Need some answers on YURTS and yurt living...

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My husband and I are seriously considering putting a yurt on some property we have in Maine. After web-surfing galore, we are still left with a few perplexing yurt-related questions... let me fire away:

1) how long do yurts really last when they are up year round? 2) anyone ever had a problem with mice/chipmunks getting in or eating at their yurt? 3) what are the annual maintenance costs and procedures associated with owning a yurt? 4) are yurts sound proof at all? 5) can bugs (or in Maine, black flies) get in yurts easily? 6) has anyone had a problem with water leaks in yurts? 7) any ideas or thoughts on how to incorporate a fully plumbed kitchen and bathroom into a yurt? or the cost of this? 8) if you were to purchase from one of the three biggie yurt companies (Pacific, Nesting Bird and Advanced Canvas), which would you choose?

Any or all yurt feedback would be welcome and appreciated....

-- Carolee (carolee.brakewood@verizon.net), January 31, 2002

Answers

On number 4., not very, there is not much there to restrict sound transmission.

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), January 31, 2002.

I think a good place to start with your questions will be the manufacturers. You already have the names of the three biggest makers, so contact them with these questions. Can't think of any reason they wouldn't give you straight answers.

I know one family that lived in a huge teepee for a good many years. Biggest problems they told us about was moisture condensing and running down the sides and it was impossible to heat enough to keep warm and comfortable. They used a wood stove and had it going all the time from mid fall to mid spring. Used LOTS of firewood! They also spoke of problems with bugs of all kinds.

-- Carol - in Virginia (carollm@rockbridge.net), January 31, 2002.


I am courious. How much goes a yurt costs, say one big enough for a family of 3?

-- Karen (mountains_mama@hotmail.com), January 31, 2002.

I Know there is a lot of missionaries, going to Mongolia and countries like that, and I know one specific missionary that visited our church,that he spent years in a yurt, and he told us that they had a big problem with mice, the mongolian people were used to the mice, but he took two hours trip to the nearest city and got himself a Cat, the mice were history, I don't know the rest of the story, or what happened with the cat. But I think that some Mogolians are around a fire right now driking Yak sour milk and petting a kitten.

-- Ralph Roces (rroces1@yahoo.com), January 31, 2002.

Carolee, I've stayed in yurts many a time now. We too are planning on putting up a Yurt on our retirement property (which we have yet to find) and living in it while we build our home. My mentor, Judy, has had her yurt up year round now for over 8 years. Here in NM the sun's rays can be very damaging to canvas, yet she's hasn't replaced it and it still looks new. I don't recall any problems with varmints eating at the canvas. You will have troubles, just like vacation cabins, with mice getting it though, as I'm sure you're aware of. Maintenance I think consists of re-sealing the wood, and possibly spraying a sealant on the canvas, but as said - the manufacturer can best answer that. Not at all sound proof. For extra noise dampening and insultation, Judt used the foiled backed foam inside between the canvas and the lattice-work. Yurts are basically a very fancy tent, so bugs can get in, as there are many small cracks. As for the bathroom/kitchen just bring the plumbing up from the floor. I've seen many a home yurt with fully operational kitchens and baths. We're undecided between Pacific and Nesting bird, although all my first hand experiences with Yurts have been from Pacific. Good Luck!

-- Michelle in NM (naychurs_way@hotmail.com), January 31, 2002.


To the person inquiring about the cost of a yurt for, say, a family of 3 - we are looking into a good-sized yurt to accomodate the same amount of people. Here are some base prices on 30' yurts from 3 manufacturers. Nesting Bird $10,995; Advanced Canvas $7,500; Pacific $8,285. If you add in all the extras to make it fully winterized and comfortable, it's more like $13,000 - $16,500. Then if you factor in having a platform constructed on your site, constructing the yurt, plus adding in basic kitchen and bathroom facilities, we are *guessing* the total would come to something more like $25,000. And you'd have a fully winterized, plumbed, heated, electrified yurt on your hands. Thus far, we haven't been able to come up with a cabin with all these amenities for this cost, but would definitely consider one and drop the yurt idea if anyone has any ideas! Thanks for all the feedback on my earlier questions - that helps.

--Carolee

-- Carolee (carolee.brakewood@verizon.net), January 31, 2002.


Carolee, Pacific Yurts is located right here in my town of Cottage Grove. The State of Oregon is using these yurts in our state parks, and some of the ski areas. I would think a call to the State Park System might give you some insight? I have been in most of their models and have noticed that some are plumbed with kitchen cabinets, etc.(rounded of course,LOL). How interesting that you are thinking of this! Good luck, e mail me if you want me to ask the yurt people any questions. I get into town every two or three weeks whether I need to or not,LOL). One of the neighbors works there and brings me wood chips from thier production for my garden and ducks. LQ

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), January 31, 2002.

As much as I think a Yurt is a very interesting idea for a cottage I'm not so sure I'd want to live in one full time. We got our house from a company that removes houses from the city. 7000 Canadian, which is about...$4500USD? After finishing it inside power septic etc, we have about $30,000 Canadian in it. Added it to a converted post and beam shed for 2400 square feet and cost about $50,000 total. We did a lot of the reno's ourselves and we could use a few new windows yet. Fix as we can afford so no mortgage

-- Ross (amulet@istar.ca), January 31, 2002.

Yurt Sweet Yurt

-- Bethany (foo@bar.com), January 31, 2002.

My step-daughter lives in a yurt, in Olympia WA. She and my husband built the wooden framework, so al she had to buy was materials and the cover. It was a significant savings over buying the whole yurt. Pacific would not sell the cover seperately, she boght it from Advance.

She loves the yurt, but has had some problems with it. It leaks around the skylight, and of course in Olympia it rains a lot. There were also problems with mold and mildew, the yurt cover could be scrubbed clean, but with the constant moisture her other stuff molded. Yurts were made for Mongolia- as I understand it, a very dry place. I think if we were to build another yurt, the next one would not have the skylight. It was also cold sometimes, I think this has been resolved with a wood stove. If it were to be used in a cold climate, insulation would be a must.

I think mice and bugs would be able to get into a yurt- there is the area where the canvas meets the platform, and also where the walls meet the rafters.
Bathroom and kitchen- why not? Just bring the plumbing up through the platform floor. By the way- the platform is pretty necessary, and it is a cost they don't mention much in the fancy brochures.
I think I'd choose Pacific. I just saw a web page by someone who had an Advance yurt, it collapsed while he was gone. Had he been inside the yurt, he could have been injured. He contacted the company and they would not refund his money or do anything about it; come to find out others have had similar problems with Advance yurts. But this would be a framework flaw, the cover, as we got, worked OK- except it was leaky around the skylight.
Maintenance- I will have to ask my husband, to refresh my memory, but it seems to me that the canvas sagged when there was a heavy snow load. On the plus side, the space inside a yurt is special, in a way that's difficult to describe. You can pack it up and move it. Speaking of moving it, setting one up is tricky. You'll need about three adults for a 20' yurt. It all fits into the back of a pickup truck. I think a yurt could be a very pleasant place to live, but in our climate, which gets very cold and wet, with a lot of snow, it would take some extra precautions.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), January 31, 2002.



With all the disadvantages discussed in the preceding posts, and the costs which appears to be almost the cost of a simple cabin or new mobile home, and much higher than a good used mobile home, then the obvious question is: why would anyone want to live in a yurt?

-- Steve (smdann@swbell.net), January 31, 2002.

Our spinning guild made a yurt and we held meetings in it and brought it to functions and what ever. It was truly a work of art with scenic panels made by each member of the guild with wool we had felted. However after about 5 years it was just too much to deal with it was disassembled and either panels were given back to the makers or made into hats by the mastermind of it Kathy Harbert.She would I am sure be able to give you a pattern for it and some very helpful tips. I do not know her email right off but look under Herbal Maid Farm or the University of Missouri Extension office would have it. If you are interested I will send it to you if you contact me. Good luck, Terry

-- Terry Lipe (elipe@fidnet.com), January 31, 2002.

My hon and I stayed at a state park yurt over on the oregon coast. It was fun, but hard to heat, with it's electric heater. I did some calc's, and it appears that the (tiny) yurt requires more electricity to heat it to room temperature than my 3000 square foot home, also in Oregon. Poor insulation, indeed!

-- joj (jump@off.c), January 31, 2002.

I ran some electricity to a yurt one time. I couldn't figure out what would keep an intruder out. All he would have to do is get his pocket knife out and cut a hole through the fabric, reach in and unlock the door. Walk right in and take anything he wants, or whoever he wants. It wouldn't be something I would want to live in.

-- r.h. in okla. (rhays@sstelco.com), January 31, 2002.

Steve- yurts are easier to move, and they cost less to move, and take up less space when being moved. They also are infinitely more asthetically pleasing than any motor home I have seen. Roomier too, it doesn't feel small and cramped and tunnel-like the way mobile homes often do.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), January 31, 2002.


We stayed in a yurt at ECO park at the base of Mt.Saint Helens Wa. in november it was heated with a wood stove and had a propane cook top the walls were made out of a thick insulation blanket, like what you cover your hot water heater with. The owner wasn't completely happy with the yurt's he has two in fact he said they were a pain to set up and offered to sell one of his if we were ever in the market. anyone interested in one should contact them they have a web address. They also have propane toilets there, and log cabins everything off the grid including their resturant and computer. They were more impressed with the log cabin's they had several you could rent and stated that they were less money to build they got the materials from a co. in south dakota.

-- ronda (thejohnsons@localaccess.com), January 31, 2002.

I found the link for the aforementioned Eco campsite (with the yurts and log cabins) at the base of Mt. Saint Helena, WA. Here it is:

http://www.ecoparkresort.com/ecopark.htm

and thanks for all your feedback, everyone - I am learning a lot as I read!

Carolee

-- Carolee (carolee.brakewood@verizon.net), January 31, 2002.


I've been checking out alternative housing for my family. I've foumd a site where I like what they're doing-solar heat,compost toilet, grey water system etc...and the fact that they say you can do alot of it yourself. Depending on how much you can do yourself and how good you are at scrounging materials it might be something to look into. It's thenaturalhome.com At least the photos are nice to look at!

-- Terri in WV (mrs_swift_26547@yahoo.com), February 01, 2002.

Carolee,

If you search the real estate site, www.billyland.com, you will find a link for alternative housing ideas. One such is a plan for a cabin that costs about two thousand dollars to owner build. Also, check out www.aidomes.com They sell prefabricated dome homes that are made of EPS (expanded polystyrene) foam which has as an outer covering of reinforced concrete. The standard thickness is 7" so this equals about an R value of 28. But more importantly since the panels are cemented together, on site, with the rebar in the concrete interlocking between panels, this then forms a barrier to air infiltration. The company offers an unprecendented guarantee against wind damage. I have not actually seen one,.. but since you appear to be able to spend for what a yurt would cost, you can get a much longer lasting building for approximately the same amount of money. I would guess that one of these would outlive your children. Please check out the website and let me know what you think.

-- John Fritz (JohnFritz24@hotmail.com), February 07, 2002.


Thanks for the links to the sites - the dome houses are certainly an interesting concept, but I didn't find them terribly pleasing aesthetically. They look like they'd be great in a sci-fi movie, however. We are now considering a second possiblity besides buying a yurt, and that would be to buy a used travel trailer (an Airstream or something) hook it up to utilities on the site until we can afford to build a real log cabin.

--Carolee

-- Carolee (carolee.brakewood@verizon.net), February 08, 2002.


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