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Do It Yurtself

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191–200 of 203 posts

Re: Do It Yurtself

#191
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.

In the project page https://doityurtself.com faq page the faqs talk a little about climate control. Apparently they don’t do great in extreme heat or cold (lacking great insulation?). Not benchmarking but something: “ Yurts do not do well in extreme heat. It's best to find a location for a yurt that is in a mild climate and in a place where you can build in some partial shade. During the summer months, you can use fa…

Ironically, traditional yurts very similar to these are used in places that go from -40C to +40C throughout the year (Mongolia, Tuva... though true, when it’s -40C, hopefully you’ve packed up your yurt and moved it down the valley to the winter grazing location that’s a little less harsh...).

Re: Do It Yurtself

#192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Temporary in that they are moved 2-4 times a year, but permanent in that they are used throughout the year, just in different locations.

Re: Do It Yurtself

#193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In more rural areas, you can still build your own home without a huge amount of paperwork and certification. As someone else mentioned, if your funding hasn't got strings attached you're even more free. Of course there's always the "forgiveness is easier than permission," factor too, but that only works if you're "somebody" to the authorities you hope to be forgiving you. I built my house from 2003 to 2005 in rural T…

I live in a city of ~200k (Grand Rapids, MI). We need a few more permits than you (structural plans, foundation...), but there's nothing prohibiting DIY work. I've found the building department to be fairly DIY-friendly.

Ha. A family member built a ~2,500sq ft, 3 stall garage home near the beltline a few years back with the help of my other family members. One of them had a contractor's license (I think primarily for the discount and credit line at Menards - they never worked as a contractor) but GR was very amenable to self built homes. Just needed the normal inspections (foundation, electrical, plumbing) and it went smoothly.

Re: Do It Yurtself

#194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Complete with insulation instructions that will cause mold growth.

Ah yes! That insulation! I definitely learned my lesson afterwards from the s *storm that ensued. Maybe there will be a vanual 2.0 in the future that resolves these issues, but at the very least, Id like to make some edits to correct that info on the current site.

You should look into that. You definitely present that site like "i know what I'm doing and this is good information."

Re: Do It Yurtself

#195

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, it's do it YOURTself, not yourself, sometimes humor is hard to detect ;)

Sorry, as an older individual, not necessarily up to date on current memes and such, what's the significance of the extra "T" in "yourtself"?

They were building a Yurt :)

Re: Do It Yurtself

#196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Temporary in that they are moved 2-4 times a year, but permanent in that they are used throughout the year, just in different locations.

Sure but moving means you do a total inspection and replace anything that is wrong 2-4 times per year. You can also clean off any mildew, water damage, plug any holes, deal with any ground issues underneath, leave behind any biological waste, etc.

Re: Do It Yurtself

#197
Having lived in a van for the past year, building a yurt is my next plan. Probably once I’m back in Australia.

I’ve looked into earthships, bagged houses, abodo, containers, small houses and other DIY methods.

These yurts seems like the right balance between cost, DIY capability and results.

Particularly this loft design, which I’ve seen on some NZ YouTube videos.

My plan, a yurt on land approximately 2 - 3 hours from Melbourne, plus a sprinter van or troopy. And I’ll buy a private parking space in Melbourne, for when I want to weekend / overnight in town.

Zero mortgage. Fuck your house prices, keep em.

Re: Do It Yurtself

#198

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,…

In Soviet Union of the 80s a male person with rural origins aged over 18 was considered capable of building a wooden house by himself (or little help from other males in the family) by default. Nowadays you can hardly find someone who is not a carpenter professionally but still capable of building.

Yeah, and that’s why most of the modern rural Russia reminds everyone of the 1920s southern states in America.

It was eye-opening to end up at a photography exhibition by a guy who did government-backed photography in the south in 20s and see the same house my babushka used to live in.

But frankly, it doesn’t mean these were _good_ houses.

Re: Do It Yurtself

#200

This is Zach. The guy that built the yurt and the website. Just found out this was posted here! Thanks for checking it out. I’ll try to add my two cents and answer some of the questions. Im away from my computer so I might be a little slow!

How much did the whole project cost?
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