How to set up and install a yurt

May 9, 6:05 PMHonolulu Green Living ExaminerAnitra Pickett

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Pele's Paradise Yurt at Lova Lava Land Eco-Resort

1. Find the perfect location on your property.

Considerations to take into account include:
- Diameter of the yurt kit you are purchasing (location may affect how large of a yurt you want to purchase).
- Whether you plan to place the yurt directly or very close to the ground or raise it on posts.
- What kind of views you want out the door and windows of the yurt.
- If you want the yurt to be in a permanent location or plan to move it in the near future.
- Landscape issues including trees, bushes, or uneven ground.
- Local weather patterns. For example, if you are in a location that gets a lot of sun and hot temperatures, you will want to find a shady spot. If you are in a location with high wind storms you may want to stay away from trees that could break and hit the yurt.
 

2. After deciding on a tentative location, measure out the center point of the yurt and walk or mark the circle where the yurt will eventually go.
Consider all the pros/cons of this location, with the above considerations in mind. Adjust your center point as needed and make sure to think out door and window locations.

Decide on and build the yurt foundation.

3. Build your foundation and floor.
There are many options here and your foundation choice will depend on a multitude of factors. In general, this step involves prepping and clearing the land, buying materials, and then actually building the foundation and floor. All this can be done in advance of the yurt kit arriving. Keep in mind, yurt kits do not include materials for your foundation and leave this step all up to you. Some yurt kits do include possible foundation/deck plans. If not, these are easy to find on the Internet. Remember, you may have the option to tweak and refine these plans to better suit your needs or even build your own plans from scratch or with the help of an architect.

Considerations to take into account include:
- Building permit requirements.
- How permanent the location of the yurt is meant to be.
- Budget
- Creativity
- Supplies already on hand or easily accessible in your location.
- Labor supply and/or willingness and budget to hire outside labor.
- If you want steps up to or a deck around your yurt.

Build the yurt's unique round floor.

4. Finish the foundation and floor.
It’ll be much easier to go ahead and put most of the finishing touches on the foundation before putting the actual yurt kit up. Although it is good to think through your final flooring plans now and decide whether it’s easier to install this floor now or try to work around the lattice wall after the yurt is up. The advantage of finishing and installing the final floor now is that it may be extremely difficult or even impossible to get under or behind the lattice wall later on. On the other hand, doing the yurt installation on a brand new floor may mean some scratches to the new floor – depends how careful you and your crew are with the installation.

5. Arrange for the delivery of your yurt kit and get your crew ready.
The kits usually come packaged really well but are also extremely heavy to move around without unpacking it. Thus, it’s ideal, but not mandatory, to be ready to put up your yurt on the day the kit is delivered.

6. Get a copy of the yurt kit instructions and review it before the delivery date.
The more everyone on your crew knows what to expect, the faster and better the yurt will go up. Make sure to have all suggested supplies on hand by the day you start installation (ladders, tools, etc.).

Get friends to help install the yurt kit.

7. Deliver/unpack the kit and simply follow the instructions to put up your yurt.
Depending on the size of the yurt and the amount of helping hands, this can take as little as a few hours or, on the other extreme, a week or more.

8. Once the yurt kit is installed, do the final touches on your floor and begin decorating. Decorating and furnishing this unique round structure will get your creative juices flowing. Have fun and make it your own!

For more info:
Check out pictures and a description of our finished yurt at Lova Lava Land Eco-Resort.
Check out other green and sustainable structures.