Platform ideas?

[camptc]

I've been considering a hard-sided yurt home, and I'd like to put it on a full basement. Most of the designs for the basements I've found are divided rooms with load-bearing walls that reach the center of the circle. I'll be living in this thing full-time with my lovely suburban wife, so 'we' would like to have a laundry room, guest room, and storage area along with a game room down in the basement, with a walkout on one side. As long as you aren't fretting over room division, a poured or blocked load-bearing wall through the center of the space would handle potential support issues.

[Jafo]

Good luck!

[Gummery]

@camptc:

I really don't want to be a naysayer, but unless you really, really know what you are doing you might want to reconsider. "Putting in" a full basement on which you plan to place a residential floor structure (to support appliances for living full time) is a whole lot different from building a deck platform off the ground and putting a yurt on it.
Our preliminary

yurt plans

include a separate 8x12 converted shed structure to house a shower and washer-dryer. But when you mention having a separate game room, storage room, guest room...you really ought to consider buying a house. My guess is it will be better and cheaper in the long run, for what you are contemplating. And if your wife wants to live in the suburbs, buy a place in the suburbs.
Again, I don't mean to be a naysayer but...the Gods of the Copybook Headings are cruel masters.

[kochevnik]

Hello everyone.
I am new to this forum and gain quite a bit of knowledge here. I am in my planing stage and looking for cost effective solution for my 6m Yurt base. I already excluded wooden decks since it's out of my budget to build and against the zoning where I want to set it up. "No permanent structure allowed." So for now the only one I consider is straw bales since it's cheap to buy and easy to install. I also have an idea that I wanted to share with you.

I have a question for you guys. Bear with me, since I don't have construction knowledge whatsoever. My ancestors set their yurts directly on the ground year round. I have heard bad stories though about

moisture

in the fall and early spring. I have an idea that I think could work to keep the yurt dry on bare ground.

First to dig a trench around the yurt perimeter (maybe a foot by foot?), set up a weed tarp on the place where yurt will stand including the trench. Fill the trench with pebble stones. Then put another tarp and fold the sides around the walls and then proceed with yurt set up. So I hope that during the rain the trench will capture water and stream it away from my yurt.

Insulation

will be achieved by foam mats and carpets.

What do you think?
Kochevnik

[Bob Rowlands]

I'd install the yurt atop a cheap blue tarp that was at least two feet wider than the yurts diameter. Get the tarp in place atop the bales or whatever. Erect the yurt. Fold the tarp edge up the outside of the lattice wall and under the cover. The lowest tension rope will keep the tarp snugged to the wall.

There you have a bathtub floor. No bugs no water no drafts. I've seen this done by a young nomadic couple with a 6M yurt in a youtube video. There yurt was on the ground. Looks to be a very good cheap way to protect the carpet lino or whatever you cover the floor with. Good luck.

[kochevnik]

Thank you Bob. That's definitely my solution for now.

By the way. I am working on my personal blog where I will be posting lots of information about central asian customs, traditions, Yurts etc. Let me know if you have any questions about Turkic type of yurt.

[Bob Rowlands]

Thank you.

[Jonathan]

Hey, does anybody out there have any experience with using straw bales as an under floor

insulation

method. I would lay old car tyres packed with earth on the leveled ground and then a layer of 13mm chicken mesh. Sit the bales on top and wrap the bales in chicken mesh to stop any vermin nesting and then using cargo straps with a ratchet, would tighten the whole assembly nice and tight. Then with a light wooden frame on top of that fit my marine plywood as my base. This is my plan, l would very much welcome any constructive criticism. Thanking you in advance, Jonathan.

[Wintergreen282]

I have no idea how well this sort of base would work, but I personally would plan to include multiple tie-down straps over the yurt. And what would keep the straw from decomposing? I know one can build straw bale homes, but I think they have a coating and maybe no compression directly on the bales? I'm all for experimenting! Though smart you are crowd sourcing your ideas. Looking forward to others weighing in. Good luck, Jonathan!

[Jafo]

https://www.yurtforum.com/forums/yur...tion-1318.html