A question that I get all the time – What’s that thing under the dome? The short answer is that it’s a sunshade.
There are two options for domes from the Colorado Yurt Company, a clear dome or an optional tinted bronze dome. The tinted bronze dome is designed to reduce heat and UV rays while still allowing plenty of light through. When I was first pricing our my yurt and deciding on options I figured that in such a high and cold climate that I would stick with the clear dome because I wanted all the heat I could get.
The yurt dome before the shade cloth.
The only issue is that at 11,800′ the sun’s intensity is roughly 65% greater than at sea level and the dome acted like a magnifying glass as the sun tracked across the floor throughout the day. One day I had come up after being gone for about a month and found that my laminate flooring had bowed and started coming apart everywhere the sun was touching.
Most of the worst parts have been fixed or covered with rugs but when you look close you can still see the damage from the sun.
My solution was to hang a shade that would hang under the dome blocking the direct sunlight from the floor from the summer sun. The frame of the shade is made from yard edging and pullies from the hardware store. The shade itself is made from an old bed skirt that my mom sewed to fit over the frame. It has been a pretty good compromise but there are a few drawbacks. It’s not easily washable and becomes a graveyard for moths in the early summer. It also blocks the view of the stars out of the dome at night from the fold out couch.
The sun shade has been a pretty good compromise but there are a few drawbacks. It’s not easily washable and becomes a graveyard for moths in the early summer.
I have a couple ideas for a replacement but the yurt company also offers an optional bug screen/shade cloth that could help and I may just upgrade to the tinted dome as well. I should have just gone with the tinted dome in the first place and not such a cheap laminate floor!
