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

Thank you, Rodney, for clarifying that this site is not just pnw gardeners. I must admit it is a more active blog. The other Houzz site I found that had a LOT of Central Floridians on was 1. Lot of 2011 comments, 2. Tied up with a controversy over earth worms. The blogs were interesting, entertaining, and a little better then watching the grass grow. Just to satisfy my curiosity I found a site that gave analysis findings on NP&K contained in EW castings. My take on it was just like humans you are what you eat. Now your raised bed comment. Yes it is more work. My oldes daughter and I went dumpster diving for the original boards that I used for the raised bed and they showed me what termites and moisture can do in a verrry short time in a sub-tropical climate. Social Security Disability income and age can put a new twist on your list of objectives when approaching a project. Projects in General will have a better chance of being successful if care is taken in the preparation. You would not paint a room without first masking and putting down drop cloths to protect the different surfaces. I went through 70k for surgeries, medical supplies, living expenses, and still lost my house. I took the last 40k and bought a HUD foreclosure, 2007 manufactured home on 1/2 acre so I would not be homeless. I can spend all day in my yard and garden doing what is needed, takes me all day sometimes, but it is my physical and mental "health insurance" and cheaper than a gym. The location of the garden was non-negotiable, although I did manage to give it a north/south orientation, but the previous owner must have had a love affair with rocks because 1 1/2-2 in. below surface is a layer of stones. Hell will freeze over before I can excavate all of that from the garden site, tried, so raised beds some 12 in. high was necessary. Dumpster diving is out, daughter moved to another state, and I can't do it myself so I need to buy the cheapest boards but not have to replace ever. My most recent chuckle/saying is "I am taking my bad knees,no more operations, and my raised bed boards to the grave with me, proverbially speaking. In the past; I did invest in good tools, "toys", if you saw the video demonstrating the ancient japanese method of wood preservation they are using a big torch I have a Dragon torch, handy little critter, makes the job easy, kinda like watching grass grow. I use a battery operated drill to screw the boards together since hammers, nails and I do not get along. Voila, raised bed my "mixing bowl" for all things needed create good organic soil. :) :) Happy Turkey Day BTW to everyone. Nov. 26, 2015

if you invest in cedar, get the post-on-pipe design, which will cost more but will majorly extend its life. design: not sure what specific design you're going for, but I'd recommend paying extra for bottom trim. I thought my fence would look fine w/o it and I regret that so hard. it looks kind of ragged and unfinished. I'm in the process of getting that fixed but I'm kicking myself so hard for not noticing while they were still here. due to the geography of our yard, our fence looked perfect from the inside, so that's why I didn't notice the problem right away. so, final advice: inspect all sides of the job every day while it's being built and don't be afraid to speak up if anything looks wrong!

Everyone has different tastes and styles. My personal preference when it comes to wood or log homes is cohesiveness and distinction of what is accent and what is the main feature. For example in your first picture, it would be nice to have a solid wood or knotty wood door walls all over the house where only the doors and windows (with their respective trims) are solid white or vice versa. Mixing them is challenging because the materials are different and wood carries more visual weight so when your eye sees it, there is competition happening. In the first pic for example, I would actually paint out the knotty pine trim around the window and door so that they look seamless and your eye flows over them or put in a window and door that are knotty pine and keep the knotty pine casing/trim. This way you have a clear distinction between the "feature" and the "accent" whichever way you go. For your louvered doors, if you want them to disappear, paint them out in white along with the trim. If not, re-stain them along with the rest of the wood doors and baseboard trim. My two cents worth! Best of luck!