 |
PART TWO We searched all over for a reasonably priced source of canvas. Our yurt called for about 150 yards of water-resistant, treated canvas. At an minimum price of CDN$10 per yard, the total price tag would be very steep, so we found a low cost alternative: heavy duty painters canvas dropcloths! We found a 12' x 15' size at CDN$40 each. That works out at about CDN$1.50 per square yard. So despite a slight variation in quality and weave between each of our seven dropcloths, we saved a good chunk of cash. |
| The next step was to figure out how to use our sewing
machine. Having never encountered such a contraption before, there was
some trepidation. But it really isn't too difficult to master the basics.
Get a friend to show you the basics, or as in our case, just try to
follow the owner's manual. The first thing sewing job was to sew four of our seven tarps together to create one HUGE square tarp. We then drew a 25' diameter circle on it, cut it out and hemmed the edge. |
 |
 |
So far so good. Except we ran out of thread already.
This is a very thread-hungry project... you'll need to buy about 2 kilometres
of strong nylon thread altogether. We then cut a "V" shape in the circle, so as to create the ultimate cone shape of the roof. Now, despite our fabulous savings on canvas, we knew that even the lightest rainfall would leak right through, so we bought a large, 5-gallon bucket of 100% acrylic paint on sale, and painted both sides of the roof canvas. This created a watertight, plasticized coating. |
| We then erected the roof structure (below) on the
ground, placed the canvas on top, and pinned where the "V"
cut edges would be joined together. At this time we also cut off the
pointed cone that stood above the hub, and in its place pinned, then
sewed, then painted, a 3' diameter circle of canvas. The final step in sewing the roof canvas was to sew reinforced loops (right) around the perimeter of the roof, which will ultimately help anchor the roof canvas. |
 |
 |
Next step is to sew the walls. We cut, and laid out the panels on the ground (left). It's very easy to get confused while sewing the walls, and end up sewing panels or windows back to front and upside down, so laying them all out on the ground keeps things visually in order. The tops and bottoms of the wall canvas are hemmed, and then the top is again folded down a couple of inches, and sewn vertically every ten inches, in order to create "pockets" or "hangers" for the finished wall. |
| We decided not to bother with plastic "windows", electing to use bug screening and canvas flaps. In order to create the windows, cut holes in the canvas in the approprate places (think about views and cross ventilation) and then pin them as shown at right, folding the edges of the netting under the folded edges of the canvas. This gives the final result a neat, clean and professional look. You could simultaneously sew in clear PVC at this point if you choose. |  |
 |
Finally, we sewed together all the wall panels, making
a sixty-foot long wall. As with the roof canvas, the walls required
waterproofing. We decided that we didn't want the thick acrylic colour
coating like the roof canvas, so opted for three gallons of tent canvas
waterproofing. It's a petroleum-based product. and lets the walls "breathe"
while giving them water, mildew and UV repellancy. That's it! The canvas is done! |
| Before we put everything together, we needed a place
to site our yurt. Our first choice was a wood deck, but the cost of
lumber was prohibitive. So we opted for the next best thing... concrete.
Not pretty, but it gives a good, level base for the yurt at a fraction
of the cost. It's 4" above grade, with an 18'4" diameter.
It's located just a few steps away from our straw bale cabin. NEXT: Putting it all together |
 |
