Folded Homes LiteYurt Dimensions

Folded Homes FAQs
FOLDED HOMES®
FOLDED HOMES SHELTER FAQs
(Frequently Asked Questions)
Folded Homes Proprietary
Copyright 2008
Version 1.11 1/10//2009
Folded Homes LLC
2824 NW Garryanna Drive
Corvallis, Oregon 97330-3509
[phone]
www.foldedhomes.com
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Folded Homes FAQs
Table of Contents
(In a PDF reader you can jump to the linked FAQs by clicking on the ToC entry or the
“See” link)
FOLDED HOMES FAQs.......................................................................................6
- FAQ FORMAT....................................................................................................6
- FAQ ACCURACY...............................................................................................7
SHELTER CHARACTERISTICS (SC)..................................................................8
10 QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT SHELTERS ....................................................8
3-D PROMOTIONAL BILLBOARDS & EVENT KIOSKS.....................................11
AREA & VOLUME – HOW BIG IS A FH YURT? ................................................12
YURT FEATURE COMPARISON ( LITEYURT, UTIYURT, TEKYURT).............13
CUSTOMIZING TEKYURTS & UTIYURTS ........................................................15
DAMPNESS & HUMIDITY (FH YURTS).............................................................16
DOOR DIMENSIONS (FH YURTS)....................................................................17
DUTCH DOORS – WHAT ARE THEY?..............................................................17
EMERGENCY EXITS (FH YURTS)....................................................................18
DECORATION, CAMOUFLAGE, & PATTERNING (FH YURTS) .......................18
FH YURTS – FOLDED HOMES YURTS............................................................19
FOUR-SEASON PERFORMANCE (TEKYURTS & UTIYURTS)........................19
HEADROOM (FH YURTS) .................................................................................20
HEAVY-WIND PERFORMANCE (FH YURTS)...................................................20
INSECT & PEST CONTROL (FH YURTS) .........................................................21
KEEPING COOL - PASSIVE VENTILATION IN TEKYURTS & UTIYURTS.......21
KEEPING DRY - ROOF DESIGN (FH YURTS)..................................................22
KEEPING WARM - WOOD-BURNING STOVES IN FH YURTS ........................23
LIGHTING (FH YURTS)......................................................................................24
LITEYURTS – WHAT ARE THEY?.....................................................................25
LOCKING (TEKYURTS) .....................................................................................26
MULTI-ROOM FH YURT STRUCTURES...........................................................27
PLUMBING (FH YURTS)....................................................................................28
PRIVACY (FH YURTS).......................................................................................29
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REFUGEE HOUSING CAPACITY (FH YURTS).................................................29
REUSABILITY (FH YURTS) ...............................................................................30
TEKYURTS – WHAT ARE THEY? .....................................................................31
UTIYURTS – WHAT ARE THEY?.......................................................................33
VENTILATING (FH YURTS)...............................................................................35
WEIGHT (FH YURTS)........................................................................................35
WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY (FH YURTS)...................................................35
WINDOW DIMENSIONS (TEKYURTS)..............................................................36
ASSEMBLY (A)..................................................................................................37
ASSEMBLY – WHAT TOOLS ARE REQUIRED? (FH YURTS) .........................37
ASSEMBLY MANUAL (LITEYURT INTERNATIONAL VERSION) .....................38
ASSEMBLY TEAM (FH YURTS) ........................................................................39
ASSEMBLY TECHNOLOGY (FH YURTS) .........................................................40
ASSEMBLY TIME (FH YURTS)..........................................................................41
ANCHORING TO THE GROUND (FH YURTS)..................................................42
BUILDING ENCLOSED COMPOUNDS (FH YURTS) ........................................43
CHIMNEY INSTALLATION (FH YURTS)............................................................45
CLIMBING ON THE ROOF (FH YURTS) ...........................................................46
DISASSEMBLY TIME (FH YURTS)....................................................................47
DISPOSAL (FH YURTS).....................................................................................47
GROUND COVERS & FLOORS (FH YURTS)....................................................48
EXTREME WIND GUY-LINES (FH YURTS) ......................................................49
INSECT-BORNE DISEASE PREVENTION (FH YURTS)...................................50
INSULATING DOUBLE-WALLED FH YURTS....................................................51
KEEPING WATER AWAY (FH YURTS).............................................................52
MOVING THE ASSEMBLED SHELTER (FH YURTS)........................................52
PREFOLDING EXTRUDED PLASTIC PARTS...................................................53
TERRAIN PREPARATION (FH YURTS) ............................................................54
TRAINING & DEPLOYMENT TEAM LEADS......................................................54
WIRING FOR ELECTRICITY (FH YURTS) ........................................................54
MAINTENANCE (M)...........................................................................................56
EXTENDING THE LIFE OF YOUR SHELTER (FH YURTS) ..............................56
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DOOR-HANDLE REPAIR (TEKYURTS & UTIYURTS) ......................................56
HINGE REPAIR (FH YURTS).............................................................................58
REPAIRING EXTRUDED PLASTIC....................................................................58
ROOF LEAK REPAIR (FH YURTS)....................................................................58
STORING YOUR PLASTIC SHELTER...............................................................59
PERFORMANCE, MATERIALS & TESTING (PMT)..........................................60
BEAR ATTACK – HOW TOUGH IS EXTRUDED PLASTIC? .............................60
DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING (FH YURTS)...................................................60
EXTRUDED PLASTIC DEGRADATION MECHANISMS....................................61
EXTRUDED PLASTIC – DOES IT SMELL? .......................................................62
EXTRUDED PLASTIC – WHAT’S THAT?..........................................................62
FAULT-TOLERANT DESIGN (FH YURTS) ........................................................66
FIRE DANGER (FH YURTS)..............................................................................67
HOW GREEN IS EXTRUDED PLASTIC? ..........................................................69
LIFE EXPECTANCY (FH YURTS)......................................................................69
PASSIVE VENTILATION – WHAT’S THAT?......................................................69
SNOW-LOADING (FH YURTS)..........................................................................70
PURCHASING & DELIVERY (PD).....................................................................71
CODE COMPLIANCE (FH YURTS)....................................................................71
DELIVERY TIME – LARGE ORDERS (FH YURTS)...........................................71
DEPOSITS & PAYMENT (LARGE ORDERS) ....................................................71
DEPOSITS & PAYMENT (SMALL ORDERS).....................................................72
DOWNLOADING A WEBSITE PDF-FILE READER...........................................72
EXTRUDED PLASTIC OPTIONS – FIRE RETARDANT....................................72
EXTRUDED PLASTIC OPTIONS – FIRE RETARDANT & MAX UV..................72
EXTRUDED PLASTIC OPTIONS – MAX UV .....................................................73
FH YURT CONNECTOR KIT..............................................................................73
FH YURT DUTCH-DOOR KIT ............................................................................75
FH YURT HINGE KIT .........................................................................................75
FH YURT LONG-DOOR KIT...............................................................................76
FH YURT WINDOW KIT.....................................................................................76
FIRE-RETARDANT PLASTIC (FH YURTS) .......................................................77
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PRICING – PERSONAL USE SHELTERS & HUMANITARIAN SHELTERS......77
SEEING FOLDED HOMES SHELTERS (FH YURTS)........................................77
SHIPPING & STORAGE SIZE (FH YURTS).......................................................77
SHIPPING CONTAINER CAPACITY (FH YURTS).............................................78
SHIPPING QUOTES...........................................................................................78
TEKYURTS & UTIYURTS – WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?...............................79
TRANSPORT REQUIREMENTS – GETTING IT THERE (FH YURTS)..............79
UV-ENHANCED PLASTIC (FH YURTS) ............................................................80
VALUE EQUATION – WHAT IS SHELTER PROVISION’S REAL COST?.........80
VOLUME ORDER QUOTATIONS......................................................................83
WARRANTY (FH YURTS)..................................................................................83
FOLDED HOMES, LLC (FH)..............................................................................85
ALLIANCE PACKAGING - FOLDED HOMES PARTNER ..................................85
FOLDED HOMES’ EXPERIENCED TEAM.........................................................85
FOLDED HOMES MISSION...............................................................................87
FOLDED HOMES PRODUCT LOGO.................................................................87
MONGOLIAN YURT – THE FH YURT PROGENITOR.......................................88
ORIGAMI ARCHITECTURE – WHAT’S THAT? .................................................88
PRODUCTION, SALES, & DISTRIBUTION (PSD)............................................90
ALLIANCE PACKAGING – PRIMARY MANUFACTURER.................................90
COMMISSION SALES........................................................................................90
INTERNATIONAL MANUFACTURE...................................................................90
WHOLESALE PRICING......................................................................................90
WORLD-WIDE DISTRIBUTION..........................................................................90
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Folded Homes FAQs
FOLDED HOMES FAQs
The Folded Homes®Frequently Asked Questions data base contains
information about our shelters and our company. It is organized into a set of
seven subject areas
•Shelter Characteristics (SC)
•Assembly (A)
•Maintenance (M)
•Performance, Materials & Testing (PMT)
•Purchasing & Delivery (PD)
•Folded Homes LLC (FH)
•Production, Sales, & Distribution (PSD)
In each of these subject areas, the question titles are organized alphabetically.
•Access individual FAQs by clicking on their title listed under the subject
areas in the Customer Support Web page.
•Or print out the entire FAQ data base by clicking on the print out
link on the Client Support page of the website.
•You can get to the FAQ data base from anywhere on the
website by clicking on the question icon.
(Return to Table of Contents)
- FAQ FORMAT
Each FAQ title starts with the subject area abbreviation SC, A, M, PD, PMT, FH,
or PSD showing where it is located followed by the topic that it addresses. For
example SC:WINDOW DIMENSIONS (TEKYURTS)
This FAQ title indicates that it regards a topic appropriate to Shelter
Characteristics, and that specifically it answers the question “What are the
window dimensions of a TekYurt?”
Our FAQs are updated from time to time. We only guarantee that a specific FAQ
is accurate at the time it was created or updated. If you are using the PDF-file
version of the FAQ data base, ensure that the version and date on the front page
of the FAQ file is the same as the one available as a download from the website.
Each FAQ may include one or more bracketed “See” sections which link to other
FAQs providing related information. Here is an example of a FAQ data base
question with two such links.
WINDOW DIMENSIONS (TEKYURTS)
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TekYurt windows have dimensions identical to the openings of Dutch-door
uppers. The window openings are 15.25” (38.74 cm) tall, by 17.75 inches
(45.1 cm) wide. [See SC:DOOR DIMENSIONS (FH YURTS), and
SC:DUTCH DOORS – WHAT ARE THEY?]
(Created 1/4/2008)
(Return to Table of Contents)
- FAQ ACCURACY
Our FAQ data base grows as people ask Folded Homes®questions. If
you have a question that is not answered in our FAQ data base or you
need a clarification, submit your question by sending us an email at
[email protected] or use our web page Contact interface accessible by
clicking on the Contact icon. We’ll answer your question pronto and add your
question to the FAQ data base.
Some FAQs relate to specific Folded Homes®shelters or families of shelters
and are therefore shelter-specific. For example FAQs specific to TekYurts have
the word ‘TekYurt’ in the title. Questions that apply to the entire family of Folded
Homes®yurt shelters (i.e. both TekYurts and UtiYurts) have ‘FH Yurts’ in the
title.
We learn from your experience with our shelters. It is essential to improving
them. Please send us testimonials about our shelters, photos where possible,
and suggestions for improvements. Thank you!
(Return to Table of Contents)
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SHELTER CHARACTERISTICS (SC)
10 QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT SHELTERS
There are a lot of shelter solutions out there. How do you go about choosing
which one is right for your needs? What issues need to be considered? Some,
like seasonal weather conditions are pretty obvious. But some are not be so
obvious. For instance, psychological issues are frequently ignored when
considering the quality of temporary shelter. Factors like the quality of the local
transportation infrastructure, equipment necessary for assembly, and long term
shelter maintenance, all have a bearing on what shelter is most appropriate.
Here are a set of useful questions with linked answers.
1. Is it a true four-season shelter?
•How does the shelter keep the interior warm in cold weather?
[See SC:KEEPING WARM - WOOD-BURNING STOVES IN FH YURTS]
•How does it keep the interior cool in hot weather?
[See SC:KEEPING COOL - PASSIVE VENTILATION IN TEKYURTS &
UTIYURTS]
•Can the shelter be effectively insulated?
[See A:INSULATING DOUBLE-WALLED FH YURTS]
•Will the shelter keep you dry?
[See SC:KEEPING DRY - ROOF DESIGN (FH YURTS)]
•Will the shelter support a heavy snow load?
[See PMT:SNOW-LOADING (FH YURTS)]
•How will the shelter perform in extreme weather conditions?
[See A:ANCHORING TO THE GROUND (FH YURTS), A:EXTREME WIND
GUY-LINES (FH YURTS), M:ROOF LEAK REPAIR (FH YURTS)]
2. How is the shelter kept warm?
•When local infrastructure has been disrupted, the chances are fire will be
used to keep the shelter warm. Does the shelter easily and safely support the
installation of a wood-burning stove or equivalent?
[See A:CHIMNEY INSTALLATION (FH YURTS), and PMT:FIRE DANGER
(FH YURTS)]
•Can electric wiring be installed safely?
[See A:WIRING FOR ELECTRICITY (FH YURTS)]
3. How configurable is the shelter?
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•Small rooms are easier to heat and generally support snow-loads better.
How big is big enough?
[See SC:AREA & VOLUME – HOW BIG IS A FH YURT?]
•Long term human habitation requires privacy. It requires a sense of security.
[See SC:PRIVACY (FH YURTS), SC:LOCKING (TEKYURTS)]
•How can the shelter be organized to support different functions? Does the
shelter need to support communal activities or services like clinics? Can you
create multi-room structures?
[See SC:MULTI-ROOM FH YURT STRUCTURES]
•Can the shelters be clustered in ways that make the shelter compound easily
controllable? Can groups of shelters be used to help pen in animals?
[See A:BUILDING ENCLOSED COMPOUNDS (FH YURTS)]
•Is the shelter configurable? Can you easily add additional units, windows,
and doors?
[See PD:FH YURT DUTCH-DOOR KIT, PD:FH YURT LONG-DOOR KIT,
PD:FH YURT WINDOW KIT, and PD:FH YURT CONNECTOR KIT]
4. How easy is it to set up this shelter?
•Does this shelter require specialized tools, cranes, ladders, and equipment to
install? Will electric power be required for assembly?
[See FH:ORIGAMI ARCHITECTURE – WHAT THAT?, and A:ASSEMBLY –
WHAT TOOLS ARE REQUIRED? (FH YURTS)]
•Will assembly require specialized knowledge or can anyone do it? Are
assembly coordinators available if you need them?
[See: A:TRAINING & DEPLOYMENT TEAM LEADS]
•How many people will it take to set up?
[See A:ASSEMBLY TEAM (FH YURTS)]
•How long will it take to assemble it?
[See A:ASSEMBLY TIME (FH YURTS), and A:DISASSEMBLY TIME (FH
YURTS)]
•How must the assembly site be prepared? Will you have to create a level
area or build a foundation?
[See A:TERRAIN PREPARATION (FH YURTS)]
•How easy is it to move the shelter once it’s been assembled?
[See A:MOVING THE ASSEMBLED SHELTER (FH YURTS)]
5. Will language be a barrier to setting up the shelter?
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•If the assembly manual is in English and the people putting up the shelter
only speak Urdu, will there be a problem? Can a team lead demonstrate
assembly without speaking the local language?
[See A:ASSEMBLY MANUAL (LITEYURT INTERNATIONAL VERSION)]
6. How fault-tolerant is the shelter?
•People rarely read the assembly manual. They frequently assemble things
imperfectly. Does the success of the shelter depend upon it being perfectly
assembled, or does it have a high tolerance of assembly errors?
[See PMT:FAULT TOLERANT DESIGN (FH YURTS)]
7. Can the shelters be manufactured quickly?
•What raw materials are required for production and how quickly can they be
procured?
[See PMT:EXTRUDED PLASTIC – WHAT’S THAT?]]
•How quickly can the shelter be manufactured? If it’s complicated, it will take
longer.
[See PD:DELIVERY TIME – LARGE ORDERS (FH YURTS)]
8. How easy is it to deliver the shelter where it needs to go?
•In humanitarian crises, shelter frequently has to be delivered to remote
locations with poor or non-existent roads. How heavy is the shelter?
[See SC:WEIGHT (FH YURTS)]
•How efficiently can many shelters be packed together for long distance
shipment by plane, boat or truck? Can people carry the shelter into a remote
location, or pack it in by animal?
[See PD:SHIPPING & STORAGE SIZE (FH YURTS)]
•Frequently delivery costs dwarf the cost of the actual shelter. When
considering costs, consider ALL the costs of getting a shelter to the people
that need it.
[See PD:SHIPPING CONTAINER CAPACITY (FH YURTS)] [See
PD:TRANSPORT REQUIREMENTS – GETTING IT THERE (FH YURTS)]
9. How long can you expect the shelter to last?
•The disruptions of humanitarian crises have a way of lasting longer than
anticipated. How long will the shelter need to perform? Is this a short-term or
a long-term shelter solution?
[See PMT: LIFE EXPECTANCY (FH YURTS)]
•What are the degradation mechanisms that cause the shelter to fail over
time?
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[See PMT:EXTRUDED PLASTIC – WHAT’S THAT?]]
•Are there ways to control those failure mechanisms?
[See M:EXTENDING THE LIFE OF YOUR SHELTER (FH YURTS)]
10. What are the real costs associated with the shelter?
•Finally, your shelter selection decision has to make trade-offs between shelter
requirements and shelter costs. You determine which shelter solution most
effectively meets your requirements by balancing those requirements against
the true costs of the shelter all the way from acquisition, through delivery, site
preparation, assembly, and on-going maintenance of the shelters you are
deploying.
[See PD:VALUE EQUATION – WHAT IS SHELTER PROVISION’S REAL
COST?]
(Updated 9/24/2008)
(Return to Table of Contents)
3-D PROMOTIONAL BILLBOARDS & EVENT KIOSKS
The flat surfaces of FH Yurts can be decorated both inside and out with text,
images, and designs. [See SC:DECORATION, CAMOUFLAGE, &
PATTERNING (FH YURTS)] This coupled with their simple assembly and
disassembly makes them attractive candidates for reusable interior or exterior
convention and event kiosks.
A FH Yurt’s rectangular wall and triangular roof segments simplify the graphic
design process. Contact Folded Homes®for further details.
(Created 1/9/2008)
(Return to Table of Contents)
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AREA & VOLUME – HOW BIG IS A FH YURT?
There are three
members of the FH
family of yurts; the
LiteYurt, the
UtiYurt, and the
TekYurt. The
twenty-sided
TekYurt and UtiYurt
have identical area
and volume, while
the ten-sided
LiteYurt has
different dimensions.
TekYurts and
UtiYurts are double-
walled circular
shelters with a cone
roof comprised of twenty wall and door panels and twenty roof panels. They
have an inside diameter of 9 feet 5.5 inches (2.9 m), an interior area of 69.7
square feet (6.5 square meters), and an interior volume of 408 cubic feet (11.56
cubic meters.)
The widest outside diameter of the TekYurts and UtiYurts is 10 feet (3.05 m).
Inside, the ceiling rises from 5 feet (1.5 m) above the ground at the walls, to 7
feet 4.5 inches (2.25 m) at the center of the ceiling.
DETAILS: The TekYurt and UtiYurt wall panels are each 5 feet (1.5 m) tall and
3 inches (7.62 cm) thick. They are 17.75 inches (45 cm) wide on the inside and
19 inches (48.3 cm)
wide on the outside.
Ground flaps extend
out 9 inches (23 cm)
from the outside edge
of the TekYurt and
UtiYurt walls. So, the
outside diameter of
the TekYurt and
UtiYurt measured to
the outside edge of
each ground flap is 11
feet 6 inches (3.5 m).
The outside diameter
of the TekYurt and
UtiYurt measured to
the outside edge of
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Folded Homes FAQs
the walls is 10 feet (3.05 m).
The LiteYurt is a single-walled circular shelter with a cone roof comprised of ten
3’ (0.9144m) wide wall and door panels and ten roof panels. Both the walls and
roof are supported by 4” deep (0.1016m) ribs that lend the structure rigidity.
Measured to their outside seams LiteYurts have a diameter of 9’ 8” (2.9464m)
[9’ 2” (2.794m) diameter at the middle of the flat panels) and a diameter of 9’
(2.7432m) between the interior ribs, The LiteYurt walls are 5’ (1.524m) tall, while
the cone roof rises to 8’ 9” (2.667m) on the outside and 8’ 5” (2.54m) on the
inside below the ribs. LiteYurts have an interior area of 69.25 square feet
(6.4335 square meters), and an interior volume of 438 cubic feet (12.4028 cubic
meters.)
Ground flaps extend out 8 inches (20.32 cm) from the outside edge of the
LiteYurt walls. So, the outside diameter of the LiteYurt measured to the
outside edge of each ground flap is 11 feet (3.3528 m).
[See SC:HEADROOM (FH YURTS) , SC:DOOR DIMENSIONS (FH YURTS),
and SC:]
(Updated 9/24/2008)
(Return to Table of Contents)
YURT FEATURE COMPARISON ( LITEYURT, UTIYURT,
table compares the specification of the members of the Folded
TEKYURT)
The following
Homes Yurt family;
LiteYurts, UtiYurts,
and TekYurts.
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Folded Homes FAQsFolded Homes FAQs
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[See SC:LITEYURTS – WHAT ARE THEY?, SC:UTIYURTS – WHAT ARE
THEY?, SC:TEKYURTS – WHAT ARE THEY?, SC:AREA & VOLUME – HOW
BIG IS A FH YURT?]
(Created 9/24/2008)
(Return to Table of Contents)
CUSTOMIZING TEKYURTS & UTIYURTS
You can customize your TekYurt or UtiYurt by purchasing additional doors and
windows [See SC:DUTCH DOORS – WHAT ARE THEY?, PD:FH YURT
DUTCH-DOOR KIT, PD:FH YURT LONG-DOOR KIT, and FH YURT WINDOW
KIT] and by connecting FH Yurts together to create multi-room structures using
FH Yurt connectors [See SC:MULTI-ROOM FH YURT STRUCTURES, and
PD:FH YURT CONNECTOR KIT] Each accessory kit comes complete with all
the equipment you require for a single door or window customization, or to
connect two TekYurts and/or UtiYurts together.
Considered clockwise from the upper left, the six yurt design examples shown
are
•The standard UtiYurt with a single Long-door and no window.
•The standard TekYurt with a single Dutch-door and one window.
•A TekYurt customized with two opening windows placed three panels to each
side of the door. (This configuration requires one FH YURT WINDOW KIT.)
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•A TekYurt with two doors placed across from each other, and two windows
centered in the walls between them. (This configuration requires one FH
YURT WINDOW KIT and a FH YURT DUTCH-DOOR KIT or a FH YURT
LONG-DOOR KIT.)
•Two TekYurts connected together using a Connector Kit. Both TekYurts
have four windows arranged around them. For safety, both TekYurts have a
separate entrance to the outside. Folded Homes recommends that all FH
Yurts that will be used for human habitation have a direct exit door from each
room to the outside. [See SC:EMERGENCY EXITS (FH YURTS)] (This
configuration requires a FH YURT CONNECTOR KIT, six FH YURT
WINDOW KITs and a FH YURT DUTCH-DOOR KIT or a FH YURT LONG-
DOOR KIT.)
•A TekYurt with a single door and five windows arranged around its
circumference. (This configuration requires four FH YURT WINDOW KITs.)
The installation of each FH Yurt door or window requires installing a header (and
in the case of doors a footer) part that connects the wall panels on each side of
the door or window together. These header and footer parts maintain the
integrity of the FH Yurt’s tension ring. So if, for instance, you want to put a door
next to a window, or two doors or two windows next to each other, you must
allow at least two wall panels between those openings. Since each FH Yurt is
comprised of twenty wall segments, you can insert at most six doors and
windows into any one FH Yurt. Since your TekYurt comes complete with one
door and one window, you can add up to four more doors and windows. Since
UtiYurts only include a single door they can be customized with up to five more
doors and windows.
(Updated 9/24/2008)
(Return to Table of Contents)
DAMPNESS & HUMIDITY (FH YURTS)
The Extruded plastic walls of a FH Yurt are not porous. Humidity cannot pass
through the plastic sheeting.
In cold conditions, if a FH Yurt is very tightly sealed and well insulated, water can
condensate on the ceiling and walls simply from the presence of human body
heat. Such condensation is not usually a problem because the FH Yurt,
comprised of overlapping wall and roof segments, has small gaps through which
air (but not water) can circulate. The 6” (15.24 cm) vent in the center of the roof
provides adequate air circulation when that vent is not being used to vent smoke
from the chimney of a wood burning stove. Where a wood burning stove has
been installed, doors and windows can be cracked for additional ventilation if
necessary. In fact they probably will need to be cracked because a little heat
goes a very long way in an insulated FH Yurt.
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So if you experience problems of condensation on the walls or roof of your FH
Yurt, first experiment with proper ventilation before concluding that you have a
leak.
[See SC:VENTILATING (FH YURTS), M:ROOF LEAK REPAIR (FH YURTS)]
(Updated 9/24/2008)
(Return to Table of Contents)
DOOR DIMENSIONS (FH YURTS)
For simplicity of design, LiteYurt doors are folded out of the standard LiteYurt
wall panel. Therefore they have a overall dimension of 3’ (0.9144m) wide by 5’
(1.5m) tall. LiteYurts are wheelchair accessible.
Folded Homes
®
intentionally designed TekYurt and UtiYurt doors to be
relatively small since there is less heat loss from opening a smaller door.
A FH Yurt has one or more doors to the outside (external doors), and from zero
to five inside doors connecting it to other FH Yurts (internal doors). UtiYurts are
equipped with a single Long-door to the outside. [See PD:FH YURT LONG-
DOOR KIT] Each TekYurt comes with a single Dutch-door to the outside as
standard equipment. [See SC:DUTCH DOORS – WHAT ARE THEY?] Dutch
doors and Long doors have the same overall size and are interchangeable.
TekYurt and UtiYurt external door openings are 17.75 inches (45.1 cm) wide by
60 inches (152.4 cm) tall. TekYurt and UtiYurt internal door openings are 17.25
inches (43.8 cm) wide by 59.25 inches (150.5 cm) tall. Unless fitted with custom
double doors, TekYurt and UtiYurt are not wheelchair accessible. [See
SC:WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY (FH YURTS)]
All FH Yurt doors open inwards.
(Created 9/24/2008)
(Return to Table of Contents)
DUTCH DOORS – WHAT ARE THEY?
Dutch Doors are comprised of a lower door part and an upper door part which
can be opened either together or independent of each other. This allows the
upper part of the door to be opened like a window while the lower portion of the
door remains closed. TekYurt Dutch Doors come with a bolt which can be used
to connect the upper and lower door parts together so that the door functions like
a single solid door if preferred. Dutch Doors will not fit into the door frames of
internal FH Yurt door openings. [See SC:WINDOW DIMENSIONS (TEKYURTS)]
Dutch Doors are intended as exterior TekYurt and UtiYurt doors and come
complete with a heavy sliding latch and an interior dead-bolt that allows you to
lock the door from the inside. [See SC:DOOR DIMENSIONS (FH YURTS),
PD:FH YURT DUTCH-DOOR KIT, and SC:LOCKING (TEKYURTS)]
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TekYurts can be assembled with single panel Long doors instead of Dutch
doors. The two varieties are interchangeable. [See SC:FH YURT LONG-DOOR
KIT]
(Created 12/19/2007)
(Return to Table of Contents)
EMERGENCY EXITS (FH YURTS)
FH Yurt walls are quite robust and not easily torn open. In the event of an
emergency, the only way to get out fast is through one of the FH Yurts external
doors or a TekYurt window, though the latter are 44 3/4” (114 cm) off the ground.
Where multiple FH Yurts have been connected together to form a multi-room
structure, Folded Homes®always recommends that each room in the structure
has at least one external door so that in an emergency it is possible to exit the
structure without being obliged to pass through another room.
[See PMT:BEAR ATTACK – HOW TOUGH IS EXTRUDED PLASTIC?, and
SC:MULTI-ROOM FH YURT STRUCTURES]
(Created 12/19/2007)
(Return to Table of Contents)
DECORATION, CAMOUFLAGE, & PATTERNING (FH YURTS)
FH Yurt wall and roof surfaces are all flat panels. During the manufacturing
process it is easy to print patterns and images on the outside faces of these
extruded plastic panels. Alternately, ‘stick-on’ images can be affixed to a portion
or the entire interior or exterior surface of a FH Yurt turning it into an objet d’art,
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Folded Homes FAQs
a 3-dimensional billboard, a camouflaged hunting blind, or an otherwise
decorated structure.
Contact Folded Homes®regarding your custom surface imaging requirements.
[See PMT:EXTRUDED PLASTIC – WHAT’S THAT?]
(Created 12/19/2007)
(Return to Table of Contents)
FH YURTS – FOLDED HOMES YURTS
‘FH YURTS’ refers to the family of Folded Homes®shelters that includes the
TekYurt and the UtiYurt. FAQ question titles that include ‘(FH YURTS)’ are
FAQs that answer questions that are relevant to the entire family of the high-tech
yurt shelters. Questions that are specific to one member of the family, for
example the TekYurts have titles that include ‘(TEKYURTS)’.
[See PD:TEKYURTS & UTIYURTS – WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?]
(Updated 9/24/2008)
(Return to Table of Contents)
FOUR-SEASON PERFORMANCE (TEKYURTS & UTIYURTS)
Unlike the single-walled LiteYurt, the double-walled TekYurts and UtiYurts are
true four-season structures designed to perform well in extreme conditions of
heat, cold, wind, rain, and snow. Folded Homes®has intentionally kept the size
of the TekYurts and UtiYurts small because it is easier to heat a small space. If
you need more room, add another room or two by adding another FH Yurt and
connecting the two with a connector kit. [See SC:AREA & VOLUME – HOW BIG
IS A FH YURT, SC:MULTI-ROOM FH YURT STRUCTURES, and PD:FH YURT
CONNECTOR KIT]
Passive ventilation in their double-walled shells keeps TekYurts and UtiYurts
cool in the desert. [See SC:KEEPING COOL – PASSIVE VENTILATION IN FH
YURTS, and SC:VENTILATING (FH YURTS)]
Insulating the TekYurt and UtiYurt 3-inch-thick (7.62 cm) walls and roof will keep
the heat in when it’s cold. [See SC:KEEPING WARM – WOODBURNING
STOVES IN FH YURTS, and A:INSULATING DOUBLE-WALLED FH YURTS]
The insulated chimney flue at the center of their roofs (standard-equipment with
each FH Yurt) makes it easy to fit a FH Yurt with a wood-burning stove. [See
A:CHIMNEY INSTALLATION (FH YURTS)]
The FH Yurt’s ground flap design is sufficient to keep the shelter solidly on the
ground in all but the heaviest winds [See SC:HEAVY-WIND PERFORMANCE
(FH YURTS), and A:ANCHORING TO THE GROUND (FH YURTS)], and where
that is not sufficient the FH Yurt can be additionally tied to the ground from
attachment points under the roof eaves or at the end of the gutters. [See A:
EXTREME WIND GUY-LINES ( FH YURTS)]
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FH Yurts will not collapse under snow-loads [See PMT:SNOW-LOADING (FH
YURTS)], and an ingenious system of interior gutters wicks rain water off the roof
and away from the walls. [See SC:KEEPING DRY - ROOF DESIGN (FH
YURTS), and SC:DAMPNESS & HUMIDITY (FH YURTS)]
(Updated1/15/2008}
(Return to Table of Contents)
HEADROOM (FH YURTS)
The conic ceiling of all FH Yurts sit atop the
circular wall. At its lowest edge, it is 5 feet (1.5
m) from the floor. In TekYurts and UtiYurts, it
rises to its peak 7 feet 4.5 inches (2.25 m) from
the floor. In LiteYurts, the ceiling rises to its
peak 8 feet 9 inches (2.67 m) from the floor.
These configurations provide substantial
headroom throughout the shelters. Here, 6’ 4”
(193.4 cm) Larry Rutstrom, the FH Yurt family
principal designer, stands in front of a
TekYurt/UtiYurt connector passage,
demonstrating the height of the FH Yurt. Larry
does need to duck down to go through the
exterior doors and through the FH Yurt
connector passage to the next FH Yurt.
[See SC:AREA & VOLUME – HOW BIG IS A
FH YURT?]
(Created 12/20/2007)
(Return to Table of Contents)
HEAVY-WIND PERFORMANCE (FH YURTS)
FH Yurts are typically anchored to the ground via the ground flaps attached to
each wall segment. The ground flap can be buried underneath an earthen berm,
weighed down with heavy stones, or staked through to a lawn below. [See
A:ANCHORING TO THE GROUND (FH YURTS)].
Normally, this is sufficient. FH Yurts anchored in this way and subjected to high
wind conditions performed satisfactorily during our two-year test program. A FH
Yurt weighted to the ground using large rocks survived winter winds exceeded
75 mph at our 8,600’ (2,620 m) altitude Sierra mountains test site.
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