Labour intensive, time consuming, but very rewarding.
The log-ends for the outer layer were cut from old cedar hydro poles, cut to 7.5 inch lengths, and trimmed using a hand axe to remove the weathered outer layer.
All of the mortar for the outside stackwall was mixed by hand in a wheelbarrow. This was accomplished with the help of some good volunteers, including Clint's brother, Jeff pictured here hard at work.
One unexpected problem was the interest of woodpeckers in the log checks as shown at the right. We resolved this with some Perma-chink in the checks and around the logs. We also make sure the woodpeckers are well fed.
The mortar was a fairly conventional mix of masonry cement, sawdust, and sand from the building site.
Pipes were placed in the mortar to allow access for plumbing and electrical through the wall.
The base of the wall has a metal flashing that continues down outside the pad. The bottom 16 inches is wired and stuccoed as illustrated at lower left. This was done to prevent insect entry, as the pad is quite close to ground level.