Tips for building a yurt

[hierony]

You'll need to do some basic design work to figure out how much lumber you'll need.

If you'll be doing a modern-style yurt, you have the crown ring, maybe 40 roof poles (often machine rated 2x4 or 2x6), vertical supports at the wall end under each rafter, plus a light-weight lattice. So you'd need to know the crown ring diameter, roof pitch, and wall height to estimate total lumber. Since the lattice will only be giving shape/supporting the wall canvas, it can be pretty lightweight--say 1/8" thick strips setup on 12-16" spacing. You could potentially rip the lathe from high quality lumber (knots will problematic).

If you're leaning towards a more tradition-style yurt, for the larger yurts think upwards of 90 roof poles (2x2) each supported by a junction on top of your lattice. The lattice should also be a lot thicker, like 1/2" or so. Lattice junction/roof pole spacing at the wall would be around 10-12". You'll need a little more than twice as many lathe pieces as roof poles. Crown ring supports are also recommended, especially for snow or high wind areas.

Like Bob mentioned, some engineering is going to be important with the larger yurts. I think it is important to be aware of the forces & the risks. A pretty low, basic snow loading in a lot of areas is ~20 lbs/sq ft. A 28 ft yurt would need to support up to 12300 lbs (5.5 metric tons) in that case. There's also wind loads to consider (especially if near open waters), the weight of the canvas &

insulation

(pretty minor), and on the special occasion getting up onto the yurt roof. If you can run the numbers and feel comfortable with doing it yourself, then by all means do so--that is your choice. Or if you have yurt cultural experience that informs your design (ie, trial & error over centuries...).

An excellent site, with online calculators, is https://simplydifferently.org/Yurt_Diary

[sunshine coaster]

Thank you for this information..This is a huge undertaking for me. I am very excited to be on this path...Any information I get is helpful....What a great site

[Bob Rowlands]

If you are really serious about building a yurt you need to do your homework on what a yurt is made from, its design, etc. I gave you a very good link, so study that in detail.

To ask us to give a materials list on a 28' yurt out of the blue is asking alot. IMO you would be way ahead building one 16' yurt, and learning from it. Then either build another 16' yurt, or go for a bigger sized yurt, maybe 6 meter or 20', having learned alot from building the first. Good luck.

[Bob Rowlands]

btw a very popular yurt size in Mongolia is 6 meters. Not too big. Big enough for a family with limited means. Huge 28' yurts require engineering beyond anything a first time builder should consider. Good luck.

[sunshine coaster]

Hi,
I understand exactly what you are saying. I have been researching thoroughly and I've been thinking about what route to take either purchasing(which I can't afford at the moment)or building. I have a friend who has been building homes for over 40 years who is possibly interested in the project. I know there is so much more to consider and its a huge undertaking. I am in somewhat of a bind as I really need a home to call my own. I have been a renter for my whole life and have been dealing with health issues do to hidden mold, chemicals etc.... I am recovering from heavy metal toxicity as well. I am starting to feel great and want to get my business going again. I was researching chemical free yurts and I figure a yurt would be the way to go. My background is in decorative art and photography and I created videos for realtors. Prior to that I word at charitable organizations raising funds for great causes. I am asking for donations from companies and offering advertising for them on youtube. I have worked on several of my own video projects have almost 38,000 hits on something I created in one day just for fun. I want to film the whole process and put it out there for a means to alternative housing and also the chemically sensitive. I am grateful I live in a community where people want to help others. If I can make this happen for myself, I am hoping to inspire others who have been in unfortunate situations.
Thank you for responding

[Bob Rowlands]

A smaller trad yurt made of wood and canvas, (or any type of fifteen year cover), is going to be a very healthy, extremely affordable home. I have well under 2K in mine, including the deck. However I built both myself. I can't recommend that Kaminari plan enough. It is superb.

Anyone interested in yurts but sitting on the fence, wondering, go to: Clan yama Kaminari

and check out the

yurt plans

. They are easy to understand, fully detailed with a materials and cut list. If you access to a basic complement of wood working tools, and the desire to buld a yurt, come hell or high water. you could build one yourself. Study the plan carefully and you'll get the idea what it takes. It really isn't that hard. Apply yourself. You can do it.

[sunshine coaster]

Thank you for your input. I am seriously thing about going smaller. Cheers

[Ayla]

Thanks everyone for the helpful info! I placed a 5 meter steel pole in concrete to support the chimney. The bottom is very sturdy, but the top can move quite a bit. We are thinking to secure the top of the pole with steel cables in the ground, in a triangle shape. Do others have the same problem? How did you fix it? Thank you in advance

[Bob Rowlands]

Tensioning the cables is gonna be a trip. I suggest if you proceed with wires, you incorporate a turn buckle in the system. How that would work beats the heck out of me.

Ratchet strap might be another way and easily tensioned. The side benefit is they would be more visible. If you happen to walk into one at night you won't get hurt. Just a guess.

Others here have outside stack and should be along to give better advice. Good luck.