stacking wood

[Stateguy]

if you have bark on the wood is it stacked face up or face down

 

[swagler85]

Depends on who u ask, there are some on this site that feel strongly for both methods. Personally I stack it whatever way it fits in the stack.

 

[firefighterjake]

I don't think it matters . . . but that said . . . I almost always seem to stack it with the bark up.

 

[jatoxico]

I have read, bark side down or the bark traps moisture. True? Don't know.

 

[WellSeasoned]

I stack it every which way. On one of my stacks, I was out of tarps to top cover, so I kept the top row bark side up acting as shingles.

 

[Shane N]

While I'm new to this, I stack whatever way fits with a preference for bark down. My thought process is that the bark seems quicker to suck in and retain moisture. So I'm trying to keep the rain off of it as much as possible.

And it is very possible I've got it all wrong

 

[loadstarken]

I stack like WellSeasoned does.

 

[fabsroman]

Yeah, I pay absolutely no attention to which way the bark is in the stack. Only time I give the bark any attention is when it is falling off and it needs to go into the bark pile for later disposal.

 

[Ralphie Boy]

Bark down....dare to be different. Top row, bark up....for a walk on the wild side.
Or stack it any way that it fits. I'm sure there is a good reason for each method but in the long run, say 2 years or more, your wood will dry no matter which way you stack as long as it is off the ground and in the sun and wind.

 

[Coal Reaper]

i feel that is you stack bark side down and the bark separates from the wood than water can puddle up in the concave part of the bark. if you top cover then this is a non-issue. now i have been told that bark side down allows the moisture to rise up out of the wood. who is to say that moisture can only rise? perhaps bark to the side avoids any questions? i think we have spent too much time thinking about it already. darn OCD....

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I have read, bark side down or the bark traps moisture. True? Don't know.

If true then you would not want bark side down! If bark side up, then moisture can get out.


EDIT: I tend to stack most of our wood bark side up but some are on the sides too and occasionally you'll find one bark side down. Still, most are bark up.

 

[legrandice]

one of my dad's friends used to strip bark from every piece of wood after he split...he now has a gas stove where his wood one used to be. He said it's too much work. My dad used to try and convince him that he did not need to strip all of the bark...but you can't teach an old dog too many new tricks.

I put the wood however it fits best in the stack. If the bark is falling off at any point, it goes to the dump in the compost area. If it makes it into the house attached...then into the stove it goes

 

[Paulywalnut]

If you stack all your wood bark side down all your
sharp pie shaped pieces will be laying ontop of each pointy
piece. This would lend towards an unstable stack of wood.
As you can see I gave this a great deal of thought.

 

[jatoxico]

one of my dad's friends used to strip bark from every piece of wood after he split...he now has a gas stove where his wood one used to be. He said it's too much work. My dad used to try and convince him that he did not need to strip all of the bark...but you can't teach an old dog too many new tricks.

I put the wood however it fits best in the stack. If the bark is falling off at any point, it goes to the dump in the compost area. If it makes it into the house attached...then into the stove it goes

I read the info about bark side down in The Axe Book from the Swedish ax company Gransfors Bruks. They also said to peel off a strip of bark on any unsplit rounds to enhance drying. Not every last bit but at least a strip.

 

[bboulier]

On the lower levels of a stack, I usually go with the best fit (with some allowance for bark up). On upper levels, I always go with bark up. Always struck me that the bark would protect the wood from getting wet.

 

[Mr A]

This is a lot like the Budweiser commercial where the fans turn the bottle labels toward the filed.If it works, whatever it takes.

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[fabsroman]

This is a lot like the Budweiser commercial where the fans turn the bottle labels toward the filed.If it works, whatever it takes.

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Yep, I always give the wood stacks a high five when I walk by them to help them dry quicker and I angle the rear view mirrors of the cars toward the wood stacks so that when the sun hits the mirrors it will be reflected toward the wood stacks and dry them that much quicker. Same goes for the vehicle exhaust. I try to get it as close to the wood stacks so the extra heat will help.

All that, and my oak is still 31%. Cannot imagine how wet it would still be if I had not done all that.