O.K. First off I live in the Mountains of Northern Georgia where the winters can be a bit cold and damp and the summer humid. The first thing I did once I uncreated the Pen was paint it with a very good waterproofing sealant - this took about 9 days as it had to dry and the paint was oil based so had to wait for the smell to dissipate . It took me two days to put together (I am a 67 year old disabled Female Veteran) doing it by myself. The only reason it got 4 stars instead of 5 was because some hardware was missing and I had to go to Ace Hardware and purchase woodscrews. This pen is well worth the money I paid. I have pictures but have no idea how to post them here. If you go slow and follow the pictorial directions - it is easy to put together. Wish I could have given it 5 stars.