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Do It Yurtself

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Re: Do It Yurtself

#161

Post by drewfish »

thekhatribharat wrote: post #73

How does the construction industry work in the US? Do many people DIY? Do many people get hands-on with building homes while still hiring experts where needed? Is it common for city people to own farms/land nearby? It seems it isn’t really that costly to build a nice 1000 sq. ft. place complete with appliances and modern amenities. The construction industry in India is shitty - carpenters, painters, plumbers, masons,…

I'm in the middle of building a 1000sf home with some friends. It'll probably be about 80k for the house (including various permits). We hired contactors for: plans (including engineering calcs), concrete slab finishing (our floor, did the forms & rebar ourselves), trusses (required by code), plumbing, and drywall. I just got back from putting tile in the bathrooms :) We had a retired electrician friend who guided us but did that ourselves, otherwise we probably would have hired one. We're in the countryside so also needed a well and septic system (not part of the 80k).

It's been a tremendous amount of work but is otherwise rather doable. The internet/youtube has been very helpful (like Neo downloading how to kungfu). Another surprise is how helpful the building inspectors have been. They're usually dealing with cranky contractors who want to do the minimum, and we've been very eager for their advice on how to make things last since we'll be living there.

It's been notably more expensive (maybe 15-20%) than we expected, mainly do to the modern building practices and materials which are either required by code or just a good idea.

Re: Do It Yurtself

#162

Post by marcinzm »

rgrieselhuber wrote: post #124
jokoon wrote: post #89

I'm more curious about the state of that yurt in 5, 10, 15 years. Heating, humidity, insulation, energy bill, insects, hygiene, maintaining the toilet and the hygiene issues that come with it. Building codes don't exist without good reasons. Health and comfort don't happen by snapping finger at good ideas. I would really be interesting if construction engineers seriously studied yurts. I have to say this looks pretty…

If only those Mongolians had building code engineers.

Traditional yurts, as I understand it, are temporary structures that are moved every so often. This build is a permanent structure.

Re: Do It Yurtself

#163

Post by marcinzm »

cwkoss wrote: post #33

Wow, imgur has really ramped up the ads and user hostile UX, I wonder if they are going broke.

Imgur has taken in $60 million in funding and the founder has had the usual delusions of grandeur regarding their "mission" (I interviewed there). The grand ambitions haven't panned out and I'm guessing that the VCs now want some return on their investment.

Re: Do It Yurtself

#164

Post by technotarek »

Inspiring. Love the thoughtful design touches. My only immediate practical issue would be climbing that ladder in the middle of the night to wee! Regardless, the builder and family should be incredibly proud. Enjoy.

Re: Do It Yurtself

#165

Post by dvh »

dvh wrote: post #56
cryptozeus wrote: post #44

Amazing job. Wish the plants were real. Pic from the glass roof of the starry night is a must.

I wonder what is carbon dioxide concentration before sunrise, it must be quite high.

This is second time in a row I posted factual, on topic information and I am being downvoted. It is well known fact that oxygen level is lowest just before sunrise [1], [2]. In the first photo there is absolutely ridiculous amount of houseplants for such a small room so obviously CO2 levels before sunrise are concern. What are the numbers? Did they measured it. Few plants are fine but so many plants? I would do the measurement just to be safe.

[1] https://www.picotech.com/library/results/plant-measurements-... [2] https://www.quora.com/Is-the-level-of-oxygen-maximum-in-the-...

Re: Do It Yurtself

#166

Post by mikeg8 »

aurbano wrote: post #97
jokoon wrote: post #89

I'm more curious about the state of that yurt in 5, 10, 15 years. Heating, humidity, insulation, energy bill, insects, hygiene, maintaining the toilet and the hygiene issues that come with it. Building codes don't exist without good reasons. Health and comfort don't happen by snapping finger at good ideas. I would really be interesting if construction engineers seriously studied yurts. I have to say this looks pretty…

Absolutely, I have done no research on this but on his website [1] he claims: > Strength: The fundamental principles of a yurt’s design creates a structure that is surprisingly strong. The compression and tension of the walls and roof can hold thousands of pounds of weight from the snow. The round shape allows high winds to be diverted gracefully around the structure. Unlike a normal house, a yurt doesn’t rely on rig…

I think from a structural engineering perspective, yurts are strong for their weight/materials but most construction failures don’t involve a structure falling, it’s matrierials/joint failure from water/UV exposure and penetrations. Yurts were developed to be semi-permanent structures for nomadic peoples. I would not expect them to last more than 15-20 years because of the toll the water and sun will take on their “cheap” materials and simple construction methods.

Re: Do It Yurtself

#167

Post by mikeg8 »

khabaal wrote: post #76
ryacko wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This lacks statistics on temperatures throughout the day or estimates on the loadbearing capacity of the roof. In essence, this house has not been benchmarked.

This is exactly, what came to my mind after adoring the beautiful first and following pictures. The whole setup looks very adorable, with the plants inside the bedroom area and i guess it could be very plesant to stay there for holiday. But i guess the winters will be horribly cold without anything that could be called decent insulation. And the whole weight of the roof (and maybe snow) is on that little wooden fence…

They are using a wood burning stove which will adequately heat the space. Instead of controlling for a constant temperature like a modern insulated/HVACd house, they heat as needed. Its an older approach but will work perfectly fine. The walls will have zero problem supporting the roof as it is incredibly light compared to modern US roofs.

Re: Do It Yurtself

#168

Post by mikeg8 »

ravitation wrote: post #152

I love DIY homes but, in the negatives it lists... > Poor temperature control, noise level, and not so temporary I'm wondering why you would build a yurt instead of one of the numerous more traditional wood frame green pre-fabs, which would essentially eliminate all of these negatives?

My guess is cost would be the biggest factor. Materials and construction methods in a tiny/pre-fab home are on a different level.

Re: Do It Yurtself

#170

Post by rapjr9 »

Yurts can be insulated and have wood walls, windows, rafters, and metal roofing:

https://www.smilingwoodsyurts.com

From their FAQ:

"Homes built with our products are permanent and comfortable for full-time all-season living in nearly every climate. They are built with durable building materials to stand for generations; a fabric yurt is basically a really nice tent. A SWY will meet and exceed the most current international Residential Building codes and can be insulated to industry standards for energy-efficiency using proven R-value products, a fabric yurt will not. We have insulated glass windows whereas fabric yurts have vinyl windows that open from the outside. SWY homes can be secured, fully-insured, and generally qualify for conventional financing under most circumstances through a third-party. Please note: Smiling Woods Yurts does not offer any financing on our products."

Some yurts are tents, some are more substantial.

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