some questions about staying warm -- floor insulation and heating

[monika]

hi all! i'm putting up a 15' yurt a little north of the Bay Area, California.

the yurt will be on a raised platform, and i am thinking about insulating the floor with 1/2 in memory foam. this seems like a cost effective way for comfort and warmth. anyone experimented with this before?


i have some questions about wood stove piping. it is predicted to be a wet winter in n california. if so, will the insulated piping be necessary? this is the more expensive part of the pipe.

i have the stove an no piping. is there an inexpensive option?

thanks! full moon blessings.

[hierony]

If I recall, the insulated piping serves two purposes: keep the innermost pipe surface hot to reduce creosote buildup and also to keep the exterior of the pipe cool to reduce burn/fire hazards. It might also help with draft. I would not put a single-walled stove pipe near canvas or wood. There's probably a standard somewhere about this. I'm sure some more experienced wood burners will comment.

Are you putting your wood stove in the center of the yurt or near the wall? If it's in the center, it can be pretty easy to send the chimney out the crown ring (unless it's a polymer dome). Otherwise I think there are heat-resistant silicone matts to patch into the canvas where the chimney has to exit that is commonly used. Or you could use a short section of double/triple-walled stove pipe near the canvas. Maybe.

As for

insulation

, memory foam would probably work. Basically, anything that is light & fluffy that can be put in place works as

insulation

, as long as it won't be eaten/lived in by critters or decay quickly (depending on your standards). If the price is right, why not? I'd also be tempted by rug pads/carpet underlayment.

[Jafo]

You really only use the double walled insulated pipe anywhere near combustibles, such as when you go through a wall/roof or where the pipe is close to materials. That pipe is probably your #1 defense against finding yourself waking up in the middle of a round inferno. Cheap out on the stove, the hearth or even the wood long before you do so on the stove pipe.

Indoors, you can have single walled pipe until you get close to combustibles. Outdoors, that pipe will have a limited life and will rust. The insulated pipe however will probably outlive you.

Memory foam? You mean like the kind that goes on beds? I guess it might work but I would be a little concerned with rodents making homes with it.

[jeritchie]

I would recommend SIP (Structurally Insulated Panel) sections for your flooring - Strong and Insulated. I think 4" thick SIPs are R-25 (doing this from memory).

[Bob Rowlands]

As Jafo said, double wall pipe is the way to go where the stack goes through the ring. I 'sleeved' a four foot section of 8" pipe over the 6" stack where it exits the ring. Even with a wide open stove the ring and canvas don't get so hot I can't touch them. Probably ten inches of clearance maximum from pipe to combustibles. Do not fill the gap between the two pipes with fiberglass.

As for insulating the floor, spend the money and do it. I didn't and that was a mistake.

[monika]

thanks everyone for responding!

i am grateful for the insight

[thebitmaster]

I'm currently building a platform for my 12' yurt, and was intrigued by these guys as an alternative to SIPS for areas not needing a huge amount of insulation:

Amdry 2.09 in. x 2 ft. x 4 ft. OSB Insulated R7 Subfloor Panel-AMD0150G - The Home Depot

They've got the OSB on top, insulation underneath, and vented vapor barrier on the bottom. I live in central Texas, so the R7 on the floor is probably plenty.

I'm designing my platform to be light, modular, and easy to move and level, anticipating semi-frequent moves. I'm trying to make so that no component is larger than 4'x'4'. I'll post a new thread with the design once I think I'm nearly done.