June, 2012
Lasting Memories
Why Are Log Homes Better Than Conventional Construction? America’s State Parks Lemon-Lavender Pound Cakes Monthly Floor Plan: Custom Williams
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June, 2012
Cover Story: Lasting Memories Why Are Log Homes Better Than Conventional Construction?
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America’s State Parks
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Monthly Floor Plan: Custom Williams
Third Time’s A Charm Lodge Recipe: Lemon-Lavender Pound Cakes
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Lasting Memories Security, warmth, stability; these are just a few feelings and memories Rachel Meadows took away from a visit to her grandfather’s home-place as a small child. “I remember Daddy walking us through the log cabin he grew up in,” says Rachel. “I just remember seeing those big logs, and feeling safe and at home.” So began Rachel’s desire, passion really, of log homes. Of course, it wasn’t until later in life that her love of log cabins as a child would develop into a longing for one of her own. Desire would soon turn into reality when Rachel met Landon Meadows. When the couple met, Landon had already started construction of the log home the couple would soon share. Rather than comparing between competing log home www.honestabe.com
manufacturers, Landon was contrasting log homes and conventional “stick frame” houses, with which he was much more familiar. “Landon was before his time,” says Rachel. “He was most interested in strength and how easy it was going to be to heat and cool a log home, and that was in the mid 1980’s. The phrase or idea of energy efficiency wasn’t a trending issue then, but it was important to Landon.” After touring log homes built by
Honest Abe and speaking to their owners, Landon was convinced. He started construction of Honest Abe’s Raleigh floor plan, one still popular today. At the time, the company only offered one log profile, so their home is constructed of 6” x 10” chinked logs known as the Original Log System. He utilized a combination of Honest Abe’s construction June 2012 • Honest Abe Monthly • 3
services, and working on the home himself. Joe Isenberg built the home, and it’s worthy noting that Joe still builds Honest Abe Log Homes for the company today. Ricky Hatcher, who also operates a dry-in crew building for Honest Abe helped Landon with the finish work. Landon’s research also paid off. Rachel noted that prior to their log home, she lived in a conventional brick home of about the same size. Their log home has always been more energy efficient to heat and cool. It would be nearly 10 years later before Rachel would come to work for Honest Abe. Until then, she managed a production line at a local manufacturer. When the company left the area, Rachel took a job as the receptionist. “I already loved log homes”, says Rachel. “So coming to 4 • Honest Abe Monthly • June 2012
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work for Honest Abe was a blessing. I immediately fell in love with the people here.” As her knowledge grew of the products, Rachel earned an opportunity to start selling homes from the headquarters in Moss, Tennessee. It was a position she thrived in, and she became one of the companies top professionals, breaking records as she went. Now, she manages the sales locations in Tennessee and independent dealer sales in the southeastern United States. While Rachel loves her job at Honest Abe, her passion is for her family and her home. “We live in our home,” she commented. “It’s not huge or fancy, but it’s comfortable. It reminds me of my grandfather’s place.” Rachel says the kitchen is the center of the home to her. With two boys, now both www.honestabe.com
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married with children, she still has plenty of opportunity to cook and care for them. “We raised two boys in this house, and they were never able to kick a hole through one of my log walls.” she laughed. “Now the grand kids get to try.” “Even though I sell these homes, I really am impressed with how well ours has aged,” she noted. The home is nearing thirty years old, and on average it has only been stained once every ten years. “Landon always goes around the
house at least once per year to do light, seasonal upkeep. That makes a big difference, and it’s something we encourage our customers to do from the start.” The home was constructed on Landon’s family farm, and the stone on the fireplace was taken from local chimneys left standing from farm houses that were long gone. Front and back porches provide perfect outdoor living spaces, and a great place for the grand kids to run. The home was also built on a full basement,
where the boys bedrooms were located, along with a common area and kitchenette. A big smile stretched across Rachel’s face as she made her final comments, “Nearly thirty years later, people who walk in to my home for the first time are amazed. They go on and on about it, and they just feel comfortable. That makes me feel good, and I know I’m doing the right thing.” Article & Photography by: Joshua Beasley, Honest Abe Log Homes
Note: The Raleigh is a simple, but efficient and long-lived floor plan. Throughout the companies history, Honest Abe has designed literally hundreds of variants of this plan, Rachel and Landon’s included. While the standard plan (seen to the right) has three bedrooms, Landon designed the home to include stairs down to a finished basement. He eliminated one of the upstairs bedrooms, providing space for the stairs, enlarged bathrooms and more storage space. This kind of customizing is typical, and always included in the service provided by Honest Abe Log Homes.
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Why Are Log Homes Better Than Conventional Construction? 12 Advantages Log Homes Have Over Stick & Brick Construction
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t is unlikely that frequent readers of Honest Abe Monthly need to be convinced on the many advantages log homes have over their conventional counterparts. However, it never hurts to be reminded of specific points that might help reinforce the desire of living in a log or timber home. For those just gaining an interest and beginning research into log homes, this list compiled by the Log Homes Council may not be comprehensive, but it is a great introductory resource to the superiority of log homes over brick and other conventional construction. 1) Trees are Renewable Resource
Since trees are a renewable resource, log homes come with a solid green pedigree. When a home is made from solid logs, you are effectively taking the carbon contained in those logs out of environmental circulation over the entire life of the home. Moreover, some log home producers harvest standing dead timber or purchase logs from forests certified as sustainable. Some builders are constructing log homes to green building standards as well.
2) Long Lasting
Got a know-it-all in the neighborhood who thinks his brick home is durable? Inform him that log homes still in use in Europe routinely date back more than 800 years. And one log-constructed church in Russia is reportedly more than 1,700 years young.
3) Withstand Mother Nature’s Wrath
The log home industry has countless stories of these homes successfully weathering the worst weather Mother Nature can dish out, including the 2005 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. When Rita’s winds caused a giant oak tree to crash through the roof of Menlo Klingman and his wife Mickey’s 1,700 square foot log home in Eastern Texas, the home’s solid log walls withstood the weight of the toppled tree and prevented more damage “There is 8 • Honest Abe Monthly • June 2012
no doubt in my mind that this log home saved our lives,” says Mickey.
4) Fit the Land
Since this organic building material comes from nature, the resulting structures blend into the topography like a 10-point buck on opening day. Log homes naturally integrate right into the landscape, rather than being awkwardly imposed on it.
5) Fast Framing
If you choose to use a precut and pre-drilled log system or a handcrafted home, the shell of your home can be framed on site faster than conventional stick framing, which will reduce the likelihood of weather-related damages or mold and mildew issues. With the right crew and building system, it can be weather tight in as little as two weeks—for an average sized home. In conventional construction, your home is exposed to the elements for far longer, which could lead to mold issues within framing of the home, where it can thrive undetected for years.
6) Warmth of Wood
Warm to the touch (as opposed to the always chilly sheetrock), wood has something called “thermal mass,” a natural property in the logs that helps keep inside temperatures of homes comfortable in all seasons. This www.honestabe.com
allows log walls to collect and store energy, then radiate it back into the home.
7) Super Energy Efficient
Provided the home is sealed properly (between the foundation and the first course of logs, between log-tolog connections and where the roof system meets the log wall), you can have a super energy efficient home. Indeed, some builders routinely build log homes to meet the DOE’s “Energy Star” standards. This means it will be 30% more efficient than what building codes call for, saving you serious coin over the life of the home. “Today we can build a log home to be 15 to 20 percent more energy efficient than a conventional home,” says builder Mike Gingras, who has designed and built Energy Star-rated log homes for the past 18 years.
8) A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Hanging a picture in a home with drywall is a big ordeal, involving a stud finder, a hammer or drill and bruised fingers—maybe even a bruised ego, since your spouse may tell you to move the picture, requiring patch work. Homeowners report the simplicity of hanging a picture is one the simple joys of living in a log home.
9) Rustic Doesn’t Mean It Isn’t High Tech
While rugged is appealing, roughing it is definitely out. That’s why today’s log homeowners increasingly want a hideaway that’s connected, automated and secure. Many log homeowners are adding backup generators (in case of power outages), security system and a CAT 5 wiring system that can accommodate high speed video, voice and data, as well as a host of new communication technologies on the horizon. www.honestabe.com
10) The Eyes Have It
If you’re worried about mold, mildew or insect infestation, then a log home offers clear advantages since you’ll be able to see anything untoward, just by taking a stroll around your home and visually inspecting the logs. This quick detection leads to a less costly remedy. In contrast to a conventional home, the sealed wall cavities can be a hidden refuge for mold, mildew and insect infestation, which can cause far more damage before its detected.
11) Superior Craftsmanship
Conventional custom homes can have their fare share of beautiful carpentry, but this is typically limited to trim and millwork. In log homes, examples of fine craftsmanship are at every turn, in the handcrafted staircase with its branch-like spindles and balustrade, in the hand-scribed large timbers overhead in the cathedral ceiling, in the one-of-a-kind light fixtures.
12) Peace & Quiet
Log homes are often quieter than stick built homes, thanks to the same thermal mass that provides energy efficiency and the sound deadening affects of wood walls, according to a white paper produced by the National Association of Home Builders Log Homes Council. “The acoustical benefits of a log wall, therefore, are the reduced transmission provided by its solid mass and the sound deflection provided by the profile of the log (the angle, shape, and texture of the log surface),” the paper concludes. Credit: Adapted from the National Association of Home Builders: Log Home Council. http://loghomes.org/content/whyare-log-homes-better-conventional-construction
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idden treasure is spread across our great United States of America, just waiting to discovered. Are you ready for the hunt? We’re not searching for fine jewels, or the luster of gold. There’s no need for a shovel. All you’ll need is the adventurous spirit that drove our forefathers to explore the land, a little bit of gas money, and the America’s State Parks web site for reference. In addition to the many federal parks found in the United States, each state within the union has set aside their own territories for the enjoyment of all. These parks are often smaller, with less staff and funding than their federal counterparts. Yet, each seem to have a unique advantage in capturing and preserving their local environments, histories and cultures.
have ball fields, swimming pools, playgrounds, tennis courts, golf courses, and the like.
Some state parks are little more than nature preservations with hiking trails, while others offer first class lodging and dining. Activities vary greatly depending on the park. Log home enthusiasts tend to enjoy outdoor activities focused around nature. Camping, cabins and RV sites are common accommodations. Hiking, fishing, boating, horseback riding, biking and wildlife viewing are all common attractions. For the kids and those looking for a more athletic experience, state parks commonly
I’ve often though it would be a fun family project to visit each state park in Tennessee. One thing is for sure, if we start this adventure, the America’s State Parks site will be an invaluable resource. It lists contact information, activities, GPS coordinates, and a variety of other resources on each location. So, here’s the challenge to find your state’s hidden treasure! From my family to yours, “Safe travels!”
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Our home state of Tennessee has 53 parks, our close neighbors in Kentucky has 50 parks to choose from. Undoubtably, each parks has it’s own unique treasures hidden away, just waiting to be discovered again and again.
Article by: Joshua Beasley, Honest Abe Log Homes www.honestabe.com
Third Time’s a Charm!
Building a custom log home is often a journey. For some, it takes years of dreaming and research. Others know exactly what they want and charge ahead. Then some, like Clyde and Helen Williams, find an unconventional means to arrive at the log home they’ve always wanted. “After building our model home, one day there was a knock at the door and it was Clyde,” stated Maria Alderson of Arkansas Log Home Connection, an independent dealer of Honest Abe products. “Clyde had heard that we would show our home, and after a few minutes inside he asked what it would take to buy it, furniture, decorations and all.” Needless to say, the couples arrived at a deal, and it was the beginning of a lasting relationship. Clyde and Helen owned a couple of lots nearby, and decided to build a second log home. Clyde had previously dug a pond on one site in anticipation of building a home. While they loved the second log home, it lacked the lake view they really wanted. So what did they do? You guess it! The photos here, and the floor plan featured in our Plan of the Month article, represent their third Honest Abe Log Home. This was the first home to be built all on one level, which will accommodate the retired couple better www.honestabe.com
as they age. It also has an attached garage, set at an angle to better fit on the lot. The lot also allowed the couple to build a detached deck (seen to the left just behind them in the photo) which offers great views and is near the water line. Clyde and Helen owned a logging business for years, but sold it about five years ago and retired. Now, family is their focus. The extra homes allow them to accommodate their family easily. Plus, being on the lake, they rent the other properties out to vacationers, so they provide a source of income as well. This last home is similar to Honest Abe’s Creekside plan. It and their second home was built using the 6” x 12” D-Log system. We look forward to seeing this home completed, and sharing more with our readers in the future. Congratulations to Clyde and Helen! Article by: Joshua Beasley, Honest Abe Log Homes June 2012 • Honest Abe Monthly • 11
We hope you enjoy this recipe from the new Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook: A Treasury of Timeless Delicious Recipes. The cookbook can be ordered from the Lodge web site or from Amazon. For more information about Lodge and their cast iron cookware, visit: www.lodgemfg.com 12 • Honest Abe Monthly • June 2012
“The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook: A Treasury of Timeless, Delicious Recipes” - Oxmoor House. 2012 www.honestabe.com
Lemon-Lavender Pound Cakes makes 7 individual pound cakes 2 lemons 1 1/2 cups sugar, preferably superfine 1 1/2 cups cake flour (whisk it first before measuring to “sift” it) 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dried lavender buds
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temp 3 large eggs 1/2 cups sour cream (regular, not light) at room temp 1 teaspoon lemon extract (not lemon oil) Lavender sprigs for garnish
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a Lodge Drop Biscuit Pan by coating it with cooking spray and lightly flouring it. 2. Zest the lemons and place zest in a large bowl with the sugar. Juice the lemons into a liquid measuring cup. 3. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and lavender buds in a medium bowl. 4. Add the butter to the sugar. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream them together, making sure to scrape down the bowl so that it is fully combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add the dry ingredients all at once, beating until well blended. 5. Divide the batter between the wells of the prepared biscuit pan and bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center of each comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pan on a wire rack until you are ready to serve. Garnish with lavender, if you like.
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FLOOR PLAN OF THE MONTH: Custom Williams
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odest plans with open layouts have become increasingly popular. The addition of an attached garage, makes this floor plan even more attractive to today’s home buyer. The home’s living space and 14 • Honest Abe Monthly • June 2012
kitchen are open with access to the front and back porch. The plan has two bedroom and three bathrooms, which is a little unusual to typical design. However, the third bathroom doubles as a utility area and mud room. With Honest Abe’s custom
design service, the space could be arranged to serve any number of purposes. One thing is for sure, despite its modest size, this plan sports an abundance of storage space, due to the way in which the www.honestabe.com
FLOOR PLAN:
Honest Abe’s Customer Creations: Custom Williams Square Feet: 1,352 Garage: 750 Square Feet Floors: 1 Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 3
conventional garage attaches to the home. While the garage is framed, it is wrapped in log siding to match the log walls of the home. For more information on the Custom Williams, download the PDF available through the members area of Honest Abe Extra! www.honestabe.com
Want More Great Plans?
Check out the floor plans section dedicated to log and timber home plans created by Honest Abe Log Home customers! June 2012 • Honest Abe Monthly • 15