Playground mulch is actually designed to standards that have mostly to do with impact (and liability to those who specify it). The knock on cedar mulch, as I remember it, is that it is very fibery and can give you little tiny splinters if you contact it a lot (refering to western red cedar). Pine mulch is a widely varying thing as there is no standard, there are lots of species of pine, and then there is the whole thing between recycled wood, wood chips, and actual bark (won't even go into dye).... and in the south they use pine needles as mulch (usually called pine straw). Pine mulch can mean a lot of different things. My mulch of choice is finely ground pine BARK. The problem is that it is more often than not "cut" with other crap (recycled wood or wood chips) these days and you wind up with a bunck of wood chips on top after about a month to the weather.

thanks squeeze, rhizo and Termater.... That MSDS was pretty interesting to read. Where do you get those? I suppose I can get one on the CWF-UV? I haven't seen one on the Olympic product, but the base is an alkyld [sp?] oil, with UV protection and mildew resistance added. I read that on the package. So if I use CWF-UV isn't that the same problem as the Olympic product? Well...I must say I am in a quandry. On one hand, I realize that the cedar has natural properties that make it resistant to weather and insects, but I also can see lots of weathered fences around that are in pretty bad shape that are cedar that have not been finished. I haven't noticed any that have been finished. It has been suggested to me that it is a waste of time and money and sweat to maintain a cedar fence because these products don't add any longevity to the fence. Not really seeing how that could be true?? Someone has suggested I just leave it alone and just pressure wash it every couple of years. I imagine the reason to do that would be if you wanted to keep the look of the cedar without it weathering too much, and not for any longevity added by doing that. On the other hand, it is really expensive to replace the fence and I would like to delay that as long as possible. I have seen wooden fences of unknown material that have been painted regulary and last a lot longer than 15 years. So the solids in the paint do keep the wood from rotting and deteriorating. If the semi transparent products and/or products that add UV protection give anywhere near the protection of paint, then I can't see how that couldn't help. It is pretty tempting to try one of these products that claim to keep your fence from deteriorating for 5 years. But the clear wood finish sounds good if it will maintain the color of the cedar, and is it much more nontoxic than the Olympic? I don't have a full understanding of these issues. The UV added sounds like it would offer me better protection, but is the ingredient they add for that much more toxic? I've been asking around, and I've been told that linseed oil has to be reapplied every year and that it will darken the wood more and more with each application. Some paint store personnel told me that using the linseed oil will actually increase mildewing of the wood and that is part of the reason for the blackening of the fence. Bill, are you saying that BOTH the CWF and the linseed oil will have this darkening effect? How long have you been using CWF, and how often do you apply Bill? In reading the directions on the website, it would appear you have to apply two coats. That would make it pretty expensive to do. My local hardware stores are offering it for $18.99 a gallon, which would bring the cost up to twice that if it requires 2 coats vs a product that requires one coat. Olympic Maximum is $24. a gallon and only requires one coat and supposedly keeps the fence for 5 years. Is the CWF when it has the UV protection in it still less toxic than the Olympic? If I went for the CWF without the UV, I would still have to apply two coats and how often does that have to be applied? Every year? Every two? My fence has galvanized nails, and it is strange that some panels and even some rails are in really good shape while others are awful and had to be replaced. One area that is good is beneath an overhanging limb of an evergreen tree. Some of the worst rails are where birds sit on them on the post and rail part of the fence. I was considering applying a product to certain panels of the fence and leaving much of it uncovered and see what difference it makes and then next year if I want to, I could coat the parts that I didn't do. I am considering doing the CWF either in the regular or UV formula, but that is going to cost me about $40 a gallon to do two coats. Adam

I have had my trex about 7-10 years I am guessing. I was so excited, maint. free and all. Boy was I wrong. Still looks nicer than any wood deck but need to clean mold/mildew twice yearly is a pain and I have a very large deck. Today for the first time I used a power washer on low pressure with the cleaner that came with it "G Clean", didn't do much as far as I'm concerned, for mold mildew etc, NOT. Its cleaner but all mildew/mold spores are still there so i thought I am going to try a test area with vinegar/baking soda and see what that does, pretty much nothing again. I can deal with the way it looks as the spotting doesn't show when dry so thats good but I am looking into prevention more than anything now. Any luck out there? I want to stay as organic as possible and may just do vinegar and baking soda and see how it goes. Not feeding the mold/mildew is probably better than anything. I live in MN which can be very wet at times and my deck is East facing primarily with some South sun as it passes on by to set in the West. I love everything about my trex except the mold issues http://www.maids.com/blog/3-non-toxic-ways-to-clean-mold/

I had a cedar deck on a house I bought. By 20 years old, it was thoroughly rotted through. Cedar is soft and not very insect/mildew resistant (only cedar heartwood is resistant and all the large old trees are gone.) If rot has started, it is generally not worth trying to save. If you have a pressure washer, pressure wash it (Keeping the nozzle well away from the wood--at least 6" so as not to damage the wood). If not, clean an area so that you can see if there is only surface weathering or actual rot has set in. If it is rotting, replacement is the only practical solution. If the underlying wood looks clean, then a good protective stain (semitransparent) should make it look good as new and extend its life. Cleaning before sanding with water and deck cleaner should be sufficient. If it is bad enough that it needs sanding, then it is questionable whether it is worth saving