How should I stack under my new wood shed?

[K2Orion]

First, no pics yet. They will be coming.

I have a 12x10 prefab metal shed that holds all my lawn and garden tools that I am relocating to the edge of my driveway near the garage. It will be under a maple where I typically do my splitting. I plan to build a 12x16 lean-to off the side for a wood shed. It will just be a metal roof pitched about a foot front to back, no walls.
I already have 1 cord of hickory and ~1/2 of white oak stacked on pallets where it will be under the shed. I have what I hope to be about 3 more cords of red and white oak and 2 cords of locust to split.
If I place the 4'x4' pallets 3 deep x 4 long and stack 6' high I should get 9 cords under the roof. If I leave a 3' gap between the pallets to walk and for airflow then I only get 6 cords but better access to it and better ventilation.

My question is: Should I stack as much under the roof as I can or would I be better off to leave space between the stacks for better airflow and let some of the wood end up not under the roof?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Because you still have some splitting to do that also means you have some seasoning to be done. If you must put it under the roof then I'd recommend you only put the 6 cords in. It would be much better, if you plan on burning that wood this coming winter, to get it split ASAP and stack it out in the sun and wind through the summer and at least early fall. In November you could then move it under the roof. It does mean extra handling but that is part of the price of not having 2 years or more of seasoned wood on hand. When you have to hurry things along, then you should do what should be done to get that wood seasoned as fast as possible.

 

[gzecc]

Realize the oak will take two years to season to its optimum performance. Your in a similar situation as I am. If you can get locust and ash for this first year you will be ok (they require less seasoning). At the same time you must be collecting for 2011. Its tough to get ahead.

 

[K2Orion]

I understand that oak takes longer to season. I plan to stack everything according to species to keep it seperate. If I had room I would stack everything in the sun and just tarp it when the weather starts to change. But I don't. My woodpile has been where the shed will be and thats about the only place for it. I plan to build the shed because I figure a shed is better than no shed, regardless of how seasoned the wood is when I put it in there. I didn't mention the 1 1/2 cords of mostly oak and cherry that I split last Oct. I probably wont burn much more than that this winter because I still don't have an insert for the fireplace. If I get an insert and use up that, then I'll burn the locust and hickory first because they should dry faster.

So should I cram my '10/'11 wood as tightly as possible under the shed or leave room between the stacks and get less under roof?