The Frame
The yurt is a circular self-supporting structure: a wooden frame, comprising trellis walls (khana), with bent or straight roof rafters arching from the top of the walls to a central wheel.
We use either sawn ash or oak, or coppiced chestnut wood ; the coppiced frames look and ‘feel’ more rustic, while the sawn wood frames have a regularity that gives a very graceful shape to the yurt.
After cutting the wood, and stripping it if neccessary, we steam it, and bend it on jigs to give it its form before hand finishing to bring out its natural beauty.
The central wheel has crossed bracing sticks, which give it a domed shape.Traditionally, these form the shape of a cross, but we also like to play with other geometrical patterns…
The Cover
We cover our yurts with canvas (see Materials) it is much more suited to the European climate than felt. The cover comes in 3 pieces- the walls (which have a 30cm PVC skirt), the roof, and the star. The star has the option of a canvas, or clear PVC plastic circle which covers the actual wheel, and coloured ’petals’ are a popular choice. A canvas door also comes with the cover, unless a wooden one is specifically requested.
Floors
Wooden floors work really well in yurts; they also keep the frame off the ground which prolongs the life of the wood. Floors made in detachable sections mean that you can still move your yurt if you want, and a more permenant set up can be enhanced using insulation.
We can also offer PVC groundsheets for short term usage as a waterproof layer.