NewB stacking question (again)

[rick clifford]

Really great site with a ton of info. Sandy has been a blessing in one way to me as I have collected 5 to 6 cords of hard woods to date and still growing. Can pick up more rounds of maple, locust and cherry but have to split and stack what I already have as its looking messy. The question is, do I try to stack my wood with the bark on top, on bottom or on either side? (left and right) I got the single row in the sun with the wind but notice water sits behind the bark. As always thanks for the help and I will post pic's of my free collection when cleaned up a bit and stacked. All I will need now is my new insert.

 

[Jon1270]

Opinions vary. Evidence is hard to come by.

 

[Ashful]

Conventional wisdom is that, in most climes, it is better to stack with bark down. This leaves the freshly split face up, for quicker drying. I suppose the opposite could be true in a very rainy climate, but again, bark down is the oft-quoted method.

 

[PapaDave]

Depends who you axe.
Started stacking with the bark up last year, but won't know how it worked out for at least a couple years. By that time, I'll have forgotten.
After that much time, it shouldn't matter anyway. Where I stack, it gets tons of sun and wind and will be dry by then.
Pretty much makes it all a moot point when you can get ahead by a couple years or more.

 

[muncybob]

I stack in whatever way makes a stable set up...so, my stacks are a mixture.

 

[firebroad]

I have done it both ways, haven't noticed a difference. as long as I keep the tops covered, I am happy. My problem comes with the dang tarp strips being ripped off the tops by the wind--and I weight them down with bricks every two to three feet.

 

[PapaDave]

I used to love finding bits of tarp all over the yard. That was fun.
No fun anymore.

 

[Woody Stover]

I tend to go bark up, especially on the top row, thinking that it will better shed water. I don't pay all that much attention to it though; The top gets covered eventually and in the middle of the stack, some splits just stack better with the bark down.

 

[Hogwildz]

I stack in whatever way makes a stable set up...so, my stacks are a mixture.

X2, don't matter which way, as long as it is stable.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Looking as most of my stacks I think you'll find that most is stacked with bark up. I think I do this mostly by habit as it tends to stack easier this way but some still goes in bark down.

So long as you top cover the wood pile, does it really matter?