Honest Abe Monthly
“It’s What You’ve Always Wanted” www.honestabe.com
April 2011
April 2011
Patience, Preparation, Planning: Carlisles realize dream home Who doesn’t dream about a luxurious log home down by the lake? The answer is almost nobody, but few are able to make that dream become a reality. It took almost three decades for it to happen, but through patience, preparation and precise planning, Robert and Diana Carlisle were able to realize their dream. The result is a 2,900 squarefoot home good enough to be featured in “Country’s Best Log Homes” (CBLH) magazine, brought about by Honest Abe Log Homes through independent dealer Robert Sims of Log Woodcrafts, located just across the state border in Cleveland, Missouri. “I met the Carlisles five years before they built, when they visited another home under construction,” said Sims. “They had checked out other companies but found that the Honest Abe package included higher quality, a best price guarantee and an experienced dealer/ builder. “They started blueprints years before they planned to build, and found that their patience allowed them to build a perfect home that was highly energy-efficient,” Sims said. The Carlisles’ patience and plan-
ning in building their home is a case study. The newlyweds inherited 80 acres from Robert’s parents way back in 1976, and knew they would someday have a home on part of it. There was no lake on the land then, but 14 years later, the Carlisles took care of that. They built a three-acre lake as the first step of bringing their dream home to reality. A couple of years later, they planted fruit trees, and lined what would later be their driveway with maples. The groundwork (literally) was laid for their home, but it was still about 15 years before ground was broken and Sims and Honest Abe became a major player in the project. True to their nature, the interim was not wasted: “They
collected materials to furnish and decorate the home before it was ever built,” Sims recalls. The preparation and forethought didn’t end there. “Cedar trees
over a foot in diameter were harvested years in advance to be stripped and cured before being used as support post for the ridge beam in the ceiling, and as posts for the rail system,” Sims said. Robert, as part of the 2,000 hours the couple personally spent on the home, cut the trees from the property and hand-hewed them at the job site, he told the CBLH. After meeting with Sims, a very experienced log home builder, the Carlisles broke ground in 2007. All the dreaming, preparation, and planning for the home had encompassed three decades, but construction was much quicker. Work started in the spring, and the couple moved into their home in the fall. Great views The Carlisles chose Honest Abe’s
Honest Abe Monthly 8x8 (custom-milled) round log for their two-story home, complete with three dormers in the front, porches front and back, a finished basement, and a two-car garage. It is a feast for the eyes inside and out, and has views of the treelined lake from all three levels. A small dock on the lake is literally just a few dozen steps away from the back door. The inside decor has a definite
April 2011 Western feel, with a vast collection of wood and wrought-iron pieces carefully collected by the Carlisles during their “waiting period.” “The home was definitely built around what we had rather than the other way around,” Robert told CBLH in the 8-page feature story. The living room is quite stunning, with a high, vaulted ceiling, dominated by a fireplace and antler chandelier.
“It’s What You’ve Always Wanted” www.honestabe.com
Not only is the home a visual feast with great views in a time of rising energy costs, it’s been quite friendly on the Carlisles’ pocketbook. “Robert called me up after the first winter and said ‘Bob you may not believe this, but my furnace only fired up six times all winter,’” Sims said. “That gorgeous fireplace was designed with its backside exposed to the garage to avoid heat
April 2011 loss, and it has really served them well.” Also helping with energy costs are the windows, supplied by Honest Abe. “Robert and Diana chose our Jeld-Wen metalclad windows for high energy efficiency, and trimmed out each window with our cedar trim package,” said Sims. “It came together just like we planned,” Robert said in the CBLH story. “Building a log home is a fun project, and it shouldn’t be rushed.” “Robert and Diana did such a fantastic job of planning things and making it all come together,” Sims said. “They may have put more thought into their home than anyone I
have every worked with. They made our job a lot easier, and I know they are thrilled with the results. It was a pleasure for me and Honest Abe to work with them.” Article By: Kevin Donaldson Editors Note: Honest Abe Independent Dealer Robert Sims contributed to this story, and information from the September 2009 Country’s Best Log Homes article was also used. Photography By: James Ray Spahn
April 2011
Authentic Appalachian: The art of hand hewing The term, Hand-Hewn, refers to a technique of using an adz (a type of ax or cutting tool with the blade at a right angle to the handle) to rough-trim the surface of logs. In pioneer times, the adz was used to square logs for home construction, which gave each log a unique hand-crafted appearance. Many modern log home owners like the Hand-Hewn look and ask their log home company to prepare their milled logs in this way. There are 2 methods in which this can be done. The first is by using a machine that mechanically hues the sides, and the second is by using the above mentioned tool, the adz.
and gives our hand hewn log homes a unique one of a kind product, resembling the original Appalachian homes of times past. Although more labor and time intensive, customer satisfaction and an authentic Appalachian look that takes you back in time are very important at Honest Abe Log Homes. Hewing can be applied to a number of materials, including both interior and exterior of the logs, beams, girders and exposed roof rafters.
Although the first method is much faster and requires less labor, the machine tends to give an artificial look due to the consistent pattern it creates, therefore, it doesn’t have the look and feel of the original hand hewn logs. Although most companies have gone with the use of machinery, Honest Abe’s process is done manually by a very skilled craftsman through the use of the the second method of using an adz. This eliminates patterns left by machinery,
Article By: Greg Watson & Ed White: - Honest Abe Log Homes Sales - Cookeville, Tennessee
Click here to see more about hand hewing on our YouTube channel!
Matthews
April 2011
Home “Dried-In”
Customer: Gail Matthews Sold By: Dan Smith (Murfreesboro Model) Dry-in Crew: Isenberg Log Homes Builders, Inc
“A very well organized crew, doing excellent work! Answered many questions and gave great advice. I hate to see them leave.” Joe Isenberg and crew began construction on Gail Matthews house February 14th, 2011. In three short weeks (March 4th), they had the home dried in. With the house running just short of 1500 square feet, it wasn’t very big, but it was just right for Gail. At Honest Abe, our slogan is phrased “It’s what you’ve always wanted.” That is exactly what we strive to achieve, from the design process all the way to the construction of the home. Gail knew exactly what she wanted, and in no time at all helped us convey that dream on paper. Gail’s house is a 28’ x 48’ one-story, with a 12’ x 12’ bump out on the side. It houses three bedrooms, two baths, and has a full-length porch on the front. The profile of her choice was our Round-Round Log, and she opted for a combination of scissor and regular trusses for her roof. Using conventional trusses are economical but also aid in quick construction. Scissor trusses allow an owner to have vaulted areas through the home while maintaining much of the economical benefit. Mrs. Matthews home is nestled out in the woods in a location that seems to require a log cabin. Honest Abe is happy we were able to help fill that requirement. Article By: Josh Watson: - Construction Coordinator for Honest Abe Log Homes
Honest Abe Monthly
Home of the Month: Gibson
April 2011
The Gibson is a new floor plan from Honest Abe Log Homes and will be included in our new catalog due in May of this year. While it’s drawn as a timber frame home, it can also be built using any of our log systems. The home is a great design for retirees or vacationers, as it contains everything needed on the first floor, with the added benefit of a second bed, bath, and loft on the second floor. The living room is open to the vaulted ceiling which features our Heavy Timber Roof system with exposed rafters. The master bed, bath and, space for utilities is all located on the first floor for convenience. All of this is achieved within 1,590 square feet.
“It’s What You’ve Always Wanted” www.honestabe.com
April 2011
Chicken & Spinach Lasagna with parmesan white sauce Ingredients: 1 lb. ground chicken or turkey 1 medium onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced Salt and pepper to taste 1-1/4 cups cottage cheese 1 - 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained and squeezed dry 1/2 cup vegetable shortening 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 - 14.5 oz. can chicken broth 1-1/2 cups milk, divided 3/4 tsp. nutmeg 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 8 or 9 oz. box oven ready lasagna noodles 2-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9� x 13� baking pan with cooking spray; set aside. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Over medium heat, add chicken or turkey, onion and garlic. Saute about 10 minutes, stirring and crumbling the chicken, until onion is tender. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach and cottage cheese, season with salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside. In a medium saucepan, melt shortening. Add flour, cook and stir for 2 minutes. Slowly poor in broth and 1 cup milk, bring to boil, whisking constantly. When thickened, remove from hear. Stir in nutmeg, Parmesan, salt and pepper to taste. Add up to 1/2 cup of remaining milk as needed to thin. Place 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of prepared pan. Cover with a layer of lasagna noodles. Pour 1/4 of the remaining sauce over the noodles. Top with 1/4 of the mozzarella and 1/3 of the chicken mixture. Continue layering the noodles, sauce and chicken until you end with a 4th layer of noodles. Top this with remaining sauce and cheese. Cover with a double layer of foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly. Let stand for 15 minutes before slicing. Enjoy! Recipe By: Melissa Copas: - Design & Drafting - Honest Abe Log Homes