Cover material guidance please.

[Michael]

I'm building a 21' yurt that's going to be used as a near permanent residence. It will be in Kamloops, BC, it's quite dry there but still needs to be protected from the rain and snow.

I've perused and questioned and I'm still not clear on what type of material would be best to use to stitch my cover from.

I've been advised 18 oz. vinyl coated polyester, 19 oz. acrylic coated poly ester and also canvas.

Does anyone have an educated opinion they would like to share?

Thanks so much

[hierony]

Depends on how you take care of it, how much you want to spend, what your sewing machine can handle (if you're sewing it), how long you want it to last, whether you're trying to avoid synthetics, etc, etc.

A lot of the big american yurts use the coated polyester (I think)--they last something like 10-15 or more years from their claims. The slippery nature helps snow slid off. Not breathable--can exacerbate humidity issues.

Canvas can be good--said to last somewhere around 3-5+ years, depending on care. Must be dried out frequently (ie, run the wood stove hot, lift the skirt some and open the crown ring on a sunny day) if in damp areas. If I recall, sometimes cheaper. Breathable.

In all cases, UV is your enemy (ages materials). High humidity may lead to mold/mildew problems. Trees/birds dirty the cover, so placement is a factor.