All I know is that after being CSS'd for 5-6 years, most of the RO bark just pops off the splits. Some with a little effort. Some of it doesn't want to pop off at all.
On my oak stacks where the piles are in full sun for a good part of the day, the bark falls off within a year or two. Shaded stacks it tends to stay on. That’s been my observation anyway.
My experience, if the rounds (or 1/2rounds) dry quickly (so good exposure to wind and sun), bark falls off much quicker than if I make a huge mountain of rounds. Those in the bottom/center, bark will hang tight.
I’d also like to know why some standing dead are barkless and others just get punky under bark that doesn’t fall off.
If you were milling for furniture or a bar slab, keeping the bark on would be a good thing. I’m just looking for the opposite for cleaner looking firewood. (I sell in smaller loads)
Some species sapwood rots quicker? The dead standing chestnut oak I’ve been cutting for years, and typical of white oak, the sapwood and bark fall off and make a huge mess. Mulberry, locust, walnut, ash, cherry.. sapwood doesn’t leave a mess (for me).
If I had my pick of nice bark falling off Red Oaks I’d go with all Black Oak and Southern Red. They are my favorites for clean and straight splits.
When it's dry, it burns great! My problem is all the nasty crumbs from the punky outer layer. I sell to city people, that I swear would prefer I bring lumber rather than "firewood"
I have noticed that some of the dead standing oak the bark falls right off with no rot of the sapwood, others the bark holds tight. It seems that maybe if the tree died with the sap up then fungus growth holds the bark tight and the sapwood starts rotting. I have no idea if this is correct or not, it’s something I’ve thought a lot about also.
