Recent FHB article showed a house being sided with White cedar clapboards. How does white cedar differ from red cedar?
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generalities?
I always remember the phrase "White on walls, red on roof" when it comes to cedar, but that's for cedar shakes/shingles.
Red has more tannins, so it can be considered to be more durable than white, thus the use on roofs.
White will move more than red; red is more stable and will have less shrinkage. Left unprotected, white could decay faster than red.
My opinion, but red, left to weather naturally, goes through a fairly steady weathering process and can look decent the entire time it's weathering. If white is left to weather naturally, it can sort of be a bit ugly, like an awkward teen going through puberty. Looks good when new. Looks good at the end. But the transition can be ugly.
Generalities. Your mileage may vary.