I keep my posts in a dry climate. They rot off below the ground, but not above! Seriously, you might try capping the posts. Cut the bottom 6" off some 2 litre pop bottles and put them over the post tops if you have any around, otherwise use other plastic bottles or larger tin cans. Just don't get them too tight so there will be air circulation and moisture doesn't get trapped inside. That would keep the rain out. Otherwise, treating with wood preservative periodically or oil as suggested above sounds good. Plastic bottle caps would need to be replaced periodically as they deteriorate in the sun, probably annually.

Quassim--Watch out for the voles and moles. They seem to like the bark of the fig tree. Don't know if that is a concern in your area but here where I live in zone 6 between the 2 weeks of real bad weather and those varmints After trying all sorts of protection with poor results I resorted to growing my figs and protecting them in my unheated garage as shown in the photos below. The ones that died back recovered but in my area the growing season is too short this way I was always blessed with figs every year. Good luck Sorry forgot to invert photos Lou NE., PA

Here's a tip on how to determine if you have a leak ... this wont tell you where it is, but will tell you if one exists. Your "experienced" plumber should of done this if they were not able to find an obvious leak in the kitchen. Make sure there is no water running in the house. This means turning off all water inside and outside the house including showers, sinks, washing machines and any appliance that uses water. If you have a sprinkler irrigation system, manually shut it off. Find your water meter. If it's above ground it's usually on the side of the house. If it's underground, it's usually in the front, near the curb, under a metal plate. The meter has a dial with some numbers and usually a small triangle. If either the triangle is spinning or the hand on the dial is moving you are currently using water and thus have a leak. If neither is happening, take a close look at the current position of the hand. Wait 15 minutes and look at the dial again. If the hand moved, you have a small leak. If you do have a leak, I would suggest you first check the toilet before fretting about the kitchen. It's very common for there to be a leak in the toilet flapper that does no damage (just wastes water). Flush the toilet as normal and while the tank is refilling with water and 3 drops of food coloring. Check the toilet bowl in half an hour. If you see color in the bowl, you have a leak that will probably be fixed simply by replacing the flapper. Fix any toilet leaks and then repeat the meter test to see if there may be leaks anywhere else.

Ok, so you need to know that there's a difference between the existing structure and new construction. Current code generally requires diagonal bracing that consists of exterior sheeting or let-in bracing. Local codes may be much more restrictive if wind, earthquakes, etc are an issue. Some older homes (1910 - 1920's that I'm familiar with) were built with lath on the interior of the perimeter walls that was a full 1" thick, tongue and grove, that provided excellent diagonal bracing when covered with plaster. They had no diagonal 1x boards as sheeting under the exterior cedar siding - just tar paper. Your local building codes will determine if you need OSB or similar sheeting when replacing the siding. Doing so does improve the structural performance of the house and improve the appearance of the siding. However, HardiPlank siding, for example, is manufacturer approved for installation over open studs (that were covered with Tyvek or similar). Know that if you remove the plaster/lath from the interior perimeter walls you MUST provide diagonal bracing regardless of what is permitted by code if that plaster and lath is the source of the diagonal bracing. If you are keeping the existing door and window frames, adding sheeting will create additional challenges - but they can be addressed. As for cedar siding, it has a lifespan of about 50-70 years. I'm sure there's some that's lasted longer, but general rule is that by the time it's 50-70 years old it's time to go. In addition, anything that old is coated with lead based paint. Removing the siding allows one to fix insulation, structural issues, water issues, lead paint issues, etc. I'm a big fan of coming back with the appropriate HardiPlank siding (generally that's smooth and not textured) with the correct reveal. So, to answer your question: 1. Check manufacturer's instructions on installation over open studs. 2. Check local code on re-siding over open studs 3. If there's no other diagonal bracing besides the 1" lath and plaster on perimeter walls, consider if the plaster and lath will be removed in the future. If yes, then you must sheet the exterior before siding - even if code would allow you to re-side without sheeting. 4. For the best structural performance of the home, and for the best appearance of the siding, you want to sheet the exterior of the home with OSB or similar. In summary, you may not be required to sheet the existing structure, but it would be a very good idea to do it anyway.