Yurt platform

[dramatic]

Hello, could you please let me know what you think of my plan for the platform ? Going from bottom to top:

1. Octagon thick frame slightly elevated above the ground (with pillars)
2. Breathable membrane sheet covering the entire octagon (and holds the

insulation

from falling)
3. Floor joists
4. Mineral wool

insulation

faced up between floor joists
5. 12mm OSB layer
6. T&G pine hardwood floor (2cm thick)

My questions are
1. Putting hardwood floor over the OSB - Is it okay or am I better leaving out the OSB and attaching the hardwood floor directly to the floor joists ?
2. Should I maybe put the OSB layer instead of layer #2 - the breathable membrane ? So that way the OSB is under the floor joists and holding the insulation ?
3. Are rodents just going to rip through the Tyvek membrane and live inside my insulation ?
4. Do you see any other issues with my plan ?

Thank you !

[Bob Rowlands]

Instead of 12mm (7/16ths) OSB use 23/32" t&g OSB ~19mm.

'DO NOT' place hardwood flooring over the framing. You need 3/4" subfloor for support and as a substrate for flooring fasteners.

There is a paper barrier (like roofing underlayment) rolled out on top of the subfloor prior to installing the finish flooring.

I can't tell you how to install the floor framing vapor barrier and insulation. That's out of my area of expertise. I'm not even gonna guess.

Keep in mind it will be >impossible< to attach anything to the bottom of the floor framing since it is very close to the ground. Don't even begin to think about rolling something out under the framing, holding it up in place, and gun nailing it to the bottom of the joists. Just trust me on that.

I painted the bottom of my 2x6 flooring to protect it from ground

moisture

. My platform is only 8" off the ground and no rot issue. I live in a semi arid climate. No insulation either. For a permanent residence you DO need to insulate the floor. Research it.

Yes rodents can nest in fiberglass. Beats me if they will do so under a

yurt platform

.

Good luck.

[dramatic]

Thanks for your reply !

Instead of 12mm (7/16ths) OSB use 23/32" t&g OSB ~19mm.

I already bought the thinner OSB
Do you think it's a major issue ? Maybe I will make the gap between the joists smaller (30 cm / 12 inch).

For a permanent residence you DO need to insulate the floor. Research it.

Yes, I am using mineral wool with kraft paper (faced)

Yes rodents can nest in fiberglass. Beats me if they will do so under a

yurt platform

.

I heard they LOVE fiberglass, but not so much rockwool, but I also read opposite so that's a strong sign for me that they cool with both. I thought about putting a metal mesh under the membrane to prevent them from ripping into the insulation, but the mesh will need to be dense and that's very expensive these days

[Krusty]

The answer is: it depends!

Here in Canadastan you can use 5/8 osb on 16" joist centers. And then put carpet or wood flooring. So your subfloor depends on your joist spacing which you do not mention. Mice and bugs will make a home in rockwool. Get yourself a good barncat and it will keep the outdoor mice population in control.

If I decide to use a yurt on a permanent platform I would build the deck high enough so someone can crawl under and sprayfoam in between the joists. Great R value and more importantly makes a nice flexible, airtight floor system.

[Bob Rowlands]

If 7/16s is what you have, then go with it. If you can afford it, go with 16" centers-or 12"- on floor framing. Here in the U.S. 23/32 is standard on either 16" or 19.2". If 23/32 is good on 19.2, I'd think 7/16ths is gonna be fine on 16". Lively but OK.

Just for reference, when I built my house in 1999 I maxed out the span of I joists in the LR, if I had used 16" centers. This was plywood subfloor, no OSB. So I went with 12" centers. Glad I did the floor is very solid not lively. Carpet above no hardwood. The additional cost didn't bother me the bank loan paid the difference no problem. heh heh

[Bob Rowlands]

I wanna add, I'm glad you are posting Krusty. Foam is fantastic insulation, and it seals cracks great. I've worked on a number of higher end homes that were foamed. You can tell a foamed house in the winter while working on it. They really hold the heat. A foamed house with radiant floor is absolutely the best in comfort.

[HawaiiYurts]

You can add sketches on this forum, have you sketched it out?

[Wintergreen282]

The less stuff and vegetation I have around and under the yurt for them to hide and move safely about, the fewer mice, IMO. Also keep any food they might like in glass jars. Dirty dishes in a closed container. No cat or dog food just out. Rethink feeding the birds (or do it well away from your yurt. All animals need food and shelter. The less food available, the less attractive a nearby shelter will be. But it is an ongoing battle and years with high mouse populations or low seed years are especially difficult. I really hate killing them. They are so cute and just trying to live. But crazy destructive and multiply quickly. I bought a mousetrap that quickly electrocutes them. Hated the snap ones as they so often are just injured. The bucket method also seems cruel. Best is make your place as uninviting as possible, but mice and humans like a lot of the same things.

[Bob Rowlands]

Our home is in a field. Mice live in the same field. We feed birds. We store the seed in the garage in metal trash cans. Some invariably gets on the garage floor. Mice like bird seed, so there are mice in the garage.

I built our house mouse tight, but mice chew through the gasket at the bottom of the garage door. They build nests and store seed in the warmth of my air compressor motor, the garage refrigerator motor, vehicle engine air and cabin filters, my fishing waders, in folded tarps, and in my bench drawers. They're just trying to get by same as all other life.

So if your yurt is built in a field you can count on having mice around. Just place chairs all around the place for your wife to jump on. haha

[Wintergreen282]

LMAO, Bob. Exactly.

Woods only slightly better.