I saw somewhere that someone said you should stack wood with the bark up, or on top verse stacking with the bark side sown. I have never really given it much thought. So I was wondering, does it make a difference?
pinewoodburner said:I saw somewhere that someone said you should stack wood with the bark up, or on top verse stacking with the bark side sown. I have never really given it much thought. So I was wondering, does it make a difference?
Interesting that you should post that because I just read some where if the wood is green you stack bark side down and if dry you stack bark side up, I stack it how ever it works.locust grove said:I normally have always stacked with the bark side up. But I am rethinking on that, at least with red oak. I had some stacks about 3 or 4 years old uncovered with red oak and barkside up. The bark must eventually act like a sponge and the bark and sapwood was rotten and there was definitely much btu loss. I am going to cover the top after one year(especially soft maple and redoak) now but putting the top layers with bark side "down" would have helped that situation, I think.
+1, bark side up for all but the bottom row if stacked on the ground. If stacked on pallets even the bottom row is bark side up.Wood Duck said:Eventually the bark may separate from the wood. If the bark side is down the bark becomes a bowl, so I stack bark side up. Ideally I remove the bark because as someone said it holds moisture and can cause rot of the sapwood. Not all bark comes off easily so a lot of it gets stacked even though I don't really want it there.
locust grove said:I normally have always stacked with the bark side up. But I am rethinking on that, at least with red oak. I had some stacks about 3 or 4 years old uncovered with red oak and barkside up. The bark must eventually act like a sponge and the bark and sapwood was rotten and there was definitely much btu loss. I am going to cover the top after one year(especially soft maple and redoak) now but putting the top layers with bark side "down" would have helped that situation, I think.
Wood Duck said:Eventually the bark may separate from the wood. If the bark side is down the bark becomes a bowl, so I stack bark side up. Ideally I remove the bark because as someone said it holds moisture and can cause rot of the sapwood. Not all bark comes off easily so a lot of it gets stacked even though I don't really want it there.
seeyal8r said:I always stack bark on top just because I figure water runs off the bark and it helps keep the wood dry. Plus stacking that way always seems to stack better. Just what I do don't know if there is any validity.
infinitymike said:Thats funny, my neighbor just came over today and saw my stacks with all the bark UP.
He has been burning for 30 years and his comment was that he stacks with the bark DOWN except for the top 2 rows.
He feels that the moisture in the wood wants to evaporate UP and that having the bark on the top would impede that natural process.
Not that they won't dry out but that they may dry quicker.
I was out of nothing but instinct stacking bark up for the reason that it would shed water better.
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