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Dome shade solution

C

Crawdad

New member
Does anyone know of a retractable shade solution for yurt domes? We have a ceiling fan but would like to place a shade above it to block sunlight during the day in the summer.

Thanks!

Crawdad
 
This is one I have been thinking about for over a year and I haven't come up with the "perfect solution".
I live near a couple of umbrella manufacturers, but I haven't come up with what I consider a viable design. I have talked to the "Bumbershoot Builders" and they are willing to make a fairly small run if I (or someone else) can come up with a reasonable design.

Thoughts? I would be glad to help.

Rod::email::yurtlocker.com
Home Page.
 
Something on a hinge would be nice. Also, something you could take down in the winter.
 
Um, traditional-style yurts use an external urgh/tono cover. It's a square piece of cloth with four tie off points that can be used to cover the tono/dome, easily folded back to allow light when desired. Requires ropes and tie-off points (probably the platform for modern yurts) and can only be controlled from outside.

But I suspect you all were talking about something internal...

An umbrella that fit *just* inside the crown ring, held in place by four wooden 'latches' or shims or pegs might work. Unfurl umbrella, 'hook' in place for shade. Close up umbrella, 'unhook' and remove umbrella. If the umbrella handle is tall enough, you might not even need a ladder.

If you had a permanent 'umbrella' like this sitting in the middle of your crown ring/tono, you'd have a cool shade cloth and a skylight sundial :P
 
When I was working on my roof ring, I had this idea for covering the hole...wanted it to be rather rain cover than shade, but it could serve this purpose, too.
So, imagine several half-circle shaped ribs. Hinged on two opposite spots on the rings outer edge. These ribs would carry a half-spherical fabric "tent" that would be easily erected/collapsed just by operating the ribs (could be easily done just by a cord from the inside). Similar to the roof on a baby carriage or cabriolet.
I think this would work. Would need to be quite large to work well (the ribs would need to be half the size of your roof ring).
Guess I could make this, if someone is interested.
 
We got some of that shade screen stuff that blocks 70% of sunlight and put it over our screen insert. We just leave that up all summer so I only have to get up there twice a year. Worked great last year, although you have to cut it extra big because it will shrink some in the heat.
 
I think I may have found something.

These guys make a flexible curtain track:
https://www.theflextrack.com/

It has rollers that can operate pointing directly out from the track, so you could mount it on the inside of a yurt dome compression ring. It would pull a circular curtain open, ending in a closed wedge as seen in the pic of the round window.

I guess it would be operated with a rod or you could run a cable on rollers down a rafter bean.

I would have to sew the curtain myself.

home-images3.jpg
 
The thing that concerns me with all these internal dome sunshades is the build up of heat if the dome isn't cracked open.

Right now I'm lucky enough to have a fair amount of leafy trees filtering the sun. I would like a bug screen though. What are the pros and cons and costs of those? -- Cindy
 
I think the shade above could go under the bug screen and it would let air through. I have the bug screen in my yurt and it works well, though with the snow and wind kit upgrade, it had to be permanent instead of removable.
 
We use an extra piece of the foil insulation and push it up against the inside of the dome. It forms to it nicely and makes a HUGE difference in heat near the dome. We leave ours up all summer, but it's literally just pushed in their and takes two seconds to remove and replace.
 
Off yurts. I make my own wood arrows. With regards to cap, crest, and finish materials, (paints) I've learned to make a test arrow due to failure of the finish not bonding to the cap and crest. I once built two dozen that the finish didn't stick. I even set them in direct sun for several days and that didn't make a difference. It peeled right off with a thumbnail. That learned me fast because it takes ALOT of work to scratch build arrows..
 
We've got a 24' yurt from Pacific Yurts and had been suffering from the immense heat created by sun through the dome during the summer months here. To make things trickier, our yurt has a ceiling fan, so a lot of the solutions I've seen elsewhere wouldn't fit our dome.

What finally worked? A collapsible photography reflector. It's made of a highly reflective silver fabric on one side and a white fabric on the other. The outside is a band of spring steel that provides outward tension. It's super lightweight, cost $40, and is available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3RpYDIT

yffgABziaXpUTqf87


I kinda nestled it into place and its own tension holds itself securely in the crown. It doesn't even interfere with opening and closing the dome, but it does a tremendous job of reflecting direct sunlight back out of the yurt.

Hope this approach is helpful to others!
 
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Sheimend, I created an account here just to say this is brilliant, and exactly what I have been looking for. Spent the last 9 years avoiding the yurt in July and August. I almost wish it was summer again so I could try this now. Thanks!!!
 
Thanks for the photographers reflector solution. To get it to stay up we added magnetized hooks.
 
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Sheimend said:
What finally worked? A collapsible photography reflector. It's made of a highly reflective silver fabric on one side and a white fabric on the other. The outside is a band of spring steel that provides outward tension. It's super lightweight, cost $40, and is available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3RpYDIT

yffgABziaXpUTqf87


I kinda nestled it into place and its own tension holds itself securely in the crown. It doesn't even interfere with opening and closing the dome, but it does a tremendous job of reflecting direct sunlight back out of the yurt.

Hope this approach is helpful to others!
Click to expand...

That's a great idea. I know this is an old post but it's still relevant, especially in Summer. We're in Mongolia so we're not as hot but it can reach 30+ C from solar gain on a sunny summer day.

We went with widely available net material. We use insect net material to stop most of the flies getting in. Then 2 long pieces of curtain netting attached to the rafters. It's not elegant but it helps.

Our tohoon opening pole is low-tech. So it needs a hole in the nets to allow opening and closing. With the roof, side windows and sometimes the door open, then a small fan running we can keep comfortable temperatures in summer now. About 27C with airflow is perfectly tolerable. Airflow is the most important.

I won't claim it's fancy nor extremely affective but it's very cheap and effective enough.

Mesh screens in modern gers.jpg
 
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