Q: Which fabrics & qualities for roofs and walls?

[TSRalex]

Which fabrics and qualities are best for roofs and walls of Yurts, which are placed in rainy and cooler areas?

The individual manufacturers are mostly telling only little details about the used fabrics - I would be interested into weight, density, water column, etc.

As example:

@Pacific Yurts writes only "Our standard side cover is made of an acrylic coated polyester fabric that has proven to be superior to heavier polyester/cotton blend fabrics."
And they tell about guarantees of standard and premium covers - but I did not find anything concerning differences in qualities.

Why is this handled so "mysteriously" by the manufacturers?

[Yurtman]

You have opened up a minefield here.
My yurts are made with 10.10 Sunforger marine canvas, cotton army duck.
Most permenant yurt manufacturers use vinyl etc
We much prefer the cotton because our customer base prefers it and it’s better suited to our

camping yurts

because it’s a more natural product, it’s somewhat breathable and it folds up easy and is more compact.
We get a few customers that adapt my yurts to live in and for these customers I always suggest having a vinyl roof as it’s completely waterproof and will last 10-15 years or more.
Manufactures like it because if this, but also you can cut it and not have to hem the edge like canvas. You can also glue it which is much faster than sewing it. Vinyl or other materials will also last way longer than canvas.

I’m sure if you enquire with the various yurt makers, they will tell you the type and weight of their materials.

[Bob Rowlands]

I had a 17oz cotton canvas cover, water and mold treated. It was on the yurt full time for 6.5 years here in semi arid Colorado. First two years were excellent. Third year good. Last two years staring to leak a bit, and absolutely shot and leaking alot after five years. My yurt never had any issue with being stuffy and unpleasant inside. That is an attribute of canvas. Let me tell you that is 'stellar' service for canvas. Imagine leaving a pair of jeans jeans in the weather for five years.

As for other fabrics, no experience, so no comment. If I was going to live in a yurt long term, there is NO doubt I'd do the fifteen year cover offered by some top notch yurt company.

[TSRalex]

Originally Posted by Yurtman

You have opened up a minefield here.

That wasn´t my intention.

Originally Posted by Yurtman

We get a few customers that adapt my yurts to live in and for these customers I always suggest having a vinyl roof as it’s completely waterproof and will last 10-15 years or more.

I agree with such thoughts, because durability is a main point for an buyer.

Our biggest tent maker here in Austria shows the available fabrics for each of his product groups on his website.

My favorite for an Yurt roof would be this fabric:
https://www.sattler-global.com/desig..._id=10&lang=en
although they are suggesting for Yurts other materials:
https://protex.sattler.com/en/fabric...fa537fb18ceda6

Originally Posted by Yurtman

I’m sure if you enquire with the various yurt makers, they will tell you the type and weight of their materials.

Maybe some of them are reading this thread and are open to share their material details with the community, because I´m sure, that a lot of other readers are interested too!

[James]

we sure are but for me , I can not get buffalo hide anymore like in the 80 but my brother is a cattle farmer that leather is just as good, I do not know all the stuffy you, want to know but I can tell you that the leather hide I have used on yurts/ger are still standing up after 21 years, yes about every 2 years I spray water proofing on it and clean it, about every 5 too 6 years I take it all down and inspect it and put it back on, and the sticks as well no problem, the ger is a live in all year up in a tree 15 foot its a 30 foot yurt, it has flushing composting toilets, running water basacally everything you have in your house I have in that ger, it started out as a hunting platform now it encompasing 6 tree,s well anyway good luck and let us know if you find out any information.

[Bob Rowlands]

30' yurt 15' up a tree(s)...man I love to see photos of that.

[TSRalex]

Coming back to my search for "the best" quality for roofs and walls of Yurts I checked Duro-Last a little bit, but I´m confused on their product variants.

They offer Roof Membrane in 40, 50 and 60 mil thickness - which is usually chosen by the Yurt-supplier?

[Bob Rowlands]

Ralex, call and talk over your yurt roof application with them? Folks like me that don't know squat about the product are gonna be guessing. All I know is cotton and cotton/polyester canvas. Good luck.

[Jafo]

I would assume thicker, the better. Mine is using it but I could not tell you what the thickness is. All I can say is the stuff is nearly bullet-proof.