Tips for building a yurt

[Jafo]

This thread will contain an ever revised list of tips for yurt building. This is from personal experience, but you should always refer to your contractor and yurt company first.

1. Finish deck floor AFTER you raise your yurt. Remember, there will be a lot of materials and people going over the floor during the construction. Even the best floor protections can fail when someone drops a rafter or a drill on the floor. Save all your sanding and finishing for after the construction.

20' - 50' tarps are very expensive so there is a good chance your floor could get rained on before the yurt roof is on. No sense in ruining hundreds of dollars of work, wait until the yurt is built!

2. Protect the floor from dirt if possible by using giant rolls of paper taped to the floor. Just note that if it rains, you will probably have to replace the paper!

3. Although you may think you can add flooring later, please note that the lattice is attached to the platforms skirt. You will not be able to get any new flooring under the lattice. New flooring will also have to be cut to fit around all the rafter supports (if purchased). It is MUCH easier to get the floor installed BEFORE you raise the yurt!

4. If you get the lattice all the same height within 1/2 an inch, the rafters will go in much easier, and if you have rafter supports, the cuts will be much much easier.

5. The

center ring

on the larger yurts does not feel that heavy until you are 15 feet up in the air trying to hold it up.. Get a minimum of 2 people holding it on some scaffolding is the safest way. Remember, someone inserting rafters can push those holding the ring. Take great care!

6. Any yurt 24' and over will almost always require scaffolding to assemble.