Complete Book Of Cordwood Masonry Housebuilding: The Earthwood Method [Paperback]

Rob Roy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 30, 1992

Build a low-cost, energy-efficient home! Rob Roy, cordwood's most famous builder, with the help of nearly 300 photos and how-to illustrations with easy-to-follow directions, shows how and how not to build your very own stunning log-end home. Full-color photos throughout. 264 pages (8 in color), 290 b/w illus., 8 x 10.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Sterling Publishing Co. (June 30, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806985909
• ISBN-13: 978-0806985909
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #793,666 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rob Roy knows what it means to live
mortgage free. As director of Earthwood
Building School since 1981, he has
instructed many in the arts of natural
building, and renewable energy. He is
also the author of Earth-Sheltered Houses,
Cordwood Building, Timber Framing for
the Rest of Us, The Sauna, and Stone
Circles. Rob and his family live in West
Chazy, New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

70 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book on an alternative home building method., June 13, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Complete Book Of Cordwood Masonry Housebuilding: The Earthwood Method (Paperback)

This is an excellent book on the construction of a house using cordwood (firewood) "bricks". If you have the inclination and minor construction skills to seriously considering self-constructing a unique house or structure, you should look at this book. Lots of pictures and examples of houses constructed by students of the author and others, a candid walkthrough of the evolution of the author's house, and (best of all) a step-by-step illustrated guide to the construction of a cordwood house. On the down side, two minor points: 1) The book does not have sufficent engineering details on load calculations for my county building inspectors; You will need "official" building plans to meet code; and 2) The book is dated with respect to mortar additives; Several are available now which retard moisture loss and retain elasticity. Minor points.

The most amazing part of this construction is the asthetic beauty of the houses. If you're picturing a pile of firewood slathered in cement and a pole roof with room for just one cot, the Colman, and the dog, outhouse close by, think again. These houses are as sophisticated as you care to make them with a unique, personnal "fingerprint" to each one.

This is an excellent read, extremely informative, and you can successfully build your house using this book.

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very practical manual for owner builders, February 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Complete Book Of Cordwood Masonry Housebuilding: The Earthwood Method (Paperback)

Rob and Jaki Roy have done a nice job of organizing their cordwood manual into useful chapters for the differnet stages of owner built cordwood house construction. The included photos of other cordwood houses was both exciting and informative. The best part of the book is how they tell you what products and methods they recommend highly, those they don't, and those others have tried. A must have practical manual for anyone considering building their own cordwood house!

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The final word on this building method, January 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Complete Book Of Cordwood Masonry Housebuilding: The Earthwood Method (Paperback)

This book is a great read on an excellent method of alternative house building.The author has written a series of books on cordwood construction and in doing so has arived at what could be called the final word on this method.The book is well laid out and illustrated but watch out for important tidbits of info. that are sometimes buried in the text . When read cover to cover , the reader gains both valuable information and confidence and I highly reccomend this one to owner/builders everywhere.