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Yurt Insulation for full time living in Uk

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mischiefntrouble1

New member
We're looking into getting a Yurt to live in full time, we live in the UK, would bubble wrap help to insulate? Or would this cause damp problems? This year the temps fell to about -17c we shall be having a 13kw log burning stove, is there anyone else on this forum that lives full time in the UK in there Yurt, we shall be going off grid so this will be making life even more fun?
Regards Tracey
 
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Re: Insulation for full time living in Uk

Tracey,

Welcome to the forum! I think bubble wrap would help and as long as you vent the roof a bit from the center, there shouldn't be moisture issues especially if you are burning wood. Radiant wood burning heat has a tendency to dry things out. I always thought log burning stoves were uncommon in the UK?

- Jeff
 
Re: Insulation for full time living in Uk

Hi Jeff, thank you for replying, the wood burner we're looking at is also going to be the oven, but will have a gas burner for summer to cook, I'm not sure about how common they are here? But for us not an option as we'll be going off grid totally so should be a fun transition? I've also thought off winter duvet's but not sure if this will cause a moister or damp problem? Do you think this should work? At present we're in a caravan, and for the awning we've used loft insulation but this would be to heavy for a Yurt, but it makes it really toasty warm in the winter. We'll be living in the Yurt for about the next 5 years so doing all the research we can and what works best, I've looked on the net but can't find the product Pacific Yurts use as there insulation?
Again thank you and would love to hear off any suggestions and advise
Tracey x x x
 
Re: Insulation for full time living in Uk

mischiefntrouble1 said:
I've looked on the net but can't find the product Pacific Yurts use as there insulation?
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You can buy it at B & Q. That's without the white inner lining that Pacific Yurts puts on it however so you'll have to sort something else out to avoid the 'I'm living in a space ship' look.

You'll want to really pay attention to your ventilation however as mould is a real problem in the UK's maritime climate if you seal up the yurt too tightly. The alu-foil does not breathe of course.

We had great problems with this in Scotland and we were in the 'sunny' north-east on the Moray Firth. We finally installed a little air/air heat exchanger that worked a treat and solved the problems as well as kept the heat inside. Not an option if you are off-grid of course.
 
Re: Insulation for full time living in Uk

My boyfriend and I are talking of living off the grid so would really like to know more of your experiences, and if anyone else here in the UK is doing something similar, please share.

Cheers,

YG
 
Re: Insulation for full time living in Uk

Ygerna said:
My boyfriend and I are talking of living off the grid so would really like to know more of your experiences
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I have no experience of off-grid I'm afraid. We used mains electrics for both ventilation and lighting.
 
Re: Insulation for full time living in Uk

Hiya! I'm a little late in the thread here (I'm a newbie), I live in Wiltshire UK, full time in a yurt. I made 20 ft yurt with my BF 3 years ago, but we separated and I'm now in a temporary 14 ft, but am planning to build my own 18ft over the next couple of months.

Re: Insulation....just a quick thing I have experienced.... for the UK I went for a wool/felt mix which is wonderfully warm and cosy, but it does have a tendency to wick the water through off the canvas above of your canvas tends to hold a lot of water. For our weather I recommend lining in between the insulation and canvas, using Tyvek house wrap. Extra, insulation and good wet weather protection :-D
 
Re: Insulation for full time living in Uk

Ygerna said:
My boyfriend and I are talking of living off the grid so would really like to know more of your experiences, and if anyone else here in the UK is doing something similar, please share.

Cheers,

YG
Click to expand...


Hi Where abouts are you? I'm in Wiltshire......good to find other yurt dwellers!!
 
Re: Insulation for full time living in Uk

Hi, spotted that you mentioned a stove. I found these, they look yurt-tastic (I'm getting a duo, it's coming aaaall the way to NZ on a ship :)).
Cooking Stoves
Just thought I'd share :)
 
I live in my yurt in Oxford. I've got sheep felt for insulation and a Windy Smithy Louis Ranger. It gets too hot sometimes. Lots of thick rugs or carpet on the floor is a good idea too. This winter isn't cold though! Unless you're in Scotland perhaps. Last year was.
 
Re: Insulation for full time living in Uk

For the water problem you just need to stick Fabsil on the canvas at least once a year, especially on the side that gets most sun as the UV wears it away. £22 for 5 litres from ebay, 2 of those cans does it. I just got the can and poured it on and it stopped most of the water. Use a caulking gun around the edges and stitches. Ground sheet, stick some rocks under the stitching for the ground sheet. Decking with ridges on on to take away the water.

Nothing will completely stop these Atlantic storms though!
 
Re: Insulation for full time living in Uk

Amy Amelia said:
Hi Where abouts are you? I'm in Wiltshire......good to find other yurt dwellers!!
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Hi, I am totally new to the Yurt scene, i am currently thinking\planning on living in a year within the next year, when i graduate university. I am based in Bath and my bf in Wiltshire so it would be nice to get to know you guys and hear about your experiences living in a yurt!

..also have never really used a forum before so please bare with me!
 
Does anyone know a good way to attach insulation at the crown of a bentwood yurt please..mine is velcroed to each of the cake like segments but Im having difficulty getting it to stay in place at the crown
 
Re: Insulation for full time living in Uk

Did you hear from anyone and did you live in the yurt...it is sometime later now!!
 
tsubo said:
Does anyone know a good way to attach insulation at the crown of a bentwood yurt please..mine is velcroed to each of the cake like segments but Im having difficulty getting it to stay in place at the crown
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I put some holes a few inches down and tied it to the crown using hemp rope. I found it held it in place till the canvas was added, which weighed it down and kept it there. 7 years down the line and it hasn't moved yet.



Hope that helps!
 
Re: Insulation for full time living in Uk

Amy Amelia said:
Hiya! I'm a little late in the thread here (I'm a newbie), I live in Wiltshire UK, full time in a yurt. I made 20 ft yurt with my BF 3 years ago, but we separated and I'm now in a temporary 14 ft, but am planning to build my own 18ft over the next couple of months.

Re: Insulation....just a quick thing I have experienced.... for the UK I went for a wool/felt mix which is wonderfully warm and cosy, but it does have a tendency to wick the water through off the canvas above of your canvas tends to hold a lot of water. For our weather I recommend lining in between the insulation and canvas, using Tyvek house wrap. Extra, insulation and good wet weather protection :-D
Click to expand...

Amy Amelia - I am going to live temporarily in a fabric yurt while I build my 30ft Smiling Woods Yurt with wooden frame walls. The temporary yurt will have a wool felt layer (plus a canvas, a silicone and then a polyester inner liner). This is in a cold climate in Pennsylvania. Is it worth getting 2 felt layers for added warmth? Helpful to hear from those who have tested out various configurations.
 
Hi guys,

Excited to have found this thread! I’m in Somerset in case any of you wescountry peeps are still active on here?! I put up a small (10-ft) yurt in my garden this summer not to live in but to use as a space for yoga and also offering 1-1 sessions. I do sleep in it some of the time as I love waking up here but have no idea how that will pan out after this very mild autumn breaks!!

Have a woodburning stove and insulated very simply using recycled wool felt (sold as carpet underlay) around the lattice and above the rafters. It’s directly in contact with the canvas tho so I’m a bit alarmed (and grateful!) for the warnings here. Especially as I’m quite allergic to mould.

When I light the stove it works amazingly and I really heat it through whenever it’s a damp day - but only for a fee hours. I’m looking into infra red underfloor heating as that’s amazingly low consumption. Not what I would have originally considered as I’d love this to be as carbon neutral as possible- but realising the practical implications of having a part-time yurt in a damp climate, especially if I go away for more than a few days… And then just read on another thread on here from someone with underfloor who says they have no condensation issues…

Any input on maintaining part-time-used yurts through a UK winter (am I mad to even try?!) or on underfloor heating very gratefully appreciated! Thanks :-)
 
In a wet climate, heating the yurt every day with your stove, or any other source of dry heat, is very good.

I live in a semi arid climate that rarely gets wet and stays wet. I had no wool insulation under my waterproofed canvas cover. The factory waterproofing in my canvas cover was great the first year. After that first year though, my canvas started getting wet. Firing the stove would dry it out, unless it was raining or snowing heavily when it was being fired. My cover lasted about five or six years, the last couple years it leaked when wet.

With a cotton canvas cover in a truly wet environment, I'd consider erecting a plastic tarp over the yurt. I regularly see plastic tarps draped on top of canvas wall tents in high mountain tent camp.

If you regularly get a soaked cover, that stays wet, and results in the insulation getting wet as well, it would be worth it to install a tarp directly on top of the yurt, with a hole for the stove pipe, and tie out the tarp with guylines so the yurt isn't totally encapsulated by the tarp. Just pull the guylines such that you make the square tarp fit the conic roof.

Got no other suggestion. Good luck!
 
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Hi Bob,

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. I really appreciate your suggestions - and also just the report on how your canvas lasted. It's clearly something I need to think about ASAP before the winter really kicks in! :)
 
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