloves to be the best and the end result looked far better. Using just our hands was also effective but they became cold quickly!
To keep the wall straight we used a level and gussets, which are thin pieces of wood at only about an inch wide inset into the wall for strength. They measured the length of the cordwood wall and were inserted every few rows.
After rows and rows of cordwood and cob and we had reached a height of approximately 5 feet, the really fun part emerged!! The wall design! Collaborating ideas together a plan was made to do a zig-zag pattern and to have a window made from the old compression ring used to help set rafters for the reciprocal roof, it was a perfect fit for the window!
Different coloured bottles were set in-between the zig-zag to complement it and to be used for useful things such as your soap on a rope, loofah and towels.
Some beautiful blue bottles were put in upright and 2 growlers from The Publican Brewery in Peterborough. We felt it gave the wall a local feel. The final two rows were tapered up and a wave created sloping down towards the window to complete the wall! Presto!! A cordwood wall!