Utilities:
What about a bathroom and a kitchen in my yurt?
Many customers choose to partition off a section of their yurt for a bathroom. This can be done by studding up a wall like you would in a traditional house. The kitchen can be located on the opposite side of this stud wall, so the water source can be shared and there is a flat surface for hanging cabinets. Venting is in most cases directed through the yurt wall. Plumbing lines are generally brought up through the floor. Special care (the capacity to drain the line, wrapping it with heat tape or using a constant heat source with a thermostat) must be taken in freezing climates to protect the above ground plumbing components. Some customers utilize a composting toilet. This option is a great choice if there is no access to sewer lines. You may order a SunMar composting toilet from The Colorado Yurt Company when you order your yurt for convenient one stop shopping. Occasionally yurt owners will choose to put their bathroom in a second attached or detached yurt or even in a separate wood frame structure.
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Can I install electricity?
If you have access to electricity on your property, the electrical lines can be run to any location under your yurt and brought up through the floor. Outlets and light switches may then be placed wherever convenient. If you do not have access to electricity we recommend The Harvester, a plug and play solar generator. Another good resource is Alternative Power Enterprises. This is the company we use for our own solar efforts. They have a solar estimator right on their home page. Also, make sure you check out any local solar contractors that may be in your area.
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How do I heat and cool my yurt?
Heating a yurt is most often accomplished with a wood or gas stove vented through the yurt wall. It is important to know the square footage of the area you will be heating when you go to purchase your stove. Radiant in-floor heating is also becoming popular and is an efficient, even way to heat the yurt in a fairly mild climate or with a supplemental heat source such as electric baseboards or ceramic heaters. Forced air or central heating can be used by running ductwork under the floor. Upgrading to an insulation package will vastly improve efficiency for heating your yurt.
There are several things to do to keep your yurt cool in warmer weather. Perhaps two of the most important are providing good ventilation through careful window and door placement and adding a Euro-dome Lifter to your yurt. The heat will naturally rise to the dome and a Dome Lifter will allow you to open the dome slightly to allow that heat to escape. If electricity is available, you may want to install an evaporative swamp cooler, an air conditioner, or a ductless minisplit ac unit. Upgrading to an insulation package will help keep your yurt cool by relfecting the sunlight away from the yurt.
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Can I live "off-the-grid" in my yurt?
Many people begin their off-the-grid life in a yurt with a composting toilet, woodstove and a few solar panels. Colorado Yurt is a distributor for Sun-Mar composting toilets. We can also help you decide what your solar needs are and make recommendations on stoves. Check out an e-news article about a customer who lives totally off the grid. It includes a great list of resources they've utilized.
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