Moisture in the Yurt from Condensation

[SeverTheTether]

We ended up getting a large de-humidifier. Between the wood stove and the dehumidifier, we can keep the relative humidity around 40-45 inside.

We gave up trying to vent with the dome, just not a possibility in the extreme cold climate we are in. (We have had 23 < -20'F days already this winter.) We also have a screen insert for our dome, we took that down, and at the suggestion of someone in another thread, put some heavy mil tent vinyl from the fabric store on the top side of the screen and velcro'd it down. This makes a fairy good seal to prevent moisture from getting up in the dome area. Now with the dehumidifier, we keep it relatively dry in there. We get plenty of frost on the inside of the outer layer of tent fabric, but that has been there since it got cold and actually acts as more insulation. We will have to check it out in the spring to make sure it drys when the temps warm up.

We tried using the dome to vent, but it just does not work in the extreme cold. We get way too much frost up there, then when the sun comes out, it melts. 1/2 of it rains down inside the yurt, and the other half, rolls down to the lip of the dome and freezes (think ice dams) to the edge of the dome, at that point, you can't even close the dome anymore.

We also found that too much heat exited through the dome after we got a little ice on the edges and it wouldn't seal anymore. Not a good thing.

Now we keep it around 40-45 relative humidity with a dehumidifier, the temp is always between about 58'F and 68'F (it warms up quite a bit when the sun comes out.), and we are quite comfortable. No more dome problems. We did cut a slit in the vinyl for the dome opener, so we can open the dome up there when the temps rise, but there is little point with the vinyl in there.

We did try cutting a 2" thick piece of rigid foam board in the shape of the screen and put it up there in place of the screen. It worked very well, but we lost all that sunlight, which we were not willing to give up. That is what lead us to try the vinyl insert, which has worked so well, that I think we will stick with it!

Incidentally, you can also hang dry clothes by placing them over the dehumidifier. The dry air that comes out the top of the unit dries clothes quickly, and much more efficiently than a dryer.