By Chase Warner, Wood-Mizer
April 10, 2024
Bryan Summerlin and his family construct impressive structures to handle the large snowstorms and heavy winds experienced by the Pacific Northwest.
Reception Pavilion
Located in Scio Oregon, LT40 Hydraulic portable sawmill owner, Bryan Summerlin has dedicated his time to creating exterior structures for Neal Creek Resort. Bryan created a custom pavilion, covered bridge, wraparound deck, and outdoor bench.
In just eight months, the Summerlin family transformed a large cement slab from an existing basketball court into a breathtaking pavilion that is used for virtually anything from storing large equipment to hosting gatherings such as picnics, birthday parties, baby showers, and outdoor concerts.
Bryan milled a total of 11,730 board feet of Douglas fir on his LT40 Hydraulic portable sawmill for the pavilion that features 2,112 square feet of usable space.
“This was a very large project for us,” said Bryan. “It was inspirational to watch the pavilion develop in different phases at different times.” Clinton Construction helped with the cement sawing, truss building and roofing while Jimco Electrical Contracting took over the electrical duties.
“Everyone that helped was either friends or family,” said Bryan. “It was a group effort and everyone that worked on the building shared the same goal of quality craftsmanship.” Built in post & beam, the pavilion features 12 3’ x 6’ sliding windows for ventilation and to welcome natural light into the covered structure.
“We’ve heard many wonderful comments,” said Bryan. “People always comment on the quality craftsmanship, the beautiful large timber beams, and how heavy duty the structure is.” Another unique feature is the ability to adjust lighting throughout the entire pavilion in order to accentuate the wood characteristics which are especially beautiful at night, Bryan says. “Everyone that sees the structure raves about it,” said Bryan. “We love our LT40HD.”
Cooley Covered Bridge
When a bridge on their property was tragically smashed by a tree, the Summerlin family needed a new way to safely cross the creek at their resort. Living in the “Covered Bridge Capital” of Scio, Oregon, Bryan Summerlin and his wife Chandelle decided to build a covered bridge on their property.
Starting out by setting a steel structure over the creek, the Summerlin family built the bridge piece by piece using custom heavy steel plates and bolts. With help from their nephew Jason, the Summerlins used their LT40 Hydraulic portable sawmill to mill all the lumber from trees off their own property.
They sawed 100% of the 2,000 board feet of Douglas fir and cedar required for the 52-foot-long, 442-square-foot covered bridge. Using post & beam construction along with carpentry work from Chandelle and steel fabrication from Bryan, the Cooley Covered Bridge was completed in just three months.
“Most people that look at it are in awe of the craftsmanship and can’t believe all of the wood is rough cut and not run through the planer,” said Chandelle. The Summerlin family dedicated the bridge to the previous property owner, Mr. Cooley.
“The project turned out absolutely beautiful,” said Bryan. “We could not wait to start our next Wood-Mizer project.”
Wraparound Deck
After years of wear and tear, Neal Creek Resort’s original deck on their A-frame house needed to be replaced. Bryan Summerlin not only wanted to replace the deck he also wanted to make it a larger, more user-friendly area around the structure.
Throughout the month-long project, Bryan milled 4,200 board feet of Douglas fir on his LT40 Hydraulic to create the 1,100 square foot wraparound deck for the resort.
“People are always surprised to see how nice the boards look right off of the LT40HD sawmill,” said Bryan. “We love the ample power on our diesel motor and the simplicity of operating the Accuset 2. The quick adjusting leveling system is a must.”
Bryan, along with assistance from Heath Etzel, Jeffery and Chandelle Summerlin provided the carpentry work for the project. Using post and beam construction, the group built the foundation, decking, and stairs for the wraparound deck while laminating lumber together to cut out the handrail’s large radius. Bryan says the new deck is the property’s new centerpiece by helping tie all their projects together.
“Everyone enjoys the spaciousness of the deck, and people like the curved handrails,” said Bryan. “The kids really like the deck surrounding the large Douglas fir tree.”
The new deck enables visitors to appreciate the seemingly endless views of nature from all angles. “Most of the lumber dimensions are custom, and would have to be special ordered,” said Bryan. “We do not know how much we saved, but for us, having our Wood-Mizer sawmill on the building site is priceless.”
Uncle Duane’s Bench
Bryan and his families’ last project for Neal Creek Resort was inspired by a beautiful and unique custom piece of furniture, a one-of-a-kind bench to accent their wraparound deck created by Bryan Summerlin’s, Uncle Duane.
Bryan Summerlin milled all 30 board feet of black locust on his LT40 Hydraulic portable sawmill and says the accurate cuts of his mill get you closer to furniture grade lumber quickly.
Bryan said black locust is not available in town, which makes this project even more special due to the unique species of the wood.
“My Uncle Duane did everything except milling and staining the wood.” In just two weeks, Duane completed the unique, custom bench project, featuring a black locust seat and backrest, welded steel frame, and many different antique parts.
“No one has ever seen a bench quite like this,” said Bryan. The bench has certainly made a statement at the resort and many visitors will be able to enjoy this one-of-a-kind bench for decades.
Not only did these projects bring joy to all of those at Neal Creek Resort, but they provided the resort with the flexibility for future growth.