Moisture in the Yurt from Condensation

[Wrencher]

Hey guys, new here, maybe im speaking out of turn, but there may be a modern solutions to this problem. I am currently in the process of researching and planning our future yurt home. I have deduced that heat exchangers would resolve the

moisture

issue in these units. Heat exchangers take inside air and push it outside, sucking

moisture

out with it, and draws in fresh air at the same time. While this is happening, the heat from the inside air is transferred indirectly to the incoming air. seems that it would solve alot of problems for some yurt users. the downside is you need to have power to the unit and , it isnt free. I believe for the size of yurt we are looking at (40ft) this unit would run anywhere from $1000-$1500 ( Canadian).

[Bob Rowlands]

I would absolutely discuss this in person with someone who works for the company that makes the units. I'd ESPECIALLY recommend talking with someone who has an actual unit in their house. And best yet, someone who has one in their modern yurt. Gotta be a 'yurt home', not a nomadic yurt, or frame house. Apples to apples.

I'm a carpenter. Just retired this year. Decades ago when I was a gung ho hotshot I regularly read 'Fine Homebuilding' just to get other views beyond the building practice around here. There were some articles in FHB and elsewhere at the library about super insulated hoses in The U.S. and Canada, with double exterior walls 12" thick, and roof systems with mind blowing r numbers twice standard r value of 38. All of it super tight frame construction.

They had heat exchangers if I recall correctly. How these ended up handling the moisture long term beats me. I know for a fact serious mold problem ensue is moist builds up. Moisture is the first step in biologic breakdown. A few folks have attested to moisture issues in their yurts, here, and elsewhere.

Good luck.

[Wrencher]

Yeah,my uncle has one in his stick frame house and he swears by it. I have a year to plan this all out and see what I can do. I am really intrigued by yurts and think with some careful planning,we could really make it a go with our family of 5

[Bob Rowlands]

What does your wife think, with three kids in the home?

[Wrencher]

she is on board. we homeschool the kids anyway, so they are around all day. So they will be surrounded by nature all day. we look at it as an opportunity to give the kids something not alot of other kids get to have exposure to growing up.sounds cheesey i know.

[Bob Rowlands]

Thought I'd ask, because I brought your thread up talking with my wife today. Mentioned what we did long ago, the -50 in Jackson etc. She said, "I'll bet that is more HIS idea not hers." Well when we were in our mid 20s we handled cold a WHOLE lot better than we do in our mid 60s. Nowadays I really have zero interest in being outdoors when it is below freezing, and she even less so. If it never got below 55 it would suit me hfine. Or over 75 for that matter. lol Never thought temps would matter when I was young, but they definitely do now. That's age for ya.

Anyway, good luck to you and yours. Have fun. BE SAFE!

[Michael]

I've got some condensation issues going on right now like so many others.

Layers from the inside are aesthetic cotton cover > 2" of hemp matting

insulation

> layer of poly > vinyl cover (with some little holes, the poly is to stop any rain that gets through.

It seems the poly touching the hemp doesn't leave enough air flow for the moisture to evaporate and get out the top gap. The bottom of the hemp is dry, but the top is permawet and I'm sure rot will happen sooner than I want. I have the same issue in the wall right now too.

Reading this thread I am thinking it would be good to have an air gap between the poly and

insulation

, but cant quite figure out how to make that happen...

Any ideas or other perspectives?

[Jafo]

Hmm, without seeing the layers, I am not sure.. Perhaps a mesh put in between them, kind of like what you see them do with siding (example). Something that would allow it to breathe.

[Bob Rowlands]

Good thinking Jafo. I agree the wall can't breathe covered with poly. I'd remove the poly and install mesh between the insulation and the cover. The slight air gap created just might allow moisture to escape. Seems like Depot or Lowes has flexible orange mesh that just might work for this. Good luck.

[SeverTheTether]

We have a modern yurt, and run a wood burning stove, as well as a forced air propane furnace. We can't open the

dome

in the winter because once the ice builds up along the edge, it won't seal anymore, so we leave it closed all winter.

With a wood burner to help dry, and a forced air furnace to help keep it warm during the very cold (-20 to -40F temps), and running a dehumidifier in the bathroom, we have solved all our moisture issues and have not had to deal with it for a number of years now.

Before all this, we just had the wood stove, and we had the 'dome rain' issue all the time.

Now, we don't even think about it, it isn't an issue.