yurt cover

[Neumanne22]

Hi guys,
Im working on building an 18' yurt and have most of it done except the canvas cover. I was wondering if you guys have any suggestions on what material to use and what I need to do to make them waterproof. I also have been struggling to find sources for materials. any help would be much appreciated!
Thanks, Ed

[Bob Rowlands]

I bought a 17oz treated canvas tarp at My Tarp online, and modified it to make the cover for my 16' yurt. I just looked up the site and there are alot of negative reviews. Why beats me the tarp I got was a good one. That was in June 2013 though. fwiw that canvas lasted five years in the CO sun but it is done. If I had painted it at the start it likely would have lasted a whole lot longer.

[Bob Rowlands]

Here's how I made my yurt roof cover from a canvas tarp.

Buy a square tarp 4' wider than your yurts diameter. Cut a hole 6" smaller in diameter than the inside diameter of your ring, in the exact center of your tarp. Lay the tarp on the rafters and center the hole over the ring.

To get a cone out of the tarp that will perfectly fit your roof the first time, make two big huge folds in the tarp so that the tarp lays nice and tight on the rafters.The tarp doubles back under itself. Get it flat on both folds. Make sure both folds are flat and tight to the roof. Go inside get on a ladder and mark that fold you see from inside, with a Sharpie. Allow a few extra inches either side for the seam. Remove, cut out the wedge. Yup you have to commit to cutting that sucker but trust yourself it will work.

To be clear. You are cutting out a pie shaped piece of canvas. You then make a new lap fell seam on the two edges. that creates the cone right there.

Stitch the cover. It's a massive pain in the ass but I did it with Moms portable SINGER sewing machine. Check the fit on the roof. Re mark the smoke hole, so you can make a seam there. You can add loops if you want to anchor the canvas to the frame with cordage. I added fourteen loops and lashed that to screw eyes in the ring inside the yurt. That holds the roof REAL GOOD in wind lemme tell yuh. No flapping at all.

Also, to make the edge of the roof canvas round, and have it follow the top of the wall, I walked around the perimeter of the yurt with the cover installed, and as I walked around marked the tarp with a Sharpie about two feet down from the top of the wall. I just free handed that. Hem the edge. I added loops on the roof cover at every lath cross to anchor the roof canvas with cordage to the ground cable. Absolute bombproof anchorage. Looks kinda like a drum but I could care less it held GREAT in extreme wind.

Whole lotta work dude. I mean a ton of work, but you can save a lot of money doing it yourself. Good luck.

[Bob Rowlands]

OK one last point. If you have the bread I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you just buy a 15 year cover.I read on the forum here somewhere that one of the companies that advertises here can do custom covers for yurts other than their own manufacture. OK, I really am out.

[Balam]

Hello yurt lovers!!!

Anyone from here who knows where i can get only the custome external cover for complet my yurt proyect?

Im in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.

In advance thanks