# How do you stack your wood grain side up or bark side up?



## FireaddictSC (Nov 16, 2009)

I just finished bucking, spliting, and stacking a red oak that i cut down.  While i was stacking the splits i placed most pieces grain side up thinking maybe it would speed up the drying process.  Is there any truth to this, or stacking the splits how ever they may fall will dry at the same rate.  I only ask this because i know red oak can take a long time to season properly. Thanks for the feed back i have one more large red oak to take down due to draught.


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## jeff_t (Nov 16, 2009)

I never put any thought into it, but apparently my subconciuos tells me bark down. My wife pointed that out to me one day. 
I stack for stability.
At any rate, you're not going to burn it this winter or next. By that time I don't think you'll notice the difference.

Jeff


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## adrpga498 (Nov 16, 2009)

Oh boy , watch the sparks fly on this debate. I do both, bark down on 90% of hh then bark up for the top shingles .


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## Hurricane (Nov 16, 2009)

There will be many of opinions on both sides of that question. 
I have stacked how the split fits best in the space when stacking. If the wood is top covered so water and snow does not lay on your stack I do not think it will matter.

Just my opinion.


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## JustWood (Nov 16, 2009)

My wood goes on a heap for 2 years then in the shed for 6-12 months.  Don't worry about what side up.


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## KeepItNatural (Nov 16, 2009)

I stack it bark side up when I can- I'll go out of my way to do it- but some splits don't have any at all- so there's nothing i can do for those.  Plus, sometimes its just the nature of the wood I have on hand and all that junk.  So long story short- bark side up for me when I can do it.


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## LLigetfa (Nov 16, 2009)

Bark side up, of course!


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## donatello (Nov 16, 2009)

I find the bark retains moisture. So when I stack, I prefer to have bark side up to act like a natural rain hat. I think this may help some when you have a hard rain, maybe some wind and plenty of splash.  I don't get anal about it though... I do cover the TOP of my stacks with wood pallets (extra air flow/and the tarps don't get forced between the stacks of wood by the rain collecting) and a tarp fastened to the top of the pallets.


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## drewboy (Nov 16, 2009)

Bark side up for "superior rain repellency".
I made that up...but I do the top row bark side up.


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## kenny chaos (Nov 16, 2009)

I can't keep up.
I thought we all decided to take the bark off!


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## BrotherBart (Nov 16, 2009)

Since the bark side of a split is the wide side I stack one course bark down and then fit the wedges of the next course in the V's between them bark down for the next course for the tightest stack I can get.


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## fossil (Nov 16, 2009)

I don't pay any attention to it.  Wood I have stacked or heaped outside is for future years, and remains out there to season, uncovered, for a year or two, (or more) until about a year before it's gonna get burned, then it goes into the shed...where it _really_ doesn't matter what side's up, since it's all under roof.  I think if I was gonna worry about my outside wood, I'd just stack it however it wants to be stacked, then I'd throw a tarp over the top of it.  I wouldn't give a thought to how the bark's oriented.  A pretty good percentage of my split wood has no bark on it anyway...either it fell off or the split was from the interior of the round where there was no bark to begin with.  Before my shed was built, I had wood stacked out in the open, and I just kept a tarp over the top.  In fact, I stapled it to the wood in a few places to keep it from blowing off.  The primary function it served was to keep the snow & ice off the wood stack, for convenience in handling and bringing it inside.  Rick


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## quads (Nov 16, 2009)

Bark side up.  I don't know if it makes any difference, but the way I see it, when the tree was growing the "bark side" was exposed to the elements.  So why not the bark side of the dead pieces of it too?


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## Bone1099 (Nov 16, 2009)

I dont pay much attention to stacking it any certain way but if i were gonna stack for the fastest drying time i think vertical would allow gravity to aid in moving the moisture to the ends where it could then be evaporated. but its not a very pracitical way to stack. plus you would have to keep the ends off the ground/concrete/whatever to allow airflow but it does seem that the moisture would travel better along the grain this way.  I have never tried this or studied it and maybe im just wrong. oh well just a thought.


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## EKLawton (Nov 17, 2009)

BrotherBart said:
			
		

> Since the bark side of a split is the wide side I stack one course bark down and then fit the wedges of the next course in the V's between them bark down for the next course for the tightest stack I can get.



+1 on the tight stack.  You get a true cord that way and they don't fall over as easy ;-)


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## flash49 (Nov 17, 2009)

kenny chaos said:
			
		

> I can't keep up.
> I thought we all decided to take the bark off!




Does this mean I have to put the bark back on now??? I'm so confused.....


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## Wood Duck (Nov 17, 2009)

Which ever way fits best, but if all things are equal I put the bark up. I never used to think about it, but somewhere on this forum I read something, and now I have to think about it. Reading makes your life harder.


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## Stevebass4 (Nov 17, 2009)

who knows but the rubber roof i have covering my stacks seems to keep the water / snow out


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## LLigetfa (Nov 17, 2009)

I stacked it bark side up all my life.  Force of habit now.  Do it that way in my woodshed too.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_nX0X4MOKcKI/SbpOjAKd1ZI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/ne22OTnpXus/s640/100_0296.JPG

Even goes bark side up for the short trip to the shed.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_nX0X4MOKcKI/Sax5s99wB8I/AAAAAAAAAI4/2mDgWzzPe1c/s640/100_0181.JPG


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## Stevebass4 (Nov 17, 2009)

god i love that shed!!


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## joshlaugh (Nov 17, 2009)

I never really noticed how I stack, I usually do for stability and where pieces will fit.  Plus I have close to three years supply of wood, so either way for me it will be dry when I finally burn the wood.


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## BroadCove (Nov 17, 2009)

The answer is obvious: strip the bark off all of the splits, stack the wood as tightly as possible, and then weave together the bark that you've stripped off to create a natural impervious barrier to lay on top of the stacks.

Kidding, of course. I just stack the wood, leave it outside for a year or two (depending upon species), and then burn it. We've already had 50 inches of rain this year, and I don't cover my stacks, and the wood is still plenty dry (under 20% MC). To each his own, but the keys are: split it, stack it, and leave it alone for at least a year. The rest is all personal preference.


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## BrotherBart (Nov 17, 2009)

fossil said:
			
		

> I don't pay any attention to it.  Wood I have stacked or heaped outside is for future years, and remains out there to season, uncovered, for a year or two, (or more) until about a year before it's gonna get burned, then it goes into the shed...where it _really_ doesn't matter what side's up, since it's all under roof.  I think if I was gonna worry about my outside wood, I'd just stack it however it wants to be stacked, then I'd throw a tarp over the top of it.  I wouldn't give a thought to how the bark's oriented.  A pretty good percentage of my split wood has no bark on it anyway...either it fell off or the split was from the interior of the round where there was no bark to begin with.  Before my shed was built, I had wood stacked out in the open, and I just kept a tarp over the top.  In fact, I stapled it to the wood in a few places to keep it from blowing off.  The primary function it served was to keep the snow & ice off the wood stack, for convenience in handling and bringing it inside.  Rick



The most time consuming for me is planing the splits to identical sizes and weights, bar coding each one and scanning the information into the database. The stacking goes really fast.


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## gzecc (Nov 17, 2009)

BB, bar codes, are the answer to my dilema!  I have been writing a sn and date of origin on every split before stacking. The barcode eliminates that step.  Do you glue the barcode on?  I assume you attach it to the exposed end of the split.


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## fossil (Nov 17, 2009)

BrotherBart said:
			
		

> ...The most time consuming for me is planing the splits to identical sizes and weights, bar coding each one and scanning the information into the database. The stacking goes really fast.



Yeah, that, and all the time spent on the bench-mounted belt sander to get the lengths just right and the ends perfect.  They sure do burn better than just regular old splits, though.  I think they appreciate all the extra attention and love and just want to do whatever they can to return the favor...and, after all, what do they know how to do other than to burn?   :coolsmile:   Rick


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## Tony H (Nov 17, 2009)

I do not bar code yet however to speed drying time I drill a hole two inches from the end of each split and string and hang them like popcorn on a tree , just make sure they are high enough you don't bonk your head on the when you ride thru on the lawn tractor BTW did you know those mowers with the hydrostatic transmissions will keep on going after you fall off and mow right over flowers and small bushes. True!


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## Backwoods Savage (Nov 17, 2009)

Mostly bark side up but if one happens to fit better the opposite way, that is how it gets stacked. Looking over my piles, it appears over 90% is bark side up.


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## Wet1 (Nov 17, 2009)

Backwoods Savage said:
			
		

> Mostly bark side up but if one happens to fit better the opposite way, that is how it gets stacked. Looking over my piles, it appears over 90% is bark side up.


+1


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## John the Painter (Nov 17, 2009)

I always stack bark down.As a kid I learned that the moisture would evaporate up and so it would be easier to dry.Wheither or not this is true I don't know but it was what I was taught.


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## kenny chaos (Nov 17, 2009)

John the Painter said:
			
		

> I always stack bark down.As a kid I learned that the moisture would evaporate up and so it would be easier to dry.Wheither or not this is true I don't know but it was what I was taught.






Yes, that is true.   You had a brilliant teacher.


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## firefighterjake (Nov 17, 2009)

I honestly don't think it really matters, but I've tended to stack the top layer or two of my stacks bark on the top and the wood's "meat" under . . . thinking perhaps like Quads that the bark was always exposed to the elements so I might as well let it continue its job in death as it did in life. I suppose a part of me is also thinking that the bark would help "shed" water since my stacks are left uncovered for a year until they go into the woodshed . . . but in reality the water, snow and ice will percolate down a bit into the wood anyways . . . again, I don't think it really matters which way the wood is stacked as long as it is stacked for several months.


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## NitroDave (Nov 17, 2009)

I stand them on end... like a little army of soldiers..... the trick is to get them to march into the funace room.


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## Corey (Nov 17, 2009)

I stack 'what ever fits best' side up.  and by fits best, I mean 'loose but still stable'.  This allows good air flow for seasoning, but keeps the pile stable.  In all my years of burning, I've never noticed any difference between a stick which was stacked bark up vs one which was bark down.


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## drdoct (Nov 17, 2009)

Nothing like a good question to draw out all the people with OCD.  I usually stack mine sideways with the bark.  heh... how's that for up or down? ;-)


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## smokinj (Nov 17, 2009)

definiteLEE said:
			
		

> My wood goes on a heap for 2 years then in the shed for 6-12 months.  Don't worry about what side up.


+1 but little less than2 years


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## raybonz (Nov 17, 2009)

One of my wood guys told me to always stack it bark side up because the bark holds water and I have found this to be true.. In fact my wood tends to mushroom if stacked the other way because of the moisture fungus has a field day!

Ray


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## gpcollen1 (Nov 17, 2009)

I find it amusing that folks do it one way or another - no offense.  I just split it an stack it so it does not fall over. All I do is make certain that the stack will never fall over...


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## FireaddictSC (Nov 17, 2009)

Who would have known that such a question would bring so many responses.  Thanks for all the feed back, next time i'm splitting and stacking i will think about something that could solve the economy woes and ask the question on here.  I'm sure we all have lots to say about that!


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## Valhalla (Nov 17, 2009)

Outdoor stacks have the splits placed for the best stability.    
In my shed and barn, the same for an obvious reason. 

The bark adds little moisture protection since rain water,
snow/ice melt and heavy dew can penetrate at all angles. 

Stability of my stacks is very important.


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## Gator eye (Nov 17, 2009)

Tony H said:
			
		

> I do not bar code yet however to speed drying time I drill a hole two inches from the end of each split and string and hang them like popcorn on a tree , just make sure they are high enough you don't bonk your head on the when you ride thru on the lawn tractor BTW did you know those mowers with the hydrostatic transmissions will keep on going after you fall off and mow right over flowers and small bushes. True!




Yeap those mower will keep right on going and going if you disconnect the seat sensor......they'll even drive themself into a pond.

BTW, Did you know that a lawn mower will float upside down with the rear tires just above the water line.........


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## firefighterjake (Nov 17, 2009)

FireaddictSC said:
			
		

> Who would have known that such a question would bring so many responses.  Thanks for all the feed back, _*next time i'm splitting and stacking i will think about something that could solve the economy woes and ask the question on here*_.  I'm sure we all have lots to say about that!



Yup . . . ask any question here and we can solve it . . . well most questions . . . I mean if you got a bunch of monkeys together pounding on enough keyboards for long enough they might be able to come up with the complete collection of Shakespeare right . . . I mean to say it's possible . . . and therefore if you ask a question and we all offer enough answers long enough who knows one of us might even come up with the right answer.


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## lexybird (Nov 17, 2009)

seems to me if you are letting it season for as long as you should be ..then it wont matter either way
wood that has sat for over a year or two usually has its  bark seperating and falling off the split anyhow


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## JoeyD (Nov 17, 2009)

BrotherBart said:
			
		

> fossil said:
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Does this really help to dry the woods more evenly? What do you do if once planed to size the weights don't match up? If it does help I'm going out to shop tonight and fixing next years wood tonight.  BTW I unusually stack with my bark N/S. This way the westerly winds hit bark side first.


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## raybonz (Nov 17, 2009)

JoeyD said:
			
		

> BrotherBart said:
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Bark holds water like a bowl... makes sense if you think about it... wood tends to be wet between the wood and the bark.. Check this with a moisture meter....

Ray


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## quads (Nov 18, 2009)

lexybird said:
			
		

> seems to me if you are letting it season for as long as you should be ..then it wont matter either way
> wood that has sat for over a year or two usually has its  bark seperating and falling off the split anyhow


The trees I cut have no bark on them.  I still stack the side the bark would have been on up.  Don't know if it makes any difference, I let them season for 3 - 5 years, but it somehow looks "right" to me.  The other way looks like upside down wood.


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## PJF1313 (Nov 18, 2009)

Gator eye said:
			
		

> Tony H said:
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... and a New Holland with a hammer knife will keep goin' until it drowns itself - just ask my boss ;-) .
  It took us a couple of hours, with a Case back hoe, a bunch of chain and cable and a couple of "wet" employees, to get it out.  After draining all the fluids, a few gallons worth, it restarted nicely, but hasn't been the same since.


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## Todd (Nov 18, 2009)

Probably doesn't make any difference either way since most of the moisture will evaporate from the split ends. I always stacked bark up to shed off water but now I have a wood shed and it gets stacked whichever way fits best.


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## kjayhawk (Nov 18, 2009)

John the Painter said:
			
		

> I always stack bark down.As a kid I learned that the moisture would evaporate up and so it would be easier to dry.Wheither or not this is true I don't know but it was what I was taught.



+1.

And it has played out in my red oak stacks this year. The splits stacked bark side up aren't ready. The splits stacked grain side up are.


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## Bone1099 (Nov 18, 2009)

after reading every post in this thread i went out and pushed over all my stacks of rounds turned em over and stacked em on three different sides still confused. so now im sitting in the middle of a pile of wood passed out drunk scratchin my head or ... is it my butt i dont even know my name any more.


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## Birdman1 (Nov 18, 2009)

I been stacking bark side down, gives my O.C.D. somethin to do so I can actually get stuff done.

Maybe next stack will be bark up or side ways.
As long as the O.C.D. is not focused on the edges of the stack all being lined up I might get some work
done, I just hope no one tells the O.C.D. on me cause then I will never get anything done.


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## maplewood (Nov 18, 2009)

Bark side up, mostly.
If the bark was good enough to handle the weather when the tree was standing, it's good enough to handle any downward weather (rain) while it's laying down.
If the bark starts to separate from the wood while drying, it tends to make a great water reservoir, so bark down can catch water and pool it, keeping moisture in my pile.  I want it to shed all the water away, so it can dry faster.
$0.02


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## afblue (Nov 18, 2009)

I mark the sides of the logs which side of the tree was North before I spilt them, then I strategically stack them north side of log up, and top side of tree pointed toward west. Stacking splits Feng Shui aligning the Heavans and the Earth, has dramatically improved my seasoning. Pointing the splits top ends towards the west also allows for optimal sunlight exposure and the rotational acceleration force of the earth drives the moisture out of the wood.


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## raybonz (Nov 18, 2009)

afblue said:
			
		

> I mark the sides of the logs which side of the tree was North before I spilt them, then I strategically stack them north side of log up, and top side of tree pointed toward west. Stacking splits Feng Shui aligning the Heavans and the Earth, has dramatically improved my seasoning. Pointing the splits top ends towards the west also allows for optimal sunlight exposure and the rotational acceleration force of the earth drives the moisture out of the wood.



Essentially you've created the worlds first earth powered wood drying centrifuge lol 

Ray


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## iceman (Nov 18, 2009)

i stack bark down,  the very top row i try to rectangle cut and thin as to form a mini roof over the rest...  dunno which is better but usually any wood that gets used at least 18 months later is always burnable


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## Valhalla (Nov 18, 2009)

Stack stability is primary. The splits will all season in time.


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## quads (Nov 18, 2009)

afblue said:
			
		

> I mark the sides of the logs which side of the tree was North before I spilt them, then I strategically stack them north side of log up, and top side of tree pointed toward west. Stacking splits Feng Shui aligning the Heavans and the Earth, has dramatically improved my seasoning. Pointing the splits top ends towards the west also allows for optimal sunlight exposure and the rotational acceleration force of the earth drives the moisture out of the wood.


Isn't that backwards?  If the tree in life wicked moisture into the wood with that side facing north, in death shouldn't that side be pointed south to allow the water to flow out of the splits and back into the Earth?  Harmony.


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## Bone1099 (Nov 19, 2009)

ive got a special steel device that seasons and burns the wood for me all at the same time lol


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## afblue (Nov 19, 2009)

quads said:
			
		

> afblue said:
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Great Now I need to restack Will remember to plant the trees roots down on arborist day.


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## yanksforever (Nov 19, 2009)

It don't make any difference. Just stack it and keep it off the ground in a sunny, windy area with just the top covered! That's it!!


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## Valhalla (Nov 19, 2009)

yanksforever said:
			
		

> It don't make any difference. Just stack it and keep it off the ground in a sunny, windy area with just the top covered! That's it!!



Fully agree! It all seasons in 12 to 18 months anyway, regardless how it is pointing, N, S, E or W.   

KISS principle = Keep It Simple S....


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## joat717 (Nov 19, 2009)

i justn stack it how it fits best and however it is most stable


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## quads (Nov 19, 2009)

yanksforever said:
			
		

> It don't make any difference. Just stack it and keep it off the ground in a sunny, windy area with just the top covered! That's it!!


Actually, I keep it even simpler than that.  I stack the bottom layer of splits directly on the ground, no cover, and regardless of shade or wind.  But I still lean towards bark side up.  ;-)


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