Transparent cap covers

[Meg]

Hi! This is my first post! So thanks in advance I’d anyone can help me.

I have an adapted Mongolian yurt in use full time in rainy Cumbria UK.

We often have to put our crown cap (the extra canvas that covers our Perspex sky light incase I’m using the wrong terminology!) in spring and late summer. This blocks a lot of light and I wondered if anyone new if you could buy a transparent additional crown cover. Ours is currently heavy canvas same as our overall outer walls.

Whenever I’ve looked they seem to be £400??? Which makes me think I’m typing in the wrong thing!



Many thanks

Meg

[Bob Rowlands]

I'm no expert on yurt covers, but here is a suggestion. If you want a lot of light and full on rain protection that is very affordable and easy to make yourself, you might consider using greenhouse plastic.

I built us a small 10x15 greenhouse this year. The greenhouse plastic I bought is a 4 year rated material -note: not big box store variety- and is VERY tough and UV resistant, unlike the box store stuff which won't last a year. I know that from having covered tomatos with the stuff and it is JUNK plastic. I bought it from a greenhouse supply store. Pick one, the plastic is probably the same everywhere, as long as it is called 'greenhouse plastic'. It comes in any size.

To make a flat sheet cover your yurts ring, or as much of the roof as you desire, lay the sheeting atop the yurt. Make a single cut up to the apex. Slide the cut edges past eachother to form a cone that fits the roof. Tack the seams with tape. Remove and thoroughly tape the seam with packing tape or other clear heavy duty tape. There's likely 'greenhouse plastic tape' for all I know.

Good luck.

[TSRalex]

Originally Posted by Bob Rowlands

To make a flat sheet cover your yurts ring, or as much of the roof as you desire, lay the sheeting atop the yurt. Make a single cut up to the apex. Slide the cut edges past eachother to form a cone that fits the roof. Tack the seams with tape. Remove and thoroughly tape the seam with packing tape or other clear heavy duty tape. There's likely 'greenhouse plastic tape' for all I know.

And don´t forget to protect your sheet from the heat of the chimney....

Originally Posted by Bob Rowlands

Good luck.

Of course. That´s always necessary on such projects.

[Bob Rowlands]

Good point Ralex. Nothing quite as nasty as fire melted plastic. Been there done that. Get a fireproof wall tent stovejack.

Another possibility is to just pull the roof cover back so light get in somewhere other than where the stovepipe is situated, and then work sheeting under the cover but over the wall cover.


Keep in mind it's just a simple yurt cover. Getting more light in there IS gonna happen. Experiment and you'll figure it out. Keep it simple. Good luck.

[TSRalex]

Originally Posted by TSRalex

And don´t forget to protect your sheet from the heat of the chimney....

I would like to lead the TO (@Meg) with an link to an other thread, where that topic was discussed 3 weeks ago:

https://www.yurtforum.com/forums/yur...html#post12290

[Meg]

Thank you all for the help! I should have added that our stove goes out the side so won’t effect the crown at all!

Going to try this!

Thanks again!

[UKadventurer]

Originally Posted by Meg

We often have to put our crown cap (the extra canvas that covers our Perspex sky light incase I’m using the wrong terminology!) in spring and late summer. This blocks a lot of light and I wondered if anyone new if you could buy a transparent additional crown cover. Ours is currently heavy canvas same as our overall outer walls.

Welcome Meg.

I'm originally from the UK (eons ago) and now live in Mongolia.

I agree with the idea of a sheet of strong plastic. In Mongolia we use these in winter to cut the cold down. Your situation might be due to rain?

In our situation cold is the main enemy. I imagine it gets cold in Cumbrian winter. So, in addition to what others have suggested - good suggestions for rain, I'd consider the plastic on the inside. The plastic could be stuck to anything and tightened with nano tape. Some types of plastic can be heat shrunk to make it nice and tight for maximum visibility.

The downside is you may not be able to operate the opening/closing of the crown. However, we could still open ours from the outside but it's probably very rarely necessary.

A photo of your crown would really help. I'll show you mine with some notes. It's a modern yurt, not traditional.



Like I said, this is more of a winter cold solution which may or may not work for you. I've done this on windows in Mongolia in houses/flats and it increases the

insulation

of windows considerably without affecting visibility much. I haven't done it to our yurts yet BUT winter is coming, so I might do it this year.

[Bob Rowlands]

That is one killer yurt.

[TSRalex]

Originally Posted by UKadventurer

The downside is you may not be able to operate the opening/closing of the crown. However, we could still open ours from the outside but it's probably very rarely necessary.

If you´re using an electric opener the problem is solved, isn´t it?

[UKadventurer]

Originally Posted by TSRalex

If you´re using an electric opener the problem is solved, isn´t it?

Yes, I haven't seen those. Are they common?

However, I can't think why you'd want to open the crown when it's sealed inside with plastic. We could open hours from the outside too but it's awkward. We'd probably just keep it closed the 9 months of winter where I live. It snowed a bit today.