GRAND CHAMPION - Lakeside Post-and-Beam Gazebo
Phil had owned his sawmill for more than 15 years, and for the first time, he spent the time to use his sawmill not just to cut lumber, but to build a complete structure from start to finish with it. With help from friends and over a period of six months, Phil worked on building this lakeside post-and-beam gazebo, complete with a stone fireplace and an outdoor kitchen.
A sweet gum tree was cut down to make room for the gazebo, but some of the sweet gum lumber was made into the fireplace mantel. A variety of wood species were utilized throughout the building. White and red cypress provided the posts, beams, and flooring. All the cabinets and trim pieces are red cedar cut from 300 year old sinker logs pulled out of the Withlacootchee River. The
unusual looking curved wood bar is topped with pecky cypress that was filled with epoxy to form the hard, clear surface. To ensure that the sink and kitchen counters would last for years to come, they are built from concrete that was poured in place into forms, and then polished to a smooth finish.
Phil’s favorite thing about his sawmill is its portability. He remarks, “The men love the saw and lumber, and the women love the gazebo and kitchen!” When asked about how he feels now seeing the project completed, he says he feels, “Very proud. We harvested the timber, sawed it, milled it, and then built this beautiful place. This is the first time I’ve gone from standing trees to a finished project and everything in-between.”
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