What Is A Yurt?
A yurt is a lightweight, portable structure that has a tent-like design and is widely used for residential and commercial purposes. Originally, yurts were used by nomads living in Central Asia, Turkey, and Siberia. They were primary dwellings for at least three thousand years. Historically, they were round and portable tents covered with animal skins and strong fabric to make the walls.
Today, yurts are used year-round, but the main questions is: how to keep yurts warm in winter and how to heat yurts?
Can You Heat Your Yurt?
Yes, yurts can be heated. In order to heat your yurt in winter, you need to install electric, water, sewer, and/or gas through the yurt’s platform. There are also many other additional modern and advanced technologies that allow to keep a yurt warm and cozy inside regardless of the weather and season.
The Ways To Heat Your Yurt
Even though a yurt is a tent-like structure, it is not difficult to heat. Here is a list of some effective and reliable ways to heat a yurt:
Electric Heating
Electric heating is an efficient and popular option for heating yurts in winter. Electric heaters can be either fixed or portable. Fixed heaters are usually mounted on the baseboard or the wall, while portable electric heaters are mobile heaters that can be used in any room that needs to be heated.
Gas Heating
Using natural gas is an affordable and effective option because natural gas is considered cheaper than other yurt heating options. However, if you are thinking of using this option, make sure you install a high-efficient gas heating system. There are many gas heating systems available on the market, so you can find the one that would fit your needs and budget. The most common gas heating systems include in-wall systems, forced-air furnaces, combo systems with water heating, and hydronic systems.
Solar Heating
The most intuitive and natural way to heat your yurt is to use the sun’s heat. There are two ways to heat your yurt by using solar heating: active solar space heating and passive solar space heating. Solar systems are becoming more and more popular today because they are a great economical alternative to traditional and costly heating options.
However, if you decided to pick this option, there are certain things you need to consider and remember. One of them is that solar powered energy is as abundant as the sunlight is. That means that solar energy decreases on days when the sun is less abundant, and it does not accumulate through the night.
Radiant Flooring
Heating a yurt from the floor is also an effective heating solution. If you want to try this option, you should consider radiant flooring. It can be either water-based or electric radiant flooring system. Unlike standard and traditional heaters, the underfloor heating system does not overheat. You can keep the temperature you want by using a special on-the-wall thermostat.
Wood Stove
Also make sure you use a wood stove fan to help transfer the heat produced by a stove more uniformly across the yurt. You need to choose a high-quality stove that would produce uniform heat over a long period of time. Also, a wood stove should be bigger than one for a conventional room of the same size because yurts lose heat faster than typical dwellings.
Propane Heating
The propane heating system is perfect for heating medium-sized and large yurts. The efficiency of propane heaters has significantly improved over the last several years as they are widely used for heating yurts and other types of dwelling. Today, most modern propane heaters boast almost 99% efficiency, which allows you to enjoy them inside a yurt in winter.
Mini-split Systems
They are both heating and cooling systems that allow to control the temperature inside a yurt. Mini split systems are among the most popular heating and cooling options that allow you to control the temperatures in rooms and spaces. They are a great option for comfortable year-round living. The main advantage of the mini split system is that it does not require any modifications in a yurt.
Pellet Stove
A pellet stove is based on burning compressed wood to heat a yurt. Wood is put into a burn pot area by providing a steady flame. A pellet stove can replace an electric furnace and provide as much heat as you need and can afford. It is definitely less efficient than electric heating but is more efficient than many other options, such as natural gas for example.
What Else Can You Do To Keep Your Yurt Warm In Winter?
There are certain amenities that you should consider for staying warm in your yurt year-round:
- Insulation. It is important to add proper insulation in order to live comfortably in your yurt. It is especially important to add insulation to the floor because the yurt’s floor loses heat quickly. You can also place plywood skirting around the yurt to prevent cold air from coming in beneath the floor.
- Insulated window covers. They do not just add more insulation, but also provide you with privacy and total blackout.
- Ceiling fan. You can also install a ceiling fan in the center of your yurt in order to increase air circulation and push heat down toward the living space.
Yurts of America – Luxury And Affordable Yurts For Your Comfortable Year-round Living
If you are thinking of a comfortable and cozy yurt living in luxury and handmade yurt, Yurts of America is the right place to contact. For over 30 years, we have been making high-quality, stable, and durable yurts by using high-quality materials only. Our mission is to allow you to experience the perfect balance between glamping and traditional camping experience. Our yurts are high-quality structures that are suitable and perfect for any type of climate and weather.
