Yurt Maintenance Tips

We are often asked ‘how long will our yurts last?’

The Mongolian men have a saying ‘A yurt should last as long as a marriage’ – This means that if you treat her well, she will be with you until an old age, treat her badly and she will be gone in no time. Important factors such as the yurts location and type of usage makes it difficult to give a simple answer.

Here are a few tips that will help you get the most from your yurt.

  1. Whilst we don’t recommend, many of us choose to live in the yurt all year around. This is possible in our yurts with a little effort. The UK weather has become increasingly challenging in recent years, however, if you are careful to keep your yurt dry and ventilated in the wettest of weathers, there is no reason why you cannot. To do this, you need to invest in an efficient heat source to dry out your yurt as necessary, such as an efficient wood burner and/or oil heater. A yurt that is left neglected during wet conditions will not last very long. For minimum maintenance, we recommend taking down your yurt during the winter months and storing in a dry place. This should also give you a chance to clean and reproof the canvas as required.
  2. If your yurt is to be kept up for long periods, it is essential to make a strong and level base to put it on.  Please see our Yurt Base Webpage for more details.
  3. When setting out the yurt consider the environment in which you will place it. Please see our Yurt Base Webpage for more details.
  4. Always use the waterproof groundsheet that we provide with our yurts, even if you do have a suitable level platform. Our groundsheet curves up at the perimeter to protect the felt and wood trellis from water penetration. Fold the groundsheet in between the canvas outer layer and the felt lining. For yurts that are permanently situated, we recommend fastening the raised edge of the groundsheet to the wall trellis using pins or nails. This will further prevent any drafts.
  5. To clean your yurt canvas, we recommend just spot cleaning as required. Use a soft brush with a mild soap detergent,i.e. Bio-washing powder or Daz washing powder. Then use warm water to rinse off any excess soap. Then dry off with a towel. The canvas we use can be cleaned and even re-proofed after several years of use. Alternatively apply Wet&Forget to yurt canvas layer, it removes moss mould lichen and algae at the same time. You can find the product from the website www.wetandforget.co.uk.

    For a yurt 6m diameter or smaller, you may find that a 5L sprayer would be sufficient to use for apply Wet & Forget 1:5 diluted solution. However, for large yurt 7m diameter yurt or larger, you may wish to use a sprayer extension long lance to avoid climbing ladders when apply Wet & Forget solution to your yurt. This is the sprayer extension long lance that we have used and worked for the job. It also protects surfaces against mould mildew and fungal attack, make the clean look last longer than other methods. Normally it shows the great greening removal results in approx. 2 weeks time.

    However, please be aware, although Wet & Forget is great on cleaning and make the clean look last, it also removes part of the waterproof property from the canvas layer. Therefore it is recommended to apply Fabsil Gold to preserve the canvas after the canvas is cleaned up.

  6. A water proofing product that is very easy to apply is Fabsil Gold. It is silicone-based proofer, which is the same principle as how our yurt canvas is treated. Apply every year or bi-yearly as necessary. It can be brushed on by a brush, rolled on with a roller, or sprayed on. Make sure you do this on a dry day to allow sufficient time for the product to dry out.
  7. The wooden frames should last many years but they need a coat of oil probably every year depending on the weather and how it’s used. We have tested a variety of oils over the years. The most effective and simplest to apply is boiled linseed oil or Danish oil. This also hides any scratches on the framework. Work the oil in well using a rag.
  8. Many customers will use a wood burning stove to provide their heat /cooking. We recommend placing any stoves in the centre of the yurt. This is the traditional way. It will allow maximum heat efficiency and is generally the most practical option as the crown wheel above has plenty of gaps to accommodate a flue chimney, we even provide a ‘flue hole flap’ in our crown caps. In smaller yurts, where space is limited, the stove can be placed to the side of the yurt. In order to accommodate a side flue chimney, you will need to first put up the yurt, ensuring you have left out a roof rafter or two roughly where you will place the stove. To provide a gap large enough to allow the flue pipe. Then cut a hole through the felt canvas/felt. Once the flue is in position, is important that a watertight flue collar is fastened around the hole. To prevent both heat transfer and any water penetration. Heat resistant sealant can also be used for additional waterproofing around the hole. Your stove supplier will be able to advise you on exactly what is required for your particular yurt space. See our Useful Links webpage for a list of recommending stove makers who understand your requirements.
  9. Remember it is important to USE your yurt if you leaving it up, especially in the winter months. Regularly heating the yurt will allow it to stay dry and comfortable within. This will also ensure the canvas, and materials, last much longer as well as prevent any stale odours within the yurt. Opening the door and crown cover regularly, will also allow air to circulate within. As a good practice, the yurt needs to be heated up and ventilated to remove potential moist from the fabric layer minimum twice a week. In summer days, this can be done by opening all windows and door. In cold wet weather, this will need to be done by turn on fan heater or stove periodically open door to let out moist to dry out the yurt.  maintenance-tip-page
  10. When storing the yurt, the lattice walls (Khana) are best stored flat, with the curved side up. The roof poles should also be tied up together and stored lying down. Ensure all painted parts are packed in such a way that they will not be scratched or dented.
  11. To avoid rainwater getting in from the top of the yurt, please ensure your roof cap is centralised, and the down straps fastened tightly to the base using the provided eye hooks. Try to aim a corner of the roof cap towards the direction of the prevailing wind in your location. This will help prevent the wind lifting the cap in heavy weather.
  12. Yurts are designed for the area where the wind speed is less than scale 7 – 38mph. In order to make your yurt last longer, we would recommend taking down your yurt or cover/ strap it down properly before storm comes, unless if you have tall fences or hedge trees in the area to screen the storms. We are not liable for any consequences if you insist to use your yurt in the above situations.
  13. We also supply replacement parts for our customers. We can have any parts made to order, and put in our next shipment for you. Please contact us for a quote.

If you have any further questions regarding looking after your yurt why not give us a call or send an email, we are available every day and are always glad to help (see our ‘contact us‘ website page).