Redwood and cedar are forest products which contain naturally occurring chemical extractives.
Redwood vs cedar siding.
While home improvement stores often offer cedar and redwood products side by side for similar prices the shopper must note if the redwood product contains large amounts of sapwood.
This is a definite win in favor of redwood but that is not to say that cedar may not work perfectly in your application regardless of its hardness.
To determine the hardness of redwood and cedar we are using the janka hardness test.
Redwood tends to cost substantially more than cedar particularly all heart redwood.
Cedar tends to have a yellow undertone whereas redwood aptly has a more reddish hue to it.
Cedar is durable and cheaper than redwood and has a slightly yellowish reddish tone that goes well with a lot of decor.
Redwood with a janka rating of 450lbs is about 23 stronger than cedar janka rating of 350lbs.
Redwood and cedar are the most durable species of them all because of naturally occurring pest repellents the wood.
When it comes to home building projects including siding redwood has a darker often more elegant finish than cedar which tends to offer a warmer and more rustic look.
However these chemicals can dissolve quite easily in water.
Cedar is strong but not as strong as redwood so redwood is often preferred for outdoor projects.
The preference is often determined by the project and the overall style of the home.
Redwood siding engineered wood siding and log siding are other options to consider but we re going to focus here on cedar.
Cedar wood siding is far and away the most popular type of real wood siding.
Redwood also has very good rot resistance because of high levels of tannic acids that keep decay and bugs away.
In your situation water from several possible sources got behind the siding.
If you plan to stain or paint your deck in a color that is not similar to either of these in their.
Whether or not the extra strength is necessary for your project is up to you but clearly redwood is more durable than cedar in general.
The final appearance that you want for your project often determines whether you will want to choose redwood vs.