My community is in the process of residing our townhouses with Wester Red cedar siding. We have been told both to install with rough side out and with smooth side out. Is there a preference and why? Have others had experience (good or bad) with either option? Thanks for any help you can offer.

Do you mean rough side out and smooth side out, because that is the way I install cedar. Rough side is the best side and has more personality. Maybe it was a typo.

Oh, crap, you have me doing it now. Rough side out, smooth sie INNNNNNNNNNNN

As far as I've ever found, it just depends on which side you want to see. The cedar siding on my house was installed smooth side OUT, and painted, in 1909. On the sides that did not directly face the sun, it's still in excellent shape! This is clapboard, by the way, not shakes. Anyway, if the supplier doesn't specify, I would vote for "personal preference".