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.

[Jafo]

All comments are welcome for additions/edits to this list..

[Dan R-M]

True dat on the scaffolding. Ours is 20'. The scaffolding was an afterthought as we prepared to raise, and my neighbor happened to have 10' or so. With only three people present, the scaffolding made it dreamily simple.
It also made it easy to epoxy the cracks in the

dome

, though caulk probably would have been better...

[Jafo]

Not only that, the scaffolding makes the cabling or blocking for snow and wind kits go in much easier!

[HawaiiYurts]

Scaffolding is the best way to go, agreed! We used to do it all with a heavy duty drywall lift, but a narrow scaffold with removable pieces that hold the ring in place while you work is wonderful and so much safer.

For the floors, if going with T&G or a hardwood, there is a product that you can get for about $30 that's like a pre-finish... It's perfect for this application. Just paint it on real quick, let it dry a day or so and then you can move forward with the yurt set up, etc. It keeps the floor from getting stained, it repels water, and it sands of easily.

[Tree Bones]

I use a hub stand for holding the hub up while setting rafters. I have only made one and it has been used for a great many yurt set ups. It has been all over the west coast. I can set up by myself but it is always easier to have another pare of hands to steady it. When not in use it becomes my flag pole.

[ella]

We just received our 15 ft yurt. We are having a problem with notching the door supplied. Any ideas? Also the lattice goes outside the door frame right? Yes, we are beginners and the manual is not clear. Thanks

[HawaiiYurts]

Who is your manufacturer?

[jennewhite]

Great tips for building yurt.

[munko]

I recently built a hub, walls, rafters an door frame. It's only about 12 ft diam. The problem I am having is while trying to assemble the rafters an hub begin to twist until falling. Wondering if anyone has any pointers