Can A Man Tell Another Man His Stack Of Wood Looks Like $%^#?

Do I tell my neighbor, whom I barely know, that he has stacked his wood like crap and it will never dry or do I let him, his wife, and their 3 young kids suffer through another season not being able to light fires because their wood is never going to dry the way he has it stacked?

My wife and kids were hanging out in their yard when I got home from work yesterday and it was the first time I'd seen his wood stack up close and it's bad, really bad.

I asked his wife if they were having trouble burning the wood this spring and she said she could barely get it to light, which didn't surprise me at all...

I did offer to grab them some pallets to put it on since it's sitting on the ground, but geez, it's painful to look at!

Never start out negative.
Nice wood. what type is it? type conversation.
Then lead into how & why to stack wood so it dries well enough to burn & not have creosote build up in the chimney.
I've never seen a stack that looks that bad, all stacks look good to me, some just allot better than others, like PapaDave, Zap & Backwoodsavage

How do you stack so poorly that the wood won't dry? Even stacking on the ground I'd think that only the bottom layer or two would be wet.

That's right!

Well that's the thing, it's not very high but it it rather wide and long, it's on his lawn and when I said "never dry" I should have said "never dry in time" since they plan on burning this wood in the fall/winter.

Tell him how much you've been learning about wood and burning it on this cool website you found

My wood stacks are never very pretty . . . but they get the job done . . . and personally . . . I make it a rule to never talk about another man's wood.

The best way to "help" someone stack his wood better is by example. Trust me, I have learned better techniques by observation than by someone criticizing my methods.

I think it would be tough w/o pissing him off, unless he's very enlightened (which I am not!). Keep 911 on speed dial, keep an eye on their place and pray to whatever deity you believe in or not. Hack into his computer and have this site come up whenever he searches for porn, that's how I got here!

Firebroad, he must have typed in wood

Now I am confused. Are you guys talking boy stuff again?

Firebroad - I think most of us are talking firewood, but not all of us.

I'd just try to tell him, or better yet show him how I stack my wood and why it dries better when stacked off the ground. I'd mention how the wood that is really dry lights and burns better than the stuff near the ground, etc. He has got to connect the dots himself. Maybe he doesn't realize that contact with the ground is keeping the wood from seasoning properly, or maybe he knows but doesn't care. Nothing you can do about him not caring, but you can help with him not knowing.

just restack it in the middle of the night. next morning act surprised and say something to the effect of "Holy potato salad, the wood gnomes have struck again! Lucky duck".

I was going to say stop looking at another mans wood and mind your business but theres women and children involved so that changes things, I would do what someone upthread mentioned and ease into the conversation, that way you can at least tell him without coming across an a know it all ahole (maybe), then its up to him whether he follows your advice.

That may be your rule, but you break it all the time here.

And if he has Oak in there, don't forget to tell him that he is screwed no matter what.

I had no idea that potato salad was considered a deity by some...

This is a picture from a website selling wood rack frames. Okay, so he used 2x4's, but what else is wrong with this picture?

1)There are no hot women in it.
2) They have outdoor furniture from walmart
3) No railing on the steps....that's a code violation
4) The picture's main theme is simplistic with no emotion.
5) Did I mention the hot women?

Techinally, you really shouldn't be lookin' at another man's wood, and for that matter, he shouldn't have it out where you can see it to begin with. That's my honest opinion. !! Now as far as the firewood is concerned, bring it up in casual conversation. Tell him how you used to stack it the same way (even if you didn't) and then you came across Hearth.com and your whole life changed for the better. Find a pair of hot chicks, put an arm around each one of them during your conversation with him. That should make it stick......

Toss him a few splits from your stash. If he likes how they burn, then teach him how to make his own.

"I don't always stack wood, but when I do, I prefer my ends cribbed"

That'll get ya a split up side the head

It be OK to tell another that their wood stacks are disfunctional (it won't dry that way), but not that they are ugly (look misaligned). Best to be tactful, though.