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How Foundation Choices Impact the Longevity and Maintenance of Log and Timber Frame Homes

Building a log or timber frame home is an investment in beauty, tradition, and durability. However, the longevity and maintenance of these homes depend significantly on one critical decision—choosing the right foundation. A well-designed foundation not only supports the structure but also protects it from moisture, shifting soils, and extreme weather. Making the right...

How to Design the Ultimate Home Rec Room on a Family’s Budget

A home recreation room is the perfect space for bringing family and friends together. Whether it’s for game nights, movie marathons, or simply a place to unwind, a well-designed rec room can add value to a home and enhance everyday living. However, creating an inviting and functional space doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag. With smart planning, cost-effective...

Maximizing Space, Storage and Protection

A well-designed pantry is essential in any home, but in a log home, where rustic aesthetics meet functionality, it becomes even more critical. Homeowners need innovative solutions to maximize space, organize essentials, and keep food fresh while ensuring a clutter-free and visually appealing space. Whether you're building a new pantry or upgrading an existing one, here...

Designing the Perfect Craft or Hobby Room in Your Log Home

A log home offers a unique and inviting space for creativity, making it the perfect setting for a dedicated craft or hobby room. Whether you love painting, woodworking, quilting, or any other hands-on activity, having a well-designed space tailored to your needs can make all the difference. With thoughtful planning and strategic design, you can transform an unused room...

Dining Al Fresco

The concept of open air dining is brought to log and timber home living in a variety of designs. The traditional American picnic has met its match with today’s concepts of dining in the fresh air. Gone are the days of a cooler filled with Tupperware encased foods to be spread on paper plates and eaten stretched on the ground on a blanket. Instead outdoor dining has...

Buying Home Cheaper than Renting

The results of the latest Rent vs. Buy Report from Trulia show that homeownership remains cheaper than renting with a traditional 30-year fixed rate mortgage in the 100 largest metro areas in the United States. The updated numbers actually show that the range is an average of 17.4% less expensive in Honolulu (HI), all the way up to 53.2% less expensive in Miami &...

Stewardship Conserves America’s Forests

by Jeff Clements, Vice President, Honest Abe Log Homes Honest Abe takes the issue of timber harvesting and the threat of deforestation related to building materials used in the manufacture of log homes very seriously. The great news is, according to the USDA Department of Forestry, as a country our forest land is growing at a faster pace than it is being harvested....

Planning for a Swimming Pool and Bathhouse for Your Log Home

A log home offers a warm and rustic retreat, but adding a swimming pool and bathhouse can take your outdoor living experience to the next level. Whether you’re looking to create a backyard oasis for relaxation or an entertainment hub for family and friends, thoughtful planning is essential. Serenity Log Homes specializes in helping homeowners seamlessly integrate...

Must-Have Mudrooms for a Log Home

For homeowners who embrace the charm and functionality of a log home, a well-designed mudroom is more than just a convenience—it’s a necessity. Especially in rural settings where nature is at your doorstep, a mudroom serves as a vital transition space between the outdoors and the comfort of home. From its historical roots to modern must-haves, this versatile space...

Unique and Practical Uses for Log Home Dormers

Dormers add character and architectural interest to log and timber homes, offering both aesthetic charm and functional benefits. While they enhance the exterior with their distinct shapes and styles, they also create intriguing interior spaces on the upper floors. These areas may appear unconventional due to sloping ceilings and varied dimensions, but they present...

Serenity Log Homes Named Dealer of the Year 2023

Serenity Log Homes in Florence, Alabama, owned by DeWayne and Sherry Crumley, has been honored as the Honest Abe Log Homes Dealer of the Year for 2023. Since joining as Honest Abe dealers in 2017, the Crumleys have consistently expanded their dealership, driven by DeWayne's lifelong passion for log homes. For him, selling these homes was a seamless and natural...

Rain Gardens are Both Beautiful and Functional

A Rain Garden is a landscape depression that can be filled with moisture-loving plants. Hidden beneath the pretty plants is a natural storm water treatment system that allows 30% more water to infiltrate into the ground. This reduces the amount of water from flowing through your property creating erosion or trench areas that you don’t want or going to the city’s...

Honest Abe Living Magazine Features Serenity Log Homes

The March-April 2017 edition of Honest Abe Living Magazine features Serenity Log Homes. You can read it online, download it to save or print or share it by email or social media. There's a custom home on Tennessee's Dale Hollow Lake designed for energy efficiency, aging in place and enjoying the beauty of the lake in every season. There's news about Honest Abe Log...

The Natural Solution

Log Homes and the Environment By Perma-Chink Systems, Inc. Think GREEN. Log homes are often the only building solution that is totally natural. This abundant, renewable resource is good for your health and the environment. Log homes are increasingly the choice of consumers interested in living “green.” Exposure to toxic chemicals in our everyday lives has led to a...

Light and Bright Log Homes

Many people assume that log homes are dark inside, but with the right design choices, they can be just as bright and airy as any modern home. Natural wood has a warm, inviting feel, and with careful planning, you can maximize natural light and create an open, luminous living space. Here are some key strategies to ensure your log home feels bright and welcoming. 1....

Can a Timber Frame Home feel like an English Cottage?

Timber frame homes offer the perfect blend of old-world craftsmanship and modern construction techniques. For homeowners looking to capture the cozy, picturesque feel of a traditional English cottage while incorporating modern materials such as structural insulated panels (SIPs) and timber frame components, thoughtful design choices can bring this vision to life. By...

Porchsitting is Not Just a Hashtag

The porch is an important element of a home’s design and functionality, but it’s also part of American culture. On social media porches have been honored with their own hashtag – #porchsitting. Dan Stevens, who played Matthew Crawley on “Downton Abbey,” made a very astute observation about the differences in American porches and those of his native England. “A British...

Fall Log Home Maintenance

Most people are accustomed to spring cleaning, but if you are a home owner, you know that your house needs attention year-round. Fall maintenance is much like spring house-cleaning, but more preventative and less “cleaning.” And it’s much easier to do it now rather than wait until the weather turns nasty. FROM THE TOP Fall means leaves—and plenty of them. You will...

What Makes A Home More Beautiful

What is it about Honest Abe homes that make them so appealing to so many people? We can talk about thermal efficiency, building with a renewable resource or living a log home lifestyle, but the main reason people are attracted to log homes is because they are beautiful. The question we must ask ourselves is “what makes a log home beautiful?” Design, style and...

Colored Stains Enhance Wood’s Beauty

Let the beauty of wood shine through with a colorful twist! Customers of Honest Abe dealers, Mike and Tonia Coulter of T & M Log Homes in Indiana are among the first to use Perma-Chink’s new Lifeline Accents to highlight the exterior beauty of their log home. The exceptional quality of Perma-Chink Systems’ products has always been vibrant, and now the...