Q: I live in St.Croix, US Virgin Islands. I have been exploring so many options to build on some land I own here, from conventional poured concrete walls, to concrete and block, to a dome, and now, possibly a yurt. However, before I go any further with the yurt (Pacific Yurts seems to build a quality home), I am most curious as to how well a yurt can hold up in a hurricane, particularly if all possible bracing, stabilization, reinforcing, etc, is utilized. Do you have an idea of what would need to be done to give it the best chance of surviving a hurricane here in the Caribbean, and up to what wind speed a yurt may hold up under the best, and under the worst conditions? The yurt is very economical and goes up quickly, and can be quite nice---this is a relief to other options on the island.

A: There's a two-part answer to the hurricane question:

* Yurts do well in high winds, both because they are circular (and therefore the wind goes around the yurt, with no corners to catch the wind) and also because of the amazing strength and flexibility of the
integrated roof and wall structure (the whole structure being held in tension between the central compression ring and the encircling tension band). I've heard one story of a fabric yurt surviving a tornado in Japan that killed 12 people and damaged all the permanent houses nearby. The only thing that happened to the yurt was that the skylight bubble blew off, which is a design feature to allow for pressure release when a vacuum is created inside, thereby keeping the yurt from imploding.

* You have found a good company in Pacific Yurts and will want to discuss this matter with them. I'm pretty sure they'll recommend some form of wind and snow load kit, which is engineered to withstand both strong winds and heavy snow loads. Pacific Yurts sells to lots of ski resorts, where there are often exceptionally high winds. I'm sure they will give you good advice and can provide some engineering specs, if that is what you want.

I've had some stories come through my website (forum and email) about fabric yurts that were damaged in recent wind storms. Upon reflection, I would suggest not using a fabric yurt if you are concerned about hurricanes; rather, I think a frame panel wooden yurt would provide the aesthetic and perhaps some of the economy that is desired while at the same time creating the necessary stability for a high wind situation. I think a round home is his best bet by far for a hurricane situation...

Q: My dad recently retired and acted on a longtime dream to live in a yurt. He built two 30' diameter yurts in Tulare County, California. One is for living in, one is a shop, connected by a covered walkway. He went to the county permit office before he started on them, and they said they had nothing on yurts. He explained what he wanted to do, and they said there was nothing on the books saying he couldn't. I don't think he asked the right question, as anything over 120 square feet in California requires some kind of permit. Be that as it may, a building inspector happened by today and really dug into him. He's using solar, composting toilets, and a gray water system, and propane. He thought everything through, except what the county would do. He's a recently retired ER doctor, and had built three regular houses singlehandedly before. His plan was to build the yurts, move into them, and sell his house. He built the yurts on my grandparent's property in the middle of a plum orchard, but planned to take them down as soon as my grandparents pass on--they're 92, but doing fine.He has no objection to paying for permits or taxes for school or anything else, but he could sure use any references or people to talk to you might know of that might help him get through the process he's about to go through, if it is possible to get through. He worked everyday for 18 months to complete them, and they're very nice. My mom's friends all thought she wouldn't want to move into yurts, but once they saw them, they've all been impressed.In any case, I know my dad probably could have done a bit more homework before going ahead and building them in terms of the rules in California, but what's done is done, and will be all undone if he can't find a way to get everything in compliance. If you know anyone who has gone through something similar, or may be able to advise, I would deeply appreciate it.

A: Here's what I would advise:
* Check my book ("YURTS: Living in the Round") out of the library or get it online and work through the two page sidebar I wrote on working with Building Code officials. It will show your dad what all the issues are that the code official might be concerned with.
* In Appendix 1 I excerpted many of the pertinent sections of the new ICC (International Code Council) set of codes for 2003 (currently the most commonly used set of codes as I understand it).
* I would love to put you in touch with a retired building official from the city of Seattle that is helping me put together a pamphlet on yurts and codes. This would give her a practical situation to work on to see what all the issues are and how helpful (or not) our suggestions are going to be. I'll bet she'd love to talk with your code official and could perhaps diffuse the situation and help find a resolution.

Q: My question pertains to yurt living in Utah. I live in a very small incorporated town - Boulder, Utah that is wrestling with yurt living and building codes. (Yurts that have been around for a number of years previous to the current controversy seem to be allowed as long as they are 100 yds. from a house with septic facilities.) Last year, after a series of town meetings (some rather heated) the planning committee decided that they were not interested in creating ordinances for alternative housing and that as long as yurts could meet the county building codes - based on the UBC - that they would be allowed. No one in the town really knew what that meant and as the newest yurt dwelling resident of Boulder, I volunteered to be the test case. I've recently heard that the new UBC codes may actually have a section on yurts. Is this so and if it is, what does it entail?

A: (Jeff Ruppert) Since the year 2000, the latest versions of the code are the International Building Code (IBC) and related subcodes. I did a text search of the code on a computer and there is no reference to "yurt." Your building department may still be using the Uniform Building Code (UBC) which was ended in 1997. There is a new version of the IBC (as was the case for the UBC) every three years. The latest version is 2006.

Yurts are a type of building that is in the "gray area" for codes. Depending on where you live, they can either be a temporary or permanent structure, per code. The main issues that determine what it is are
structure and energy (there are others, but these two issues tend to dominate the discussions). If you live in a place with snow, chances are you will need it engineered for building department approval. If
you live in a cold climate and there is a minimum insulation requirement for energy efficiency, you would have to install insulation as with any other home. Both of these requirements would apply if you want the yurt to be a dwelling with plumbing and waste treatment. If you want to use it as a temporary structure, per Section 107 of the IBC, the building official is authorized to grant such permits, but they shall be limited to 180 days, and may be extended with reasonable cause, but not indefinitely. Basically, it is totally up to the building official and you are at their whim.

Don't expect to be able to put up any structure that is not up to code as being permanent on your land. Many people struggle with this same issue and the fact is, if the building department will let you do it, you are very lucky. I don't have a silver bullet for this issue. I wish I did, but it can be creative working within the system and getting as close as possible to a solution that is acceptable by both sides.

Q: I am wanting to buy a yurt that is fully permitted and with foundation post and beam into the land. It is in Hawaii but I am having trouble getting financed for this unique kind of home? Any referrals? I wanted a home loan for 30 yr term.

A: (Kelly) Interestingly, I just finished reading a marvelous new book ( Yurts: Living in the Round ) about yurts written by Becky Kemery (she also has a website: http://www.yurtinfo.org ), where she discusses the problems of getting conventional financing on yurts. Because they are generally portable structures without a conventional foundation, banks are wary of loaning money on something that might walk away. She suggests approaching the loan officer with the term "non-conforming house" as opposed to yurt, and have lots of nice pictures to show how solid it appears. 

Q: We would like to make earth/clay floor for our traditional Mongolian yurt. Any advise on how it can be done will be greatly appreciated.

A: (Janine Bjornson) If you do not have any experience making an earth floor I would suggest purchasing a booklet on the process. Bill and Athena Steen of the Canelo Project have a booklet on earthen floors. Their web address is: www.thecaneloproject.com .

Some basics tips that I think are important: -Testing, testing, testing!! I always make several different large (1 yard or metre square) tests. I lay them out at the thickness you will pour the floor in. I try a different recipe for each test. When they dry I can see which tests crack, crumble, or are hard and crack-free (how I want them to be). Then I know the recipe I will use when I pour the real floor. Testing, and RECORDING your testing is one of the most important things.

-Find a good clay soil source. The better your clay soil, the more durable your floor will be. If the soil does not have enough clay content, the floor will be crumbly. If the soil is too silty, the floor may be dusty.

- I lay my floors in three stages. A base coat mix (1.5 inches thick), a secondary base coat mix (1.5 inches thick), and then a top coat (.5 inches thick). It doesn't matter too much if the base coats crack, but your really want that top coat perfect (hard, dust-free, crack-free).

Q: What is your opinion of yurts (Americanized version) for living in year round (in NE Minnesota - cold in winter, moderate snowfall, can be humid in summer)? I like the idea but wonder about the practicality (though the manufacturers say it is do-able).

A (Kelly): I like yurts and the feeling of the space inside of them. There are several manufacturers of these, and some of them do claim they can be used in cold climates. It's all a matter of insulation, so that is what you mainly need to pay attention to. I have yet to see a fabric yurt that I would want to spend a cold winter in...but they may exist. You might see if you can get references to former customers who can can ask about their experience.

C: (Howie Oakes) Just wanted to say thanks for posting a link to us at GoYurt Shelters. We are pretty small (my wife and myself) and can use all help we can get! We are focused on getting back to the original intent of the nomadic Ger...to be a truly portable home! I am not sure if you saw it on the site, but we just became the first yurt company to be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. All of our wood going forward is going to be local and certified responsibly harvested. We are also 100% pvc free. It was surprising how pervasive pvc is in many of the materials we looked at...