First Time Yurt Builder - many questions

[ejb]

Hi all,

First time yurt builder and first post here.

I'm looking at building a 20' yurt this summer and have a ton of questions. I'm going to buy a vinyl cover from two girls farm in NH (I'm in Maine) and I want to make the lattice and rafters with dimensional lumber (ripped down, etc.).

How do I determine how many pieces of lattice I need? I want 6' walls so using 8' lengths of lattice, one piece spans 5.29' laterally at 48.6 degrees. This gives me slightly vertical diamonds.

If someone could give me a ballpark width for a door and help me figure out how many pieces of lattice I need, it would be much appreciated!

Also, how does the number of rafters relate to the number of lattice? Does a rafter connect to each lattice tip?

Also, how do I figure out where to drill holes for where the lattice overlap and get tied together?

In regards to the platform, does a 20' yurt sit on an exactly 20' platform? Does the platform need to be wider so that the lattice has something to sit on? Does the lattice get attached to the platform?

Thanks for the help... many more questions to come!

Elliot