Earthen Floor and Foam Glass Foundations...

[moosemaster]

Hello Yurt folk! Tried posting before but it seems to have been lost to the ether...

Considering sticking up a Yurt or two for permenant residence on the west coast of Scotland. Investigating the different approaches to platforms/foundations. Here's my current thinking - part inspired by this article.

Level the area, lay perimeter of foam glass filled sacks:





Pack the inside with more foam glass:



Stake in some ply formwork:



Install some kind of lime-stabilized/soilcrete/rammed earth floor:



My intention is that the yurt cover will drape over the raised earthen floor.

Earth can be bermed up against the side of the exposed poly sacks to protect them from the elements.

I have to determine what kind of earthen floor will be best to use - given that I'm unsure of the soil type on site and the climate is predominantly damp - we'd be able to stick a tarp over it but that's about it.

How best to seal the skirt and secure a yurt in this set-up?

Any feedback/advice/experience/abuse welcome!

Sean

[moosemaster]

Here's the fixed link for the article:

http://www.earthbagbuilding.com/pdf/...-for-Yurts.pdf

[hierony]

Depending on the type of yurt you have (I'm guessing _not_ modern but traditional/diy), you won't have to attach to the platform. However, having some form of lip to keep the lattice from shifting off the platform in high winds/lateral forces is important. The lip also provides something against which your cover, outer canvas, and

moisture

barrier can seal (insulation and lattice go inside the lip, those others go outside) to reduce air infiltration (which will suck the heat out of the yurt).

I contemplated a setup like what you present, but I didn't like the idea of leaving a small gravel pit when I left. Also, it seemed like more work compared to a strawbale platform, the straw of which can either be transported to a new location or used for mulch/gardening afterwards. But we each have our own priorities.

[Bob Rowlands]

My platform has no skirt. Instead, I attached the lowest lattice cross to the deck with 'ell' anchors. I made them from 3/4" x 1/8" strap mild steel bought from the hardware store. Started as 36" lengths. Cut to 6". Bend the steel into an ell using the bench vise. Mark hole location for through bolt in lattice, and a hole to screw the anchor to the deck. Drill and install. That yurt ain't going nowhere. lol

[moosemaster]

Originally Posted by hierony

Depending on the type of yurt you have (I'm guessing _not_ modern but traditional/diy), you won't have to attach to the platform. However, having some form of lip to keep the lattice from shifting off the platform in high winds/lateral forces is important. The lip also provides something against which your cover, outer canvas, and

moisture

barrier can seal (insulation and lattice go inside the lip, those others go outside) to reduce air infiltration (which will suck the heat out of the yurt).

I contemplated a setup like what you present, but I didn't like the idea of leaving a small gravel pit when I left. Also, it seemed like more work compared to a strawbale platform, the straw of which can either be transported to a new location or used for mulch/gardening afterwards. But we each have our own priorities.

We're eyeing up these yurts at the moment, they're apparently holding up in the Scottish climate:

Photos - www.highlandyurts.com

The lip makes perfect sense, that's a nice simple solution. I can have the plywood formwork/retaining band proud of the earthen floor - we have a lip.

I'll attach the ply to batons within the floor to keep it fixed when I remove the stakes.

I've seen mention on this forum of weatherstripping which will make a nice seal between the covers and lip.

In our climate I don't think straw would last long and we'll be in the yurts for a couple of years hopefully. The foam glass is pretty light stuff it should be easy to scoop out and re-appropriate if we break apart the platform. And the site we'll be building on looks like a bomb site - I would share your concerns if we were somewhere more picturesque!

Originally Posted by Bob Rowlands

My platform has no skirt. Instead, I attached the lowest lattice cross to the deck with 'ell' anchors. I made them from 3/4" x 1/8" strap mild steel bought from the hardware store. Started as 36" lengths. Cut to 6". Bend the steel into an ell using the bench vise. Mark hole location for through bolt in lattice, and a hole to screw the anchor to the deck. Drill and install. That yurt ain't going nowhere. lol

Thanks Bob, something like this right?



We'll stick them in should our earthen floor prove hard enough to fix them to.

[Bob Rowlands]

If you are interested in photos of how I anchored my yurt, copy and paste:

Bob Rowlands home made yurt

My yurt is the rustic looking yurt with the hunter green door. There are several detail shots. Before I built the platform I anchored the yurt to ten concrete piers set flush with the ground around the yurt perimeter. There is cable running through eyes set in the top of those piers. You can see the anchor ropes for the roof canvas and the rafter bridle anchored to that system. Not hardly nomadic but I don't care. I lost my first unanchored yurt in a snowstorm. Eight full days of work lost in seconds. NEVER again.

[moosemaster]

Originally Posted by Bob Rowlands

If you are interested in photos of how I anchored my yurt, copy and paste:

Bob Rowlands home made yurt

My yurt is the rustic looking yurt with the hunter green door. There are several detail shots. Before I built the platform I anchored the yurt to ten concrete piers set flush with the ground around the yurt perimeter. There is cable running through eyes set in the top of those piers. You can see the anchor ropes for the roof canvas and the rafter bridle anchored to that system. Not hardly nomadic but I don't care. I lost my first unanchored yurt in a snowstorm. Eight full days of work lost in seconds. NEVER again.

Nice yurt Bob! Looks pretty bombproof how you've set up. Don't think our winds get quite that high but I will definitely consider doing something similar.

[Bob Rowlands]

There isn't a snowballs chance in hell that yurt will ever get blown off the deck. Hurricane force winds would trash it in a heartbeat for sure, but at least I won't blame myself for not having done my best to anchor that mother. Considering how depressed I got after the first yurt was wasted, and I gotta tell you I was major depressed there for about a week, all due to a stupid lapse in judgement. This go round, if it occurs, it sure ain't gonna be on me.