I planted a bunch of different kinds of western red cedars (some nobody knows what exactly they are) and one incense cedar. The incense cedar is a lighter brighter green and more fluffy and feathery. It's really cute! The incense cedar is supposed to be slower grower but mine is growing faster than the western red cedars did at first. The incense cedar just immediately took off with no transplant shock. It's breathtakingingly beautiful. Several of my western red cedars were in sad shape when planted; some's leaders had been cut off from drought death. But they've all come roaring back sarting this spring (planted December 2005) and especially since late August have been exhiting a tremendous growth spurt. Both the western red cedars and the incense cedars are exceedingly lovely trees.

Wow, thanks for sharing your experience, guys. It sounds like you've both had good experiences doing things in pretty different ways. Thanks for the detailed suggestions, pressurepros. I've gone to your site and read up on the RAD system. It sounds impressive, and I'm thinkin about using it. The cedar is already bought and paid for, so I may be stuck with the non-kiln-dried variety from the big-box store. I've made some calls, though, and may be able to trade for KD stuff if it will make a difference. It sounds like gorillabuilder doesn't think it will. What's the advantage you see in it? Thanks for the pointer to the forestry guide, gorrillabuilder. Actually, I love hearing about the science behind what I'm doing. Today I read most of chapter 15 on finishes. You pros probably know most of this stuff already, but it was educational for me. If any other novices are reading this with similar questions, you can find the guide online at http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplgtr/fplgtr113/fplgtr113.htm Some of the stuff I took away from the guide was, You want a finish that is going to repel water, but also allow vapor to pass in and out because, (a) water vapor is going to get in, it's just a question of how quickly, and (b) when water does get in (either as vapor or liquid), you want it to leave; you don't want your coating to hold it in the wood. A finish that puts a thick film on your deck (eg. paint) will keep out vapor the best. If you cover all surfaces. And only until it cracks. Then, it's going to cause the most water to be retained in the wood. These sort of supported what I think pressurepros has been saying here for awhile - you don't want to finish the wood in a way that's going to trap water inside. However, the guide also said "The paint film inhibits drying, as shown. This retardation of drying can have a drastic effect on the durability of painted wood fully exposed to the weather. The moisture content of the wood can approach the range where decay fungi can become active. This type of wood paint failure usually occurs on painted fences and porch railings that are fully exposed to the weather (Fig. 1510). Applying a water-repellent preservative or priming the end grain of wood used in these applications inhibits the absorption of water at the end grain and thus works in concert with the coating to keep the wood dry. For a coating to be effective in minimizing moisture content changes in the wood, it must be applied to all surfaces, particularly the end grain. The end grain of wood absorbs moisture much faster than does the face grain, and finishes generally fail in the end grain first (Fig. 1511). Coatings with good moisture-excluding effectiveness that are applied to only one side of the wood will cause unequal sorption of moisture, increasing the likelihood that the wood will cup (warp). When finishing siding, it is important to allow the back side of the wood to dry, particularly if it is finished with paint with high moisture-excluding effectiveness. Applying a water-repellent preservative or primer to the end grain and back of siding (see section on back-priming) prior to installing the siding improves resistance to water yet allows the siding to dry. Cupping can be minimized by using vertical-grain lumber and by minimizing the aspect ratio." What I take away from this chapter is that applying a vapor barrier (eg. paint) to all 6 sides will do exactly what pressurepro is warning against. However, since a water-repellent preservative is not a vapor barrier, applying it to all 6 sides shouldn't have that affect, but should in fact be beneficial. At worst, it sounds like a waste of preservative. If we're all still around in a few years, I'll report back and let everyone know how it worked out. Gorillabuilder, how do you apply the sealer to your deck? Did you brush and flip, or dip the boards? I'm taking to heart the suggestions you guys made to weather the wood a little onsite before installing it. I'm a little nervous, though, because I've had one unfinished board sitting at the site for a few weeks (I had used it as a sample to get a feel for spacing), and it is now *really* warped. If I lay the new boards flat across the joists, though, and don't leave them out in the elements for weeks, maybe they'll hold up better. No one seemed keen on the deck clips, so it looks like I'm stuck with deck screws through the surface. That may have saved me a couple hundred bucks, but it'll expose my imperfectly-aligned and spaced joists. So, my revised plan would be, 1. Bring the wood to the site, lay it across the joists 2. clean it right away w/the RAD system or Cabots cleaner/brightener (no sanding!) 3. Let it weather for 3 days 4. Stain all 6 sides with a "paraffinic oil based, trans oxide pigmented, semi transparent penetrating sealer" 5. Let the stained wood dry for 2 days (again, across the joists) 6. Install it (the old fashioned way, not with clips) Thanks for sharing your time and experience, guys. David

Hello, I wrote a post last night, then apparently failed to "submit" it. Thank you for your thoughts, and we will see what changing the wood selection to western red cedar does to the cost of the job. John et al, about a year ago I posted a query about a Norwegian material called Kebony -- soft woods treated with furfuryl alcohol (sugar cane processing byproduct) in a kiln so that it becomes a nontoxic resin, making the wood hard and rot-resistant. Has anyone seen this material in the interim? They have a representative in Virginia, apparently, but there don't seem to be many projects in the US yet. Norwegian projects look interesting. Hope this process holds up well under scrutiny and time, because it would be a nice alternative. We're requesting a sample of southern yellow pine treated with the Kebony process -- their weathered Kebony maple is beautiful, but also quite expensive.

What is your house color/material, OP? I came across this, read the comments — https://www.houzz.com/photos/anthony-street-house-traditional-exterior-dc-metro-phvw-vp~428303 Someone asked about getting a similar look with pine, the architect suggests a honey maple stain. Another, this is pine: https://www.houzz.com/photos/stained-wood-porch-ceiling-installed-by-opal-enterprises-in-naperville-traditional-chicago-phvw-vp~24091032 You might find inspiration looking through these albums: https://www.houzz.com/photos/stained-porch-ceiling-phbr0lbl-bl~l_143667 And yes, red cedar posts do need regular sealing, in my experience. I’ve had them nearly everywhere I’ve ever lived (very common here in Texas). We do ours once a year.