Log Home Lake House
Overlooking the waters of Center Hill sits a log home owned by Mike and Christine Cornett. Life on the lake is different. It isn’t fast paced, and there are great neighbors who are willing to help. To Mike and Christine, who have been married for more than 40 years, that’s the way it’s supposed to be.
This lake side home makes the eighth one the couple have owned, but only the second log home they have ever built.
“I like log homes, they’re cozy and warm,” said Mike. “I’m not a sheet rock fan. One of the biggest reasons I like log homes is the quality of the product.”
Before their first log home was built, Mike and Christine thumbed through some log home magazines. Mike heard that Honest Abe had a model in Algood, so he headed over and talked to Greg Watson. The two looked at prices and Mike asked many questions. In 1993 the Cornett’s first Honest Abe log home was built – a modified Algood. After that, Mike referred several people to Honest Abe. Mike and Christine were pleased with their new home.
“Honest Abe has high quality products and you get more for your money. They have a great family atmosphere and also treat you like family,” commented Mike.
Many years passed and the couple decided it was time to downsize. They knew their next house was going to be an Honest Abe log home, but what style? Mike headed back to Algood and worked with Ed White on deciding what house would be best for him and his wife, Christine. After about five months of research, the couple decided to go with a modified Madison.
Mike and Christine had the front of the house face away from the road so that it would look out towards the water. The couple was raised on a water view. The bedrooms and bathrooms were somewhat modified. They had the porch to nearly wrap all the way around the house.
“We like porches. On one part of the porch there is a bed that we sleep in usually six months out of the year. We call it our sleep porch.” Mike laughed. He said it is the best house for him and his wife.
Logs for the couple’s new house were being stacked the second week of October, two years ago. Mike, with the help of his wife, did a lot of the interior work. It took about a month to get the Genesis interior siding done. Mike knows a thing or two about construction since he is a contractor. Ed from Honest Abe was blown away by the foundation. Joe Isenberg, the crew chief was impressed with the way things were done. Joe left on New Year’s eve night. Before leaving he asked what the time frame was for them moving into the house. Mike answered telling him two or three months. Most days he would work from 7 a.m. in the morning to 8:30 p.m. that night.
“You do what you have to do to get the job done,” said Mike.
The happy couple moved into their new home on the first day of March that next year.
Mike and Christine talked with Greg Sweets from Perma-Chink about stain options. Mike wanted something as close to natural as they could get. Some of the choices they looked at were “dark natural” and “hazelnut” but these were too dark. They ended up choosing “wheat” as their official stain.
Mike added, “A lot of our friends are going with the same stain color too.”
“We tell everyone that we have the best of both worlds,” said Mike. “We see farm lands and red barns, sunrises and sunsets and huge oak trees on the north side.”
Their favorite spaces of the house are the porch and the great room.
When asked if he has any advice to give someone about building a home Mike said, “My main rule is that if you’re going to build a two-story house the main floor needs to be function-able (able to live just on that one floor). Think about the future, what if you are in an accident or get older to where you can’t get up and down the stairs. Know your price, it all boils down to cost. Build a house that will accommodate to how you live and don’t shatter your dreams.”
