Best said by some others is" A clean pant in a clean soil is ideal." Plants that are already clean can grow in more places than it could in an isolation area and grow better. I try to avoid long term isolation over four weeks longer times in isolation can be harmful to a plant. There are exceptions for time allowed IE: If an infected plant shows improvment I will let it stay in isolation If I enjoy it and plant real estate reasons. New plants: I think of it as jump starting a new plant into better health and is the max amount of time a new plant will get in my NEW PLANT isolation area. When time allows ( Usually the same day not more than three) I remove all old soil examine roots while bare then repot any/all new plants. With freash soil in a new & sanitized pot the new plant is usually sucsessfull in very short time. On avg if any poblem does exist on a new plant the time is one week before I have the new plant in a better growing area. Some plants even new plants I have got no days in the isolation area because of the folowing reasons : 1The pest they are subject to getting simply donot exist where I live or other pest that may effect a plant that do exist in this area are not here. ( Think of it as pest control or pest prevention I think I've optioned for the better ) 2 The new plant didn't have a fungus or other problems on inital inspection nor any problems with roots during repotting and root inspection. Prevention includes some plants that I reffer to as sacrifical lambs. When the lamb(s) do well they get the " treatment " with a properly labled product , a make over as sometimes some of the foliage has to be removed, then they go to dinner via a splash of food, watering but in a day or two they get sent right back to the wolves.

Hope this helps - I found it somewhere on GardenWeb (I think) and copied it to use when I plant my goodies I picked up on my trip to Donahues. Hope it helps! What I do, though, is dig a good size hole for any climber, be it rose or clematis. About 2 cubic feet; 2 feet wide, 2 feet long and 2 feet deep, no exception. You are making a home for the plant, make it as well as you can, the plant will pay you back. Then amend the soil. Keep about little less than half the soil from the hole and discard the rest. To that soil add 2 parts of compost and 1 part of peat moss, 3 cups of bone meal, mix well, make enough volume to fill the hole. If you have clay dirt then you have to discard more of the original soil and substitute sand for that. Too heavy clay? Discard all of them and use store bought topsoil. Now lets talk about clematis. Take the plant out of the pot and wash the soil off of the roots by hosing with running water. Keep the root immersed in a bucket of water to avoid dehydration while you will work on the hole. In dry sunny weather a few minutes exposure without moisture may ruin the plant, soak it immediately. With the amended soil, form a mound at the center of the hole in the shape of a cone. It should look like those orange cones you see at the road repair site. If you moisten the soil a little this cone preparation becomes easier. The cone's top should be at least 4 inches below from the surface (ground level). Now you can do an optional step that you do not have to but I do. Take a full size Newspaper sheet and wrap the cone with it carefully, sprinkle water on it so the newspaper clings to the cone. This reduces the chance of crumbling the cone while working with it. The newspaper will rot and will act as a fertilizer. Take the plant, untangle the roots and set the base of the root on the tip of the dirt cone and spread the roots evenly on all sides of the cone. The plant now is sitting on the cone. Fill the whole with remaining amended soil, fill a little tamp a little, fill a little tamp a little till you have filled up to the tip of the cone. Now pour water and fill the remaining hole. Wait and let drain. Fill again with water and let drain again. Now fill the hole with remaining dirt mixed with three fourth cup of all purpose slow releasing fertilizer. Water again. Done with planting. Always plant the clematis deep, at least 4 inches below, in other words bury 4 inches of the stem into the ground. This will produce a fat bush with many stems. Clematis likes its roots cold, so keep the root area mulched or plant some shallow ground cover like sedum around it to keep the root cool. Enjoy the clematis for many years. The grandest show starts from the third year. I have mentioned the regular feeding in this post above for Montana Rubens clematis. The feeding is same for all the clematis. Remember, clematis loves water, you cannot over water it.

Allison, thanks for the link, the color of the window trim, with the polyeurathane finish on is the natural wood. It's pretty light. This is a picture of my front door, unfinished as of yet, but I want it in a deep rosewood color: and this is a pictue of my alder doors, unfinished as of yet,: and this is a picture of the fireplace with one of the windows that has the clear poly finish next to it, I will take a close up picture of it today, but it's the clear in the picture allison showed in the link: This is a picture showing where the trifold doors will go (they are unfinished alder and look like the door pictured above), the windows to the left and right are clear alder with the poly coat on them, notice the beam running across the room, it will be exposed, as well as the beam running the length of the room: Is this a delima or am I just over reacting? Thanks you guys, your saving my sanity....

"So I can get away with not doing the floor outside the shower I guess?" Correct. If it's a "typical" shower with a curb, then the wet area that needs a waterproofing membrane will only be the curb and the area inside the shower.