New to Yurts

[Pamela]

My husband and I are completely new to yurts, but we're considering yurts to be a viable stepping stone between living in an apartment and building a house. We don't have kids so the yurt is a good option for us, I'm thinking, mostly because we also don't know where we'll be living in a few years and we'd be able to pack the yurt up and move it with us. There's also a slight bit of urgency, because we are kind of fed up with our neighbors... Otherwise, we might be willing to skip the intermediate home step.

I'm looking into some resources and books to read this weekend, including the input by all of you on this forum.

But, I just wanted to toss out this general question...

What kinds of things do you know now that you wish you had known when first getting into building yurts?

I look forward to getting to converse with you all and learn more about these beautiful structures.

[YurterRT]

In building a custom DIY yurt from mostly recycled material. Driven by pure blind faith and more. It was as if I had no choice but to roll with it -I could not stop the build. Every day after an 8 hour shift at a lumber mill-I'd find myself earning more blisters and calluses this 60 year old gal ever had. The best dang "thang" ever. With that lengthy set up , I'll discipline my self on the next one -(it will be an aviary ) ��
To:
put the specific scope of work in detail in writing and go over that puppy with a fine tooth comb from beginning to end b4 you begin. Plan plan plan There is a link on bob Rowland's posts to point you to a marvelous guide and it's fun !!!!

go the maximum size for my needs. This one is 22' feet and it's perfect for four people to be set for a retreat on a dog park ! I may need to apologize but I'm in love with not just the yurt but every leg of erecting it .

More than anything I'd study and roll and enjoy !!!!!! I'm inside it now just had 40 mph winds with terror tail down pour and I was kicked back in an ablounger amazed at my homemade yurt - I tell ya it was the only still calm thing around during that storm . A yurt is amazin!

[brblack13]

My husband and i are also new to the idea of yurt living. we want to simplify our lives and were stuck between a yurt and a tiny house. I think my biggest concern is the security of a yurt and if we were to go out of town for a week would the yurt be safe and secure. Maybe im worrying too much but these thoughts cross my mind

[Bob Rowlands]

YurterRT, thanks for the comment.

For those reading this and wanting the link, the yurt plan and build is here:

clan yama kaminari-home

On the front page, left side top box, click on 'make it'. Then, scroll to the bottom and click on 'yurt/ger construction'.


12', 14', and 16' yurt build plan in full accurate detail.


That is a very good plan. I built the 14' and 16' versions and it is a fine plan for sure.

You could easily expand that plan to a bigger size, I'd say to about 20', by using 1x4s for rafters, instead of 1x3s. Also, block the ring with spacers made from 4x4, not 2-1x3s cut and beveled. Widen the plywood ring to 34" and make the flange 6" wide. I drilled pilot holes and glued and screwed (3" plated) the ring segments with poly urethane construction adhesive, which is waterproof.

Also, if you want an 18' or 20' yurt you need a 'custom' rafter pattern not in the Kaminari plan.

To determine 'exact' lay out of rafter pattern, you absolutely must draw a full size cross section of the yurt roof, wall to ring, on your garage floor, and mark your 1x4 in place on that section. No math, and totally foolproof. You lay the rafter stock on the pattern, and mark it. I did this with my 15'9" yurt.

Don't be afraid, it is actually very simple.

Here's how. Snap a line on the garage floor about 12' long. That line represents the 'top of wall' height, from one side of the yurt, to the opposite wall. You omnly need 12' because it is only necessary to draw a half section to get a rafter layout.

Mark a spot on that line at one edge. That represents the top of the wall, where the rafter sits. From that point, measure in half the width of your perspective yurt diameter. That is the radius of your yurt. The focal point of the yurt ring, the exact center of it looking through the hole from down below, is perpendicular to the radius spot.

Measure up 3' to the bottom of the yurt ring, and draw a half section of it ON THAT RADIUS line. The section is simply 3/4" ply, 3.5" block spacer, and another 3/4" ply. That is the thickness of the ring, in section. If your ring is 34" wide, you are drawing the section 17" towards the wall side on the wall height line you first snapped.



Again, make the bottom of the ring parallel with the wall line, and perpendicular to the focal point. I do suggest 3' elevation above wall heigthbased on experience with this kaminari yurt. That puts the bottom of the ring about 8' up from the ground.

Once you have the section of the yurt ring drawn out, lay a 1x4 on the outside wall to rafter point, and on its spot into the yurt ring. Transfer all marks. You have the pitch, length, plumb and level cuts, all in exact position.

VOILA! An 'exact fit' custom rafter guaranteed with no math calculations necessary.

Note, I wouldn't go bigger than 20' diameter with this yurt in snow country, UNLESS you install bagana supports under the ring. On my 16'er, no support in necessary and I have had perhaps 1.5' of pretty wet snow up there. Also use a 1/4" cable, minimum. Nothing wrong with 5/16ths either for added

insurance

.

Have fun.

[Bob Rowlands]

You need to have a full visual understanding of the kaminari yurt in your head, and how the rafter system works, in order to understand my last post.

To help with the visuals, I suggest looking at my yurt online. Google: 'Bob Rowlands home made yurt' on images. My yurt is the green rustic one. Hunter green door, green wall, green rafters, wood stove with open double doors. There are detail pics of the rafter laying in position on the wall, and the rafter fitting into the ring. The 'fit' details are identical to the kaminari plan.

You really need to have a working understanding of how the parts look, and how the parts fit together, to make sense of how to lay out a cross section on the garage floor for making a master rafter pattern. This is actually easy, once you understand the yurt construction. Otherwise you'll be going, 'What the hell is he talking about?'. lol Have fun.

[YurterRT]

That's exactly what I went by to get my ring and rafters put together. Worked perfectly !!!! I read that over and over and it went together as if I knew what was I was doing !! Lol😊

[Bob Rowlands]

Good job.

Yet more on this topic. It really is a snap to get the exact rafter fit once you lay it out full size on the floor. You can have any yurt width, any height of ring above top of wall line, any rafter size with 1x3, 1x4, 1x6, 2x4, or 2x6 rafters, and you will have an exact fit. You absolutely need to know the design of the ring, the dimensions and materials, BEFOREHAND.

Carpenters use this trick like clockwork building the gable end vault walls in homes. Why? Easy, fast, accurate. 'NO frickin MATH'. No fiddly farting around with calculations, which easily lead to massive costly mistake. Think you got it all figgered out and screw the pooch. Seen it happen. :/

Lay out, double check your layout, and mark your master rafter in place. When it comes time to assemble the yurt, proceed with absolute certainty that the rafters will fit perfectly once the ring is totally loaded with them. That is very reassuring when you are up to your @$$ in alligators the first go round.

Get the wall up on your rough circle, with door frame in place. Drop the cable-sized to exact circumferential length (dia x pi) in place. The top of the wall wall is now at 'exact' circumference. Set the ring on the pedestal. Start loading that sucker with 'cardinal point' rafters in opposing pairs. Completely fill in the ring. I guarantee it will put a huge smile on your face when those rafters are up, tight and right. BIIIG smile and a yell is now due so go for it. lol. You CAN do it. Apply yourself to the task.

OK. Y'all have fun now.

[Jafo]

Originally Posted by brblack13

My husband and i are also new to the idea of yurt living. we want to simplify our lives and were stuck between a yurt and a tiny house. I think my biggest concern is the security of a yurt and if we were to go out of town for a week would the yurt be safe and secure. Maybe im worrying too much but these thoughts cross my mind

It's pretty much as secure as most structures. How secure is your house? Most of the houses I know can be breached by simply busting a window. A yurt with standard (non-glass) windows have the lattice as an extra barrier.

The lattice keeps people from just cutting open the yurt and coming in. If they then tried to bust the lattice, they might find a few hundred pounds of yurt on top of their heads.