March-April 2015
Protecting Forever Build a Bumble Bee Catcher
Planning a Kitchen Following a Log Home Building Project on Facebook
Hand Hewn Logs
Our People March-April 2015
In this issue... Brenda Meadows is the first person most people talk to or meet at Honest Abe. With 15 years experience as office manager, she is vital to customer satisfaction and makes the staff’s jobs easier.
Guardian Angels, p. 4 Kiln Drying Advantages, p. 7 Following on Facebook, p. 8 Hand Hewn Logs, p. 9 Design Details – Kitchens, p. 10 Log Raising, p. 11 Cooking with Lodge, p. 12 Bumble Bee Catchers, p. 13 Honest Abe Living editing, design and layout by Claudia Johnson
Thomas Dulworth, who manages the Log Pre-Cut and Notching line and is a TP Certified Grader, was recognized in February for 30 years of service with Honest Abe .
Connect with Honest Abe Facebook – Like us on our Facebook fan page and join the growing community. Pinterest – Make your board more beautiful by pinning Honest Abe pictures.
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Twitter – Articles, resources, photo galleries and log home news, all shared here first.
Josh Watson has spent 10 years with Honest Abe, and for eight years, he’s managed construction and operations. Josh’s hardworking crews are in demand by Honest Abe customers. HonestAbe.com
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YouTube – Watch and learn about log and timber frame homes on our YouTube station. LinkedIn – Follow company and log home industry news on our LinkedIn company profile page. 2
Find Honest Abe Living articles, stunning photography and more information at the Honest Abe Log Homes blog and news room. www.honestabe.com/blog Honest Abe Living March-April 2015
From the President’s Desk
by Josh Beasley, President, Honest Abe Log Homes It’s an extremely rare occasion that someone walks up to me and says, “We just decided that we want a log home, so we thought we would check into it.” No, our clients have been “all in” for years. They’ve experienced log home living through vacations, dreamed what their home should look like, and they have planned and worked toward making it a reality. Unfortunately, many get stuck in the process. Let’s face it – building a custom home isn’t the easiest venture. There are easier alternatives, but they’re also less rewarding! It takes a certain drive, grit and hustle for most people to see it through. That’s part of why the log home lifestyle is so special! In this issue of Honest Abe Living, you’ll read about someone who overcame huge obstacles to get the forever home she had always wanted. I’ll let her tell you the full story, but even after moving into her dream home, her challenges had just started. As major health issues impacted her ability to earn a living, maintaining her home became difficult. Maintenance exists with any home whether it is a mobile home, brick or vinyl. If you name it, it has
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required maintenance. With any wood home, maintaining the exterior finish is a key element. It doesn’t have to be costly, but once ignored, issues can compound. Fortunately for her, her forever home is a log home. The log home community is passionate about what we do, and she soon found some incredible people and companies who helped see her through difficult times. Let me be very transparent. Publishing this kind of story feels risky. It exposes the “what ifs,” but those scenarios we imagine are what prevent us from doing great things. I personally feel it’s better viewed as a testimony to the will and endurance of our customers. The story brings to light the passion that exists for the log and timber home lifestyle. It’s bold, real and empowering. If she can do it, anyone can. It highlights people that were willing to rally around someone in need to preserve a dream and to keep hope alive. It is my hope that you hear that in her story, and we’re very thankful that her own story and hope continues.
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Honest Abe Living March-April 2015
Guardian Angels Protect Survivor’s Forever Home
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By Becky Hofstetter Honest Abe Homeowner Photography by Dianne Woolfolk
Honest Abe Living March-April 2015
My childhood fantasy was a log home with a blue tin roof and land for gardens, dogs and wildlife. Decades later that dream came true after finding the land, log company, financing, and beginning construction with no prior knowledge of log homes. However, this was to be my forever home, so I believed it was worth it. Now, 15 years later, I was right! I love my home, which has become a local landmark (“When you pass the log home with the blue tin roof, you’re almost there!”). I have flower and vegetable gardens, two dogs, a cat and feed all wildlife. Moreover, it represents a lot of “sweat equity” with friends helping daily. We did cleanup, installed insulation, doors and shelving, painted inside walls, completed outside landscaping. They called it the “Work Pete Malkmus Farm” and showed up for work every day (I have great friends). As a single parent and teacher, I realized my dream on a budget. I read publications, combed the internet, traveled to log companies and even knocked on doors, meeting owners who graciously answered questions and let me tour their log homes. I never met an owner not in love with their home. Initially, I bought a couple of acres south of Nashville, paid it off two years later, then searched the country for a log company. I selected Honest Abe Log Homes. They were a local, Christian-based company with beautiful, quality homes. Their construction crew, who put up the logs and framed the house, were topnotch. I learned a lot about log homes in the Rear view of house and garage before building process, even more since then. preservation work A large part of that maintenance is re-staining the logs, vital to preserving not only the look but also the health of the walls (for those who are unfamiliar, the logs are both the outer and inner walls of the house frame). About five years after moving in, I was still living on a teacher’s budget, so the Work Farm revived, and we stained the entire house. It took all summer, and I decided I was too old, too tired and too inexperienced for that job. So, I let it slide past time for the next re-staining. It didn’t help any that I retired five years ago and in less than two years was diagnosed with a rare and deadly form of cancer. For the last three years, I have been fighting peritoneal cancer, which has changed my life in many ways. Nevertheless, I have been blessed every day, in so many ways. I have a wonderful doctor and staff, a close family, a caring church and an incredible support group (great friends, remember). I’m grateful for all they’ve done for me. Every day is a victory! However, between retirement (fixed income) and (more) medical bills, I really watch the budget. Yet, the house is 15 years old and, like me, showing its age. I’m concerned because I love my home, and it’s my son’s only inheritance. Several things around the house have fallen into disrepair Back deck during resealing over the last three years. It deeply saddened me to see the visible signs of a need for cleaning, repairing and re-staining. Knowing I couldn’t manage it myself but making it the top priority, I searched for a company to do the job. Turns out, there are many of those. I contacted the most promising for an estimate, but was crushed to find it was over my (strained) budget. So, I sent a “thanks-but-nothanks letter” to these companies and relied on prayer to protect my home. HonestAbe.com
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Honest Abe Living March-April 2015
Then, Pete Malkmus, owner of Mountain Top Log Home Care and Restoration in Knoxville, contacted me in March 2014 stating he would re-stain my home free of I have never known such charge – and he would be praying for my health. This started a process completed by the end of the year with Pete and his crew traveling more than three hours each a combination of expertise and Christian care in an way to work on my home every chance they got. entire crew in any profession. They were meticulous in - Becky Hofstetter treating my home, in caring for me (one of them presented me with an antique desk as a parting gift), in witnessing to the power of prayer and in the decency and generosity of people (Pete stays in touch and is still praying). They rocked my world! God is good. Pete contacted Tony Huddleston, VP of Perma-Chink Systems, and his company donated the media blasting materials, stains and caulking. Also, United Rentals donated the compressor. The miracles continued! As you can see from the pictures, my home looks great now. Even better, I know it is protected for years to come. And, best of all, I have new friends who share my love of log homes, the Lord and a strong work ethic and pride in a job well done. I am truly blessed.
Rear view of house and garage after preservation work Back deck after resealing
Front of home and garage after restoration and resealing
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Guardian Angel Crew
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Honest Abe Living March-April Honest Abe Living March-April
Kiln Drying Creates Most Stable Log and Timber Home Products At Honest Abe Log Homes we’re often asked why Collins pointed out that the heat from kiln drying we kiln dry the logs and timbers used in every log destroys fungi that cause wood decay, as well as any home, log cabin or timber frame house we insects and their eggs or larvae. manufacture. “It is comforting to know that the houses we Bobby Collins, plant manager at Honest Abe’s construct with Honest Abe’s materials have been kiln manufacturing facility in Moss, dried so there is no Tenn., explained that kilnworry about insects,” Learn More About dried logs are “pre-shrunk” said Joe Isenburg, a Kiln Drying at before milling to a final log home builder www.HonestAbe.com profile to create a uniform and who has erected stable log wall system with dozens of Honest Abe less settling and tighter joints. homes across three decades. “The logs have less “Years of experience has checking (cracking), they take a finish better and taught us how to create a overall, our customer has a more stable and durable building method to account home.” for minor changes in the Because the pitch in the wood is crystallized during Bobby Collins wood,” Collins said. “In fact, kiln drying, the “sap” is prevented from seeping to the throughout much of the surface after the home is constructed. United States, Honest Abe’s log wall system will qualify “Interior and exterior finishes can be applied as a “non-settling” system.” immediately following construction for more Honest Abe uses large, variable temperature kilns convenient and immediate protection,” Collins said. to dry hundreds of logs at a time. “Once stacked inside “Applications will absorb deeper and last longer.” the kiln, the logs remain there for approximately three Collins said that tours of the Honest Abe to five weeks,” Collins said. “During this time, the manufacturing plant, including the dry kilns, are temperature inside the kiln is slowly raised to around p rov i d e d u p o n p re a r ra n g e m e n t by c a l l i n g 170 degrees as computer-controlled fans and moisture 800-231-3695. meters dry and monitor the logs.” Through partnerships with The benefit of kiln drying is apparent during our wood-related sister manufacturing, shipping and constructing a new companies, hardwood log home. sawdust is used (rather than costly natural gas or “It’s estimated that 10,000 pounds of water are electricity) to produce the removed from the typical home, significantly heat needed for the kilnreducing the weight of the logs,” Collins said. “Two drying process, ensuring little or no waste. people can handle even the longest logs during the construction process.” Collins said that every piece of kiln-dried wood is stored under roof until is it milled into a custom home. “After kiln-drying the logs, trained inspectors can grade out defective logs,” Collins said. “Logs Kiln-dried wood is stored covered until selected for use in a home package are TPI grade it becomes part of an Honest Abe home stamped.” HonestAbe.com
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Honest Abe Living March-April 2015
Henson Homestead By Claudia Johnson Honest Abe customers Bill and Tracy Henson are sharing the journey of building their forever home on the Tennessee Cumberland Plateau with a Facebook page called “Henson Homestead.” They first posted in October 2013 when the foothills of the Cumberland Mountains near Jamestown, Tenn., were brilliant with autumn color. Their friends and family followed along as they finalized house plans with Honest Abe designers, signed contracts, saw their home manufactured, took delivery of their log package and began construction. They had already watched as land was developed, a basement dug and poured and a mailbox set by the new drive. Temperatures have risen and fallen (really fallen!), but the home is emerging from the forest and their imaginations. The Hensons are seen in their most recent posts (right) standing proudly in a doorway that will welcome friends and by a window where they’ll watch the seasons change. They have invited Honest Abe’s Facebook followers to be part of their family as Henson Homestead develops. “Like” the Hensons and Honest Abe Log Homes at www.facebook.com/honestabeloghomes.
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The Hensons’ logs were milled at Moss, Tenn., at H o n e s t A b e’s p l a n t (above), then packaged (left) for delivery to the job site in Fentress County, Tenn.
Honest Abe Living March-April 2015
The Art of Hand Hewing Hand hewn logs add richness to a home. These logs evoke a feeling of the past by capturing a skill that was necessary for early settlers and is now an art. Honest Abe Log Homes offers customers the option of real hand-hewn logs, and a real person – not a machine – performs the labor intensive, yet artful job of hewing the wood. Jeff Hume is that person and has been for almost 20 years. Customers frequently ask Jeff to sign his work, and the finished timbers become centerpieces of their dream houses. Jeff uses a vintage adze, an ax-like tool for dressing timbers roughly, with a curved chisel-like steel head mounted at a right angle to the handle. For nearly 20 years, Jeff has been using the same large timber to elevate the log on which he currently works. Visitors to the Honest Abe manufacturing plant and attendees of the quarterly Log Home Raisings often ask to purchase the seasoned timber, but Jeff refuses to part with it. He says the timber is the perfect height and length to aide him in the backbreaking task of hewing. Regardless of the physical intensity of hand hewing, Jeff takes pride in his results. Many machine-molded logs attempt to replicate a hand hewn look, but the machine actually creates a repeating pattern that is easily discernible as manufactured, not hand created. This authenticity and attention to detail sets Honest Abe’s hand-hewn timbers apart. Honest Abe’s designers can incorporate one hand hewn log into a design or create an entire plan to showcase multiple hand hewn components. They’ve even designed homes with full exterior hand hewn logs that could have easily fooled a traveler from the past.
Inspiring Home Plans and Guide
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Read FREE online or download to keep as a ..pdf the Honest Abe Log Homes Inspiring Homes Product and Planning Guide, a 52-page publication that features information specific to our products, company history, manufacturing process, green practices, building systems, log homes, cabins and timber frame homes, package contents, design options and more. This publication is filled with photos. It inspires home design ideas and is the companion piece to our 52-page Honest Abe Floor Plan Catalogue that includes our traditional, standard plans as well as selected custom plans, all created by Honest Abe’s design team. Online: http://issuu.com/honestabeloghomes/docs/honest-abe-log-home-floor-plan-catalog Online: www.honestabeloghomes.com/inspiring-home-guide
If you want printed copies mailed to you, get both for $10.
Call 800-231-3695 HonestAbe.com
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Honest Abe Living March-April 2015
Considerations in Log Home Kitchen Design Designing a kitchen for a log home or timber frame home requires the same considerations as with a conventional home – lifestyle of the owners, budget, family size and available space. One important decision is how to provide adequate lighting in addition to the natural lighting provided by windows. I suggest a pendulum light over an island/work space, which would provide lighting without shadows. Additionally, undercabinet lighting could be beneficial. When there’s enough room, most people request an island. It offers work space and the chance to stay more connected with guests. The point in the design process when the basic layout of the kitchen is decided upon is a good time to get the general contractor and cabinetmaker involved. The specifics can then be considered. There’s usually a decision to be made about whether to put the stovetop or sink in the island. It really comes down to customer preference and how the choice relates to the rest of the kitchen layout. Electrical and plumbing requirements should be considered, and a range hood might be necessary unless a stove with a down draft is employed. Since most of the log homes we design have an open floor plan, hardwood is usually opted for as floor covering. It provides warmth and visual appeal and will create a look that will never go out of style. Porcelain tile is probably the toughest floor covering and is low maintenance. Make sure you choose a tile that is slip-resistant. Cork is eco-friendly and provides a softer floor that is slip resistant, but will have to be re-sealed every three to four years. We are often asked if steam from cooking endangers the wood walls. Of course the log walls do need to be sealed. A good finish on the log walls should protect them from moisture while allowing them to still breathe. At Honest Abe we have experience in designing ADA homes. When designing an ADA kitchen certain criteria must be met. Turn around room and clear floor space allowances for wheelchairs and mounting height for cabinets, as well as counter top and sink heights should be considered. Other modifications could include softened edges on cabinets and counters to reduce the chance of injury, pullout doors attached to shelves for pots and pans, holders for recycling and garbage bins and racks for canning and dry goods. Just like in any kitchen, saving space in a log To watch a free webinar home kitchen is very important. Some customers hosted by Timber Home build cabinets to the ceiling to best utilize vertical Living Editor Sara Brown space. We’re also seeing more tray pullouts in and sponsored by Honest narrow spaces and customized drawers with Abe visit http://bit.ly/ inserts to hold silverware and cutlery. 1EDU6e5. Let us help you design the perfect kitchen for your taste and specific needs. Melissa Copas has been a designer with Honest Abe for more than 17 years and has helped thousands of homeowners create their forever home. Visit the Honest Abe Log Home Blog at www.honestabe.com for Melissa’s monthly columns. HonestAbe.com
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Honest Abe Living March-April 2015
Honest Abe Log Homes invites the public to visit its National Headquarters in Moss, Tenn., on Saturday, June 20, 2015, beginning at 9 a.m. to attend a Log Raising and Manufacturing Tour. Watch as members of the company build a small structure, showing and describing the process of building an Honest Abe Log Home. Log Raising attendees will spend time with drafting professionals, manufacturing staff and new home consultants as they learn about how log cabins and timber frame homes are designed and created. Families are welcome. A complimentary lunch will be served at noon, and afterwards a tour of the manufacturing facilities will be conducted. The event is held in a climate controlled building on the Honest Abe Log Homes National Headquarters manufacturing complex on U.S. Hwy. 52, 10 miles west of Celina and approximately 25 miles east of Lafayette in the community of Moss, Tenn. Moss is located in the Tennessee Upper Cumberland, one of Tennessee’s most beautiful and affordable vacation destinations. Guests are encouraged to attend the log raising and enjoy a weekend in the region. Within comfortable driving distance of Honest Abe’s facility there are numerous overnight accommodations – bed and breakfast homes, historic inns, state parks with lodging, marinas, houseboats and traditional motels from rustic to small town to micropolitan settings. The area is famous for its waterfalls, recreational lakes, driving trails, historic places, wineries and musical venues and festivals. Extensive information is available from the Upper Cumberland Tourism Association, either by visiting their website here or by calling 931-537-6347 to discuss an itinerary and receive information by mail. Additionally, Honest Abe has negotiated special rates with area lodging for Log Raising attendees. Get detailed information at http://www.honestabe.com/event/log-raising-and-mill-tour/ where reservations are also made for the limited-seating event.
Come to a Log Raising
Finding Your Forever Home
Upcoming Events Log & Timber Frame Show & University, Harrisburg, Penn. April 24 - April 26 Honest Abe Log Raising & Mill Tour, Moss, Tenn. June 20 @ 9 a.m.-12 p.m. July – Honest Abe Celebrates National Log Cabin Month – Visit Our Models & Dealers. www.honestabe.com/events. Honest Abe Log Raising and Mill Tour, Moss, Tenn. Sept. 19 @ 9 a.m. -12 p.m.
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The Basics of Planning and Building a Wood Home Webinar, May 19, 7 p.m. CDT
FREE
The possibilities for building your forever home from scratch are endless, but where do you start? Hosted by Honest Abe Log Homes Vice President Jeff Clements, a veteran industry professional and log home owner, this free webinar will help you learn about the crucial steps toward planning, designing, financing and building your dream log home, timber frame or log cabin. Jeff will discuss • Considerations in selecting a building location • Design, wish list and blueprint considerations • Establishing goals and timeline • Customized budget & finance plans • Selecting a log home manufacturer • Choosing a contractor
Register (no charge) here:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8585395074060369666
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Honest Abe Living March-April
Chicken and Mushroom Stew with Wild Rice 3 T. extra virgin olive oil 1 (2-oz. slice country ham or 2 slices bacon, finely chopped 6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2” pieces Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 c. button mushrooms, quartered 1/4 c. white wine vinegar 1 carrot, finely chopped 1 medium onion, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 bay leaf 3 T. salted butter 1/4 c. all-purpose flour 1 c. whole or skim milk 2 1/2 c. chicken broth 1/2 t. freshly grated nutmeg 1/2 t. dry mustard 1 (4-oz.) box wild rice, cooked according to package directions 2 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1. Preheat the oven to 325°. 2. Heat 1 T. of the oil in a 5-quart cast iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ham and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. 3. Add 1 T. oil to the pot. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Working in 2 batches, sear the chicken until browned on both sides, about 6 minutes for each batch. Transfer the chicken to the plate with the ham. 4. Add the remaining 1 T. oil and the mushrooms to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until just soft, about 4 minutes. Transfer to the plate with the chicken and ham. Add the vinegar to deglaze and cook until reduced by half, loosening any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Stir in the carrot, onion, garlic and bay leaf and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and return the ham, chicken, mushrooms, and any juices accumulated on the plate to the pot. 5. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over mediumlow heat until bubbling. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and cook, whisking often, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 4 minutes. Whisk in the broth, nutmeg, and mustard and cook until the sauce thickens again. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 6. Pour the gravy over the chicken mixture. Stir to combine. Cover the Dutch oven and bake until the chicken is very tender, about 45 minutes. Serve the stew ladled over the rice and sprinkled with the parsley.
With 200 recipes curated from Lodge's network of chefs and cast-iron cookware fans from around the country, Cast Iron Nation boasts a diverse array of recipes, stories and spectacular photography. Get it at www.lodgemfg.com.
Serves 6
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Honest Abe Living March-April 2015
Gettin’ Crafty With the Smiths Carpenter bees are a threat to wood, whether its a log or conventional home, a porch, wooden furniture, architectural details, etc. Two of Honest Abe’s owners, Shane Smith and Nick Patterson, got together with Crossville Honest Abe Model Home Sales Representative Dallas Powers recently to learn how simple yet effective carpenter bee catchers are constructed. Here are Dallas’s instructions for making the handy bee traps.
Making a Carpenter Bee Trap Step 1: Use 3/4" thick (pine) need 2 pieces 5" wide x 6" long and 2 pieces 3 1/2" wide by 6" long and one piece 6" square and one piece 3 1/2" square. Step 2: Drill a 2" hole thru the 3 1/2" piece. Step 3: Take a 2-liter water bottle and cut about 2 1/2" off the nozzle end. Put the nozzle end thru the 2" hole. Mark on top side with a m a r k e r. C u t 8 e q u a l l y spaced slots from the end to the mark.
Step 4: Put the nozzle end back into 2" hole and use a stapler to attach each tab by bending over the side.
Step 5: On the nozzle end of this piece attach a pint jar canning lid ring to the piece using screws or nails. Set aside until the body is built.
Shane Smith, Dallas Powers and Nick Patterson have completed their carpenter bee traps, which are ready to hang in areas near any type of wood structure or furniture were carpenter bees are a threat. HonestAbe.com
Step 6: Take the 5" pieces and the 3 1/2" pieces and nail together making a square box. Step 7: Drill a 1/2" hole about 1" from top on all 4 sides at an upward angle about 20 degrees. Step 8: Attach the bottom into the box (canning ring on the bottom). Step 9: Attach the top centered over the opening; install an eye screw in center. Step 10: Screw a pint jar onto ring. 13
Honest Abe Living March-April 2015
Forever looks better from here
800-231-3695 Manufacturers of custom designed
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forever homes since 1979.