Yurt Living: More Window Shopping

It’s ironic I’m writing about windows while my yurt in the tropical rain forest of Hawaii is enduring the heaviest rainfall I’ve ever witnessed. The awnings are proving their worth well.

Why don’t I close the windows? Well, I’m getting there. It’s just that I don’t have a deck around my 3-foot elevated yurt and therefore a ladder is required. The picture tells the story.

It’s not so bad, really. In fact I’m thoroughly impressed with my gutter system and how the awnings aren’t flapping in the winds. But I confess I started spot-mopping. That’s cause just enough sprinkles are blowing through the window screens and onto the floor to call for cleanup.

The rain is not letting up a bit and I will probably have to get soaked to get my rain gear out of the car, unlock my heavy aluminum ladder, and either carry my vinyl covers with me or zip the awnings up. Whew, I think I’ll keep mopping!

There are two things yurt dwellers can do to open and close windows easily. One is to have convenient outside access to each window. Two is to invest in the new conventional-type window options.

In previous blog-writes I explained how the Colorado Yurt Company added a low emissivity glass window with a crank to their offerings. Yurtco Manufacturing in British Columbia may have come up with the e-glass option first.

Now I find Spirit Mountain Yurts in New Mexico is producing what they call the Fortress Yurt. That model offers quality-famed Pella® windows. Watch the video and learn that grizzly bears spurred the company owners to develop a portable yurt with real glass therma windows (and a laminated wood wall).

The Pella® windows are 3-by-5 foot with screens. The windows are free of the lattice while interior walls are secured to the inside lattice. Obviously, options are increasing as yurt manufacturers get inventive.

But for those on a tight budget, Nomad Shelter in Alaska explains that the polyvinyl yurt window is like a boat window material. It will scratch and fog in about two or three years, pending on maintenance. It’s not an eco material, but buying and replacing them is cheap.

The Alaskan company points out that 90% of their clientele are professional single women as myself. Hmm … perhaps that’s more reason to design for nuisance weather?