This Wall Costs $500 and Heats for FREE Forever. Why Is It Missing From Every Building Code

Knights Templar on April 24, 2026 76 views

A wall built from firewood has kept Wisconsin families warm for 140 years, and the organization that writes your building code has never once examined it. Cordwood masonry, also called stackwall construction, delivers R-22 to R-25 insulation while simultaneously storing and releasing heat like stone, cutting heating bills by 50 to 70 percent compared to conventional framed homes. The University of Manitoba confirmed these thermal properties in formal testing, research that has never been cited in a single ICC code update proceeding. The International Code Council, funded by corporations including Owens Corning, the Portland Cement Association, and the American Wood Council, representing over $40 billion in annual revenue, has never evaluated cordwood, not because it failed, but because no corporation manufactures it. Rob Roy spent 35 years at the Earthwood Building School teaching over a thousand students to build cordwood homes while submitting evidence to code bodies that never responded. In 2021 cob received code recognition, in 2024 hempcrete did, cordwood, with 130 years of standing proof, received nothing. However, 44 states have owner-builder exemptions that allow you to build your own primary residence without meeting the full IRC, the same pathway hundreds of cordwood homes across Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and New York were built under. The material costs $2,000 to $6,000 for a full home's walls, compared to $30,000 to $50,000 for conventional framing.

⚠️ DISCLAIMER: This video is for educational and documentary purposes only. Cordwood masonry construction legality and permitting requirements vary by jurisdiction. Always check your local building codes and obtain proper permits before attempting any alternative construction method. Consult a licensed structural engineer before beginning any building project. The creator takes no responsibility for any damages, structural failures, or code violations resulting from the application of techniques discussed in this video.

ℹ️ All claims in this video are based on University of Manitoba thermal testing data, Earthwood Building School published research, and publicly available ICC code records. Viewers are encouraged to verify sources independently.

📚 SOURCES & REFERENCES

1. Cordwood Masonry Thermal Performance — University of Manitoba

https://umanitoba.ca/

2. Earthwood Building School — Rob Roy's Cordwood Research

https://www.cordwoodmasonry.com/

3. International Code Council (ICC) Code Development & Funding

https://www.iccsafe.org/

4. Owens Corning Insulation Industry Data

https://www.owenscorning.com/

5. Portland Cement Association — Building Standards Influence

https://www.cement.org/

6. American Wood Council — Code Participation