Insulation questions...Permanent yurt in Burleson County Texas...

[JaneinOz]

Hey all,

I have a yurt in Melbourne, Australia. We get pretty ridiculous and changeable weather here so after a few days of 35+C we will get a cool change. As mentioned above the yurt has virtually no thermal mass due to it's lightweight timber frame so it cools quickly as the air temperature cools, which is great. I originally had a rocket heater made from a converted beer keg but I found it too smoky and hot. It was also a bit of a bugger to keep lit with a busy lifestyle. e.g. not there to constantly feed it. I stunk like a mongolian yak herder which wasn't a great thing when getting ready to go out somewhere...smelling like a freshly smoked piece of jerky! So in a smoke induced rage fuelled moment, I bought a panel heater. JOY. 20C at the flick of a switch and cheaper than wood here. Less dragging crap in and out in the cold and rain also. I think a good quality, small wood heater would be perfect though and a little warmer for those -0 days, plus there's the atmosphere of the flames etc. Dead set romantic.

Summer. Let's talk about that. No shade and I absolutely cook. Both my goldfish died . The cats...don't mind it but last time we had 44C they were panting like dogs. (They do have a cat run tacked on but their instinct is to stay in the shade). So I shelled out for about $600 worth of double foil backed

insulation

. Gave myself a massive pat on the back for the skill with which I made the top. I removed the outer canvas and laid it on top. No mean feat in the wind. Then I taped the sides down. It was a sweaty frustrating day and my daughter cried. Anyway us two did it.
I got home from work all excited on the first hot day and it had made not one iota of difference to the internal temperature. I cried. I could have gone on a holiday to Bali for that cost. So I went out and bought a portable airconditioner. Works a treat, but another $350...(days spas and 5 star accommodation for the Bali holiday)...
The floor by the way, was insulated when I had it built.
NB.I have also found that adding the extra layer has changed the fit of the outer canvas and it doesn't wrap around as well. Catches the wind and starts to blow off.
So...they get cold. They get hot. I wish I had known that when I purchased it. It is beautiful and I love the aesthetic and convenience of it. I am however going to build a studio out of wood and be just slightly more thermally comfortable.

Cheers all
Jane

[Wintergreen282]

For about $20 I made screen inserts for both my doors. Just 1x2's wood frames (w/a center T for stability) and a roll of screening stapled on - all bought at Home Depot. I began mostly to add a cat door wo/cutting the canvas walls. So starting on the front, side-by-side door, one side now has a nailed in "screen insert". It let in so much great air, I quickly made one for the back door. I cover the screened frame with a polyglass piece in the winter - except for the cat door. And stash the back door insert when winter comes. I chose not to attach it with hinges.

After that I never opened the windows. Just leave the plastic part on because of frequent rain and too much planning ahead for opening and closing. And also to avoid the creepy things living around the windows. Bleck.

Off topic. Because I leave the plastic windows on all the time and they get a lot of sun (great solar

heating

in the winter). They were getting pretty cloudy after 7 years. So last year I went to JoAnn Fabrics and bought 4 yards of their heaviest clear plastic. They cut it nice and straight. Came home, dug out the old sewing machine, fired up the generator, and sewed Velcro on all the edges. So far so good. Making it through the winter just fine. Last month, one of the old, cloudy windows split - just popped 10" slits - while I was sliding some Reflextics between the lattice and window during a -10 F cold snap. (A very prolonged -10 cold snap - brrrr). So that window is duct taped in spots until spring. I'm hoping this time to re-use the old Velcro which still seems fine.

So! Homemade Yurt Screen Door Inserts. Two thumbs up!! Easy to construct. Look great. Just take the time to cut accurately and fit the frame to the door. New clear windows. Also seem good. Check, check.

Oh. While I'm thinking about Yurt Hacks. I also made small rain diverters (?) for the doors during heavy rains. I would get rain blowing in and puddling at the door bottoms. Ugh. Never good.

For that issue, a flexible dowel (more than 1/4", less than 1/2") cut slightly larger than the width of the door. Then I taped a piece of old brown tarp to the dowel. Like a tiny shower curtain, but shorter. Maybe 18"? That is rolled up and stashed until the big rain storms appear. Then I just open the door and wedge it about 12" from the bottom - with the plastic draped over the outer step. Works pretty well for me. Mostly the wetness clings it in place - except for the swirliest of winds.

You can make the plastic however long you want and might need to tie off the bottoms if esp windy. I sometimes do that at the front door on long storms to keep the plastic "tented out" so the cat door is still functional.

What's your best yurt hack(s)?

Snowing here in NH. Beautiful. Be well, yurtiverse buddies.

[JaneinOz]

Thanks for the tips Wintergreen282 and kudos for you living in a yurt for 7 years.
I had screen doors made for my front door so when that's open they are inside and I have flywire on them. Lovely. I also tacked flywire on my outward opening SW window and added an external hook to close it. They normally slide bolt from the inside so when the weather cools I'll take the flymesh down again. The other window NE I have no mesh in so I have to close it at dusk or I get eaten alive. I haven't bothered meshing it because it opens into the cat run so no cat security issues there. Australia basically invented every crawling and biting thing but so far I've only had a couple of spiders which catch the mozzies anyway. I am waiting for a tiger snake to come crawling through the cat flap though! Hopefully the step up and the cats will discourage it.
The cross ventilation works quite well on warm days as I also have half mesh/half plexiglass in the crown. But on really hot days I have to cover everything as it all adds up to

heating

the yurt immensely.
I also have issues with water pouring under the doors when it rains. So many soggy mats! I might try your awning idea. I siliconed along where the door frame meets the floor which helped a lot but it still comes in when the rain is pelting on the door.
A note regarding the foil

insulation

is I think it works best when there is a cavity between it and the radiant heat. So sandwiching it in between two layers of canvas doesn't enable it to work properly. I'm wondering if I hung it inside on the lattice then covered it with something decorative like muslin, whether that would work better. Then there would be a gap. If I'm in the yurt next summer I'll try it as it sure isn't doing anything where it is. Winter may be another story though. It might be slightly warmer with the radiant heat emanating from inside.

Cheers all

[burttheyurt]

Sounds awesome and I'm interested to hear about how it turns out.
If you're used to heat and won't be inside the yurt much during the day then I guess it's not really much of a problem, especially if you've got a lake close by.

Keep us updated!

[Bob Rowlands]

Good positive posts. It's my opinion that success in a project is directly correlated to how folks apply themselves to their endeavor. 'The power of positive thinking." goes a long way towards attaining your goal. Be confident you WILL build skill as you apply yourself. Be very aware using power tools. and/or get help as you learn. Good luck.

[Great Lakes Yurt Co.]

I have been pleased with the ROI on the reflective prodex insulation. It's not going to hold heat or keep cool quite like bigger thicker conventional insulation, but for just a few hundred extra dollars you could fully insulate a 24' Yurt no problem with this stuff and it definitely does a job worth that much. We were working a 20' Yurt this summer with it fully insulated with this stuff and it was outside temp of 90F and inside the Yurt was high 70's so it wasn't a dramatic drop in temp during the summer but enough that you were glad it was there. Or you can always turn it into a Hot Yoga studio....

[Corvi&Alexis2018]

@Bob Rowlands,
Thank you. I am familiar with tools and power tools thankfully. I have build small things before and chicken coops. I just don't have any construction experience with a house or similar type dwelling. I am reading all I can and asking lots of questions. We will definitely learn as we go. By the end of this endeavor, my wife and I will be able to build a yurt no problem. Especially since every structure on the property will be round that includes animal stalls/coops. =)

[Bob Rowlands]

You have a good attitude. Building a yurt isn't easy, but, it is doable for someone with basic skills that has a good plan, and a positive 'can do, and WILL do.' attitude. Best to you.

[Albert Mongol Ail]

It is a bit of a late reply, but nevertheless:

Firstly, you have already heard about the chimny effect of a yurt and how to use it. I have a slight improvement on it though which I am going to test next summer, hopefully.

If you build your yurt on an elevated wooden platform with a crawl space under, and install ventilation inlets in the floor inside the yurt all around the diameter of the wall, you can actually tap into the colder air under the platform, which shades the soil from the sun. Also, if you dig a deeper hole under the platform, you can use the chimney effect to get the cold air from the hole into the yurt. This needs some engineering planning though. But it is still way simpler and more natural than air conditioning. Also, it cannot break down.

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[Lucy Ina Yurt]

Originally Posted by Albert Mongol Ail

It is a bit of a late reply, but nevertheless:

Firstly, you have already heard about the chimny effect of a yurt and how to use it. I have a slight improvement on it though which I am going to test next summer, hopefully.

If you build your yurt on an elevated wooden platform with a crawl space under, and install ventilation inlets in the floor inside the yurt all around the diameter of the wall, you can actually tap into the colder air under the platform, which shades the soil from the sun. Also, if you dig a deeper hole under the platform, you can use the chimney effect to get the cold air from the hole into the yurt. This needs some engineering planning though. But it is still way simpler and more natural than air conditioning. Also, it cannot break down.

Sent from my Redmi 4A using Tapatalk

That's what I'm planning to do. I'll be interested to learn how you got on.