Tarps or poly?

Just realized that I have a whole bunch of left over clear 6-mil poly sheeting. Would this be better for covering wood to season than a green/black tarp? Or would a black tarp be ideal??

Also, I have the majority of the stuff I plan on burning this year covered top and most of the sides. Is it better to keep the sides as open as possibly for stuff that I'm actively seasoning?

XJma, sides open is best. I don't have an opinion on the cover. As long as it keeps the tops dry, they should be about the same.

It will work so long as it doesn't rip. Definitely, never cover the sides! Top cover only. That way the wood will continue to dry but if you cover the sides, you lock in moisture.

+1
OK to cover the sides for a short time if you know a storm is coming, but uncover shortly after.

XJma,
I agree with the others. Top cover to keep water out and open sides to let the air do its thing. I have the cheap poly tarps. At 5 bucks for apiece, one winter is all I expect to get out of them.
Take care,
Tim

nice stacks tim
and...
pallets up on bricks! even more air flow and they won't rot.
as long as there's enuf bricks so the pallets won't cave in

onetracker,
Thanks. Got the brick pavers from a friend. 9 of them under every pallet. Should help the pallets last a little longer.
Take care,
Tim

Those are very nice stacks! I guess I'll slightly uncover the sides of my 'this years' wood. I have one pallet stacked real close to the house where the tarp is on the ground on all four corners (big tarp), just put it on before the hurricane and now for this snow. Have opened it up most days during the day time and closed again at night since last week, but I guess I'll just cut a piece of poly slightly larger than the pallet itself and use that for it from now on.

Thanx for more learnin'.

Sides open with a little hanging over . . . even uncovered you may see that not much of the wood a foot or so down from the top gets wet . . . unless the rain is being blown sideways by the wind.

There should be no need to open and close it at all. Once we cover our stacks, that is the way they stay until it comes burning time. Putting up the wood is enough work by itself so why make it more difficult? Just let Mother Nature do her thing and dry the stuff. If it gets a little wet on the sides, it takes only a couple hours of wind to dry it again. Wood is not a sponge unless it is punk, but that is a different animal.

Ive used tarps but I saw Dexter used some poly he got from Lowes I think so I bought a large roll of black 6 mil poly that Im going to use to cover my stacks, unfortunately it snowed before I got a chance to top cover, maybe next week once it melts.

It shouldn't take long for that snow to melt. Not sure about where you are but we are expecting 64 on Sunday. Snow Monday night....

same here, about half of the 9 inches is gone, maybe by sunday my stacks will be dried out enough to top cover, looking in the long range it looks cold, might be the start of a long cold winter.