Moisture in the Yurt from Condensation

[Bob Rowlands]

If you lack any real ventilation via operable cap vent and operable windows, alot of

moisture

from cooking and bathing is indeed trapped in your yurt. You have to get the

moisture

out somehow. Normally that is out through the cap, and windows. The cap is at present inoperable, so I would get an operable window installed in the bath and kitchen. I'm certain you will figure a way to get the cap vent operable in inclement conditions in the future.

Windows will allow the excess moisture to escape, just as they do in a standard residential home. Sometimes I just crack the master bath window after a long hot shower and don't turn on the ceiling vent motor. In just a couple minutes the majority of the moisture is out of the bath, and the mirror clears. If we have a couple pots of boiling water on the kitchen stove, and I notice there's a bit of humidity on the window, I'll crack the kitchen window.

You're gonna get this worked out, I'm certain. Good luck.

[SeverTheTether]

I totally understand the need to get rid of moisture, that is why we have a dehumidifier in the house. I can't use any of the windows (they are all fabric) in the winter, and the

dome

is not usable in the extreme cold as an air vent. I would literally have to climb a ladder every 2 days with a hair dryer to de-ice it.

We are looking into replacing one of the fabric windows with a real window (as a retro fit.)

[Radmacdaddy]

Great discussion all... thanks for the thoughts to consider.

I'm in my roundhouse/yurt about six months after living in a 12' yurt for 1 ½ yrs. My new one is presently covered with heavy black plastic on the roof as I couldn't get my canvas sewn before the cold set in. It's loud and flaps a bit so can't wait to get it replaced with the real stuff. The "real stuff" I'm using is vinyl canvas.

Presently I get lots of drips from condensation which collects under the plastic and drips through the 4" of sheep's wool

insulation

I use in the roof. I get the ventilation concept. I'll have opening flaps in my 8'

dome

I built later this year. But my walls are solid (I wanted lots of windows) so I'll get ventilation by opening my windows. It's not massively cold here in N. Ireland, lowest this year was about -5 Far. -20 c. and that just for a few days.

I may consider the dehumidifier as well, on occasion. though I am off grid, so I have to be careful unless I want to hear a generator all day long!

My biggest concern was the vinyl canvas I'm using. I'd been considering putting it aside and getting cotton canvas, but it is very wet here, and the amount of waterproofing I' think I'd have to do puts me off a lot from that concept. I've learned here that is can be a problem too, so it's about allowing movement of air more than anything... and aren't many of the "industrial" made yurts vinyl or vinylized canvas?

[Jafo]

Hmm, not sure where you would find it there, but I would definitely go with some sort of vinyl. Your area is so damp that I think you're right not to consider cotton.

How do you power the yurt?

[Radmacdaddy]

Yes, I have the vinyl canvas, cut and ready to sew. The sewing machine too... just gearing up to sew.

I power the yurt with solar. Presently, just two 300w panels powering 6 2v 1000ahr batteries. The whole place is wired 12v, like a caravan or boat, with a few 220v outlets for the LED TV (rated at 25w!) and powering up my laptop, etc. I try to keep everything to 12v since the draw is much less than running through an inverter. Even with my low light I'm mostly good. I had the genny running a fair bit though during the deepest darkest days. Winter solstice here is about 8 hrs of light and quite low in the sky and weak at that.

[Jafo]

Do you get any wind there? If so, have you considered a mini turbine?

[TORV]

We had a

Shelter Designs

yurt for a restaurant in Montana and we didn't have "real" windows. we had the velco/vinyl windows and we just cracked one of them by the cooking stove (propane) to get that moisture out. Although this had to be done by going outside, you might try that instead of a retro-fit. Also my time spent living in a camper in the winter tought me a few things about condensation (everything covered in ice, everyday). You need ventilation (even at night) and electric appliances are much better than propane, but it was a constant battle to keep the vents clear and I eventually moved inside. I work now in the HVAC industry and some minimal ductwork and a fan coupled with a humidity sensor could be a solution, also could be fresh air intake if burning wood, but I know...kinda goes against the simpler lifestyle approach

[Corinarose]

Severe the tether,

Installing windows is rather simple once you get over cutting the fabric and the lattice.
email me and I will talk with you further. I have 6 "real" windows in my yurt.

Corina
PS, condensation is still an issue.
[email protected]

[hierony]

Mold from condensation is a pain to deal with. However, there are quite a number of ways to handle the humidity. I've even worked on a project to produce water & area

heating

via adsorption of humidity. I've used several methods to control humidity (houses & apartments for now).

Venting is tried & true--in the case of yurts with an interior shower during winter, this would probably require a dedicated vent (ie, fan+ductwork out the crown ring, side, or out through the platform), potentially run on a timer switch. Fans are available for most any voltage/cfm rating (12 to 120 V, ac or dc; 10-1000 cfm) to match your power system (see sofasco.com or an electronics supplier such as newark.com). Spec'ing the fan cfm to exchange your room volume several times per hour is advisable.

Another option is damprid, as mentioned. I believe this is just Calcium Chloride flakes (a salt that absorbs water; can also be used to lower freezing temp of water/melt ice). I use it in my apartment that has no vent fans in the bathroom/kitchen. It absorbs several times its weight and turns into a puddle of salt water. Damprid is expensive and would require frequent replacing if used to control humidity from showers/clothes drying. I haven't tried using the bulk calcium chloride yet.

Another option is Drierite/Calcium Sulphate. It absorbs some of its weight in water. It can be baked at high temps in an oven to be renewed. Fancy types have a color indicator so you can see when it needs renewing. Moderate initial price, and you still have to vent the humidity released in the oven outside or it will just stick around.

There is also Zeolite/Molecular sieve (similar to Drierite in adsorption capacity & renewal methodology). Sometimes used to dry commercial gases. Absorbs ~15-20% water by zeolite mass.

All these could be used to control humidity--the salts/zeolite methods would still be best with a small fan circulating air over them. Figuring out where your moisture is coming from in the first place (propane stove/heater, shower, kitchen) and minimizing/controlling it there is still the best bet.

[Matt]

wow. yes. I totally relate. We get the instant frost, ice dams, and rain. Great description. And...our humidity is only at 32-35%. I've never seen it above 42%, and that's rare.