yurt living

[lostboystoy]

hey David. No I havent heard from anyone on this forum that actually lives in a yurt, I am getting alot of neg. from people who thought about it and decided against it. I am still looking forward to talking to someone who has lived in a yurt for awhile so i can get the ins-n-outs, the good and the bad.
One of the reasons of thinking the yurt is that it would be a home until I get my buisness established on the big Island, then I can take out a contruction loan against the property to build a house, then I also have the yurt as a geust house for family...
I am not looking at it as a re-sale value since the value of land never goes down but homes can fluctuate with the economy, people are finding out now with all those sup-prime loans, that peoples homes are not worth as much as they think, the price of housing will aleays be a yo-yo effect but the price of land will only continue to go up. With that said the yurt seems like a good option in case i get island fever in 5 years, which I dont think it will happen since this has been a plan for several years now, but for whatever reason I can always pack up the yurt and move it where you cant with a stick frame home.....still learning and all input is greatly apprecieated...thanx Craig

setting my soul free....

[JWFITZ]

Hi again,

I actually got my start in yurts. I lived in one for a bit of over a year in Northern Washington State and I wouldn't recommend it for Hawaii for a couple of practical reasons.

1. If you consider the cold dry area where yurts evolved, there is nothing in common whatsoever with that climate and the climate of Hawaii, unless you're planning on building way up saddle road somewhere. You must battle moisture and mold daily here, and the mold even if it doesn't get into the fabric will get into the treatment material and screw it up, making them dank and sweaty like you'd think.

2. They're far more comfortable in the cold than the heat. They get awful hot when the sun comes down. But of course, they were designed for a cold dry climate with a lot of sun.

3. The fabric on the top gets filthy, especially with a woodstove, which you will need to keep it dry inside. If you're on catchment water this surface will be of no use.

4. The roof has no overhangs, and water runs down under the footprint of the shelter. Again, a bad application of the wrong kind of structure in the wrong area.

A yurt will cost more money than a cabin will, knowledgeably built.

[JWFITZ]

And a last thought before I get to work.

If you really want to just cheap-out and put up a temporary fabric structure, just get yourself one of those military spike tents in a 18 by 30 or what have you. They are cheap, and very rugged, and will do everything a yurt will and better, with less materials. The higher peak roof is better in the rain and the tension/compression structure is better in the wind. They aren't cute, but being camo they are hard to see. One of these, however, is a 500 dollar experiment rather than a 10000 dollar one. It would be hard to argue against one of these while arguing for a yurt, as in truth it's all the same idea but a more modern concept and much more portable. All in all the only real difference in livability is looks.

[StillHope]

Wow! JWFITZ,where have you been before ?
Finally the truth about using yurts in Hawaii is coming from a person who lived in yurts.Though I moved on and will be building a small custom made house,but it will help people like me whose main reason for considering yurt was affordability .
I am going to say it again:
Thank you,Rob and everyone who generously share their time and experience on this forum !

[JWFITZ]

No prob. I've done green self-sufficient building for a long time and have seen most all of it. My goal here is to see people be successful in their dreams and to be meaningfully benign to the environment in doing it. I'm not soliciting work, by the way, for the folks that have asked, as I'm booked mostly through 2009, but would share a beer and advice with any who wanted a hand.

oarclub@hotmail.com

[aprild]

JWFitz,

Where in HI was your yurt? Did the trades help to keep the air circulating? How about if you kept fans going? A de-humidifier?More windows? How was ventilation in your yurt? Could you open the top skylite?

I was thinking about putting up a canvas yurt on Maui around Haiku--definitely rainy side. I wondered about heat during the day. Some shade would seem to be necessary.

How big was your yurt?

To others asking about yurt living: I have had a yurt for nearly 20 years and it is the most wonderful living space imaginable. It is made of redwood with fir interior and is delightful inside and out. It looks like a mushroom from outer space. I love everything about it. It is also still portable as it comes in sections which were then bolted into place on site. Definitely not as portable as a canvas yurt and it takes longer to assemble.

I had really hoped that a yurt would be a good, temporary or guest area solution for HI.

april

[JWFITZ]

Jeez, what an interesting day, talking to all you and visitors at my place as well.

First, a wooden structure isn't a yurt, even if its yurt shaped. We must draw that line. I'm not sure it's fair to call a yurt a yurt if it isn't made out of yak hide, and don't laugh, because leather has very very different properties in the sun and wet than any canvas will. So while some might say that yurts have been around for a long time--true, but canvas or more properly acrylic yurts are very recently tried, and as far as I'm concerned unproven.

The military builds their tents out of cotton canvas with a oil based sealant. You could use latex paint, on canvas. Kayaks are made in this manner(george dyson) and are waterproof. The cotton is used for a very specific reason. While it is prone to rot, the UV won't touch it, and this is a very important issue.

Modern Acrylics, sunbrella etc. do very well in UV, and with silicon treatments handle waterproofing very well. What they don't do, at all, is handle chafe. The get very brittle and abrade badly. On a yurt, that's terrible, as in the wind they will beat against the roof poles and wear through. I'm a sailmaker and very familiar with these materials. Don't do it!

As for de-humidifiers--what is the point of a "green"(note the quotes) structure if you've got to run a diesel generator to keep it dry?

I'll start a thread on green building here in the next day or two, but it will start a firestorm, I'm afraid. It's more complicated an issue than people give credit to. But it is a timely issue, for sure, and really, I'd love to see it pan out for people. I'm in Hawaii mostly as an ecological refugee as it's one of the last places one can pull such a lifestyle off. But, it's not as simple as one thinks...

[YurtGirl]

jdirgo, this forum can be a great tool where everyone can share knowledge, ask questions and gain new perspectives. My "sole interest" is to provide information about a housing alternative that I strongly believe in. I work volunteering to help in this area whether it is with yurts or not, whether it is with my company or not.

Out of curiousity, have you lived in a yurt? Have you had any experience with these structures other than knowledge of how quickly they sell for profit? My aim isn't to make people money on resale, my aim is to offer a great alternative to our skyrocketing housing prices to the people who need it. Some will love it, some will knock it. All I can do is tell what I know. Please don't assume things about my nature.

In the future I will have to be selective in the posts that I respond to, as this has the potential to become circular (pardon the pun), over-dramatized and far too time consuming. I will respond to serious questions and open minded discussions, hope you all have a wonderful day wherever you are~

Yurt Girl

[YurtGirl]

quote:

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Originally posted by StillHope

quote:

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[i]Originally posted by jdirgo

YurtGirl, .....

I ask again -- have you ever seen a yurt on the Big Island sell where financing was involved?

I imagine that, again, I'm going to get a long answer that never says "yes" or "no".

Sheesh, you'd think I'm asking questions of someone whose sole interest is in selling yurts.

Oh wait, I am.

John Dirgo, R, ABR, e-PRO
Aloha Coast Realty, LLC
808-987-9243 cell
http://www.alohacoastrealty.com

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The specific style of replying without actually answering the question
is being used by politicians,lawyers ... and some local businessmen...

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By the way, I answered this question, see my other posts. Yes, I do know of people who obtained financing to build their yurt. No, I do not have intimate knowledge of any yurts that have sold after they were built, as far as I know all our yurt people are still living in and loving theirs. Financing to build is often obtained through personal loans. I am not a realtor and selling property is not my business. Neither is financial lending or insurance. One project at a time, please. Mahalo~

[YurtGirl]

quote:

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Originally posted by JWFITZ

Hi again,

I actually got my start in yurts. I lived in one for a bit of over a year in Northern Washington State and I wouldn't recommend it for Hawaii for a couple of practical reasons.

1. If you consider the cold dry area where yurts evolved, there is nothing in common whatsoever with that climate and the climate of Hawaii, unless you're planning on building way up saddle road somewhere. You must battle moisture and mold daily here, and the mold even if it doesn't get into the fabric will get into the treatment material and screw it up, making them dank and sweaty like you'd think.

2. They're far more comfortable in the cold than the heat. They get awful hot when the sun comes down. But of course, they were designed for a cold dry climate with a lot of sun.

3. The fabric on the top gets filthy, especially with a woodstove, which you will need to keep it dry inside. If you're on catchment water this surface will be of no use.

4. The roof has no overhangs, and water runs down under the footprint of the shelter. Again, a bad application of the wrong kind of structure in the wrong area.

A yurt will cost more money than a cabin will, knowledgeably built.

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Have you lived in a yurt here in Hawaii or stayed in one? I recommend calling up "Hangin' Loose" or some of the retreats here on the island that use them, you can even go stay in one to get a knowledge of what they're like in our varied climates here on the island. Insulation gives relief to rising temperatures during the day, so does a tinted dome and awnings to provide airflow. Here in Hawaii we can utilize a cistern or gutter system so that the water doesn't just come straight off the sides and you can collect the H2O. A scrub of the outside of a yurt twice a year is sufficient to keep the muck off, even here in 120" of rain a year. Pull a hose up through the middle to rinse of the soap and muck after you've scrubbed it. Moisture is not an issue as long as your dome and seams are properly sealed. Not all yurts are canvas, some are vinyl and some even use great materials that they can recycle and are even more durable than standard canvas. There are wood ones too... I must agree, those are a bit of a stretch from "yurt", but they are beautiful.