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Do It Yurtself

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141–150 of 203 posts

Re: Do It Yurtself

#141
This is pretty cool and looks great. It has a lot of themselves in it which I think will make it a cherished place.

If anybody wants to see how a traditional Yurt/Ger is put up, you should watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLO-z-XJ7_U

It's quite different in some respects and the main difference is that the load is shared between the lattice walls and an interior post structure as well as the heating being centralized under the oculus.

Re: Do It Yurtself

#143
post #93

I'm always intrigued by the way Americans build the foundation. I've seen it before, seems to be rather standard. Concrete pillars, OK, but then it's raised on wood and the whole house is placed on it? I can see some benefits but it doesn't seem good for the long term. Around here we pour the whole thing on the ground, with rocks and concrete, the whole ground is covered, then the house is built on that.

That is the convention for the US. These pillar footings are commonplace for decks. Which is what this structure essentially is: a deck platform with an expensive tent.

Re: Do It Yurtself

#144

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…

Curious, what was the total 'all done' cost of doing this?

Just under $40k, with salvage materials and every cost saving i could scrape up. Place has been assessed 2x - 3x higher and I've been told "If it was a more normal structure it could be worth twice that"... Most people don't want houses with industrial flooring and 900 sqft loft rooms; thats why I had to build :)

Re: Do It Yurtself

#145
post #111
post #95

I may have missed but it seems nothing discussed for the amount o plants in the comments. Is having that many plants around your bed safe? Can they release enough CO2 to effect your sleep quality or is it a myth I remember from my childhood?

Is suspect you can search for this, but here's a quick shot - how much living material is inside them? Let's say all the plants weight the same as one human. And they don't need to keep warm. So most likely they're not respirating more than one extra human. And I don't think having three people in a bed is unsafe.

I just had a chance to do a bit research and read about the facts and I believe you're right.

It seems even a small pet, like a hamster, could produce more CO2 than a home full of trees/plants during the night.

Re: Do It Yurtself

#146
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…

vinyl tarp: i have some car tents from costco (aprox $300) that appear to use a similar vinyl exterior and they hold up great (5+ years so far). I made one into a perm shed, but with that I added another layer of thick tarp on top (that also seems to hold up well, just make sure you use UV stabalized)

insulation: looks pretty awful to me. this thing is going to be cold in winter unless you keep the fire going 24/7

plants: good luck keeping these with enough light+water. watering these seems like a total nightmare given how any drips are going to ruin your structure/drywall.

foundation: anyone doing this, rent a (or buy a cheap) concrete mixer! I bought one used for $100 on craigslist. can sell it right back when you are done with the project.

flooring: "luxury vinyl planks" are awesome. I use the "lifeproof" brand (bought at home-depot) and they are great. completely waterproof, durable, and look like wood.

Re: Do It Yurtself

#147
post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Humans used whatever material was plenty available for a long time. The Siam and Burmese empires used wood. When the wood started to rot they razed it and built new houses. Most homes in the US are simple wood frames, with wood cladding. No one worries about the lifespan of those houses.

And given good construction, a wooden house can last hundreds of years as seen in the surviving houses in Europe. Doesn't of course mean they all will.

Yes, there are still standing timber frame tithe barns in England from the 800's.

Just gotta keep the timbers dry and insect-free (or -free-enough).

But all the modern stick frames, hmm, no so much..

Re: Do It Yurtself

#148
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…

No way that compost toilet doesn't start to smell up the whole thing

Re: Do It Yurtself

#150
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…

But in the state of 5, 10, 15 years, the beauty of this is that most of it is easily replaceable, assuming the foundation and flooring is solid. I mean, there is just not a lot to "go bad", so to speak.
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