In your situation water from several possible sources got behind the siding.
Redwood vs cedar siding.
Redwood and cedar are forest products which contain naturally occurring chemical extractives.
Redwood also has very good rot resistance because of high levels of tannic acids that keep decay and bugs away.
Up keep for redwood or cedar siding is minimal because of these properties.
Redwood tends to cost substantially more than cedar particularly all heart redwood.
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.
If you plan to stain or paint your deck in a color that is not similar to either of these in their.
Redwood siding engineered wood siding and log siding are other options to consider but we re going to focus here on cedar.
Cedar is durable and cheaper than redwood and has a slightly yellowish reddish tone that goes well with a lot of decor.
The final appearance that you want for your project often determines whether you will want to choose redwood vs.
Cedar tends to have a yellow undertone whereas redwood aptly has a more reddish hue to it.
Woods such as redwood and cedar derive their durability and weather resistant characteristics from these chemicals.
Redwood with a janka rating of 450lbs is about 23 stronger than cedar janka rating of 350lbs.
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.
However these chemicals can dissolve quite easily in water.
To determine the hardness of redwood and cedar we are using the janka hardness test.
Cedar is strong but not as strong as redwood so redwood is often preferred for outdoor projects.
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.
Redwood and cedar are the most durable species of them all because of naturally occurring pest repellents the wood.