A yurt is a portable tent that is round in nature and is covered by either skin, canvas, or felt. The yurt can be used for the purposes of temporary or even permanent dwelling. They have been in existence with an origin from Central Asia for over 3000 years. Yurts are very much pleasant to live in. They are similar to tents but are ten times more comfortable than a tent. The only issue you may encounter with yurts is the lack of privacy it comes with.
Of course, privacy is a relative term since what I may consider as private may not be as sensitive to you. Yurts are quite cheaper to construct than a house and have an average lifespan of 8 to 15 years, depending on the construction and materials used.
But in general, noises coming from within the yurt can actually be heard by people outside the yurt. The same applies to noises that come from outside; dwellers of the yurt can as well hear them — bringing – forth the need for proper soundproofing.
Is It Possible to Soundproof a Yurt?
When yurts were first introduced, soundproofing was more of an idea rather than a reality. But with advancements in technology and innovations in the construction industry, making your yurt soundproof is now a possibility. Ok, maybe soundproof is not the right word, sound reduction might be suited for this type of structure since that would be a more accurate assessment.
Below are seven simple ways to ensure your yurt is soundproof.
Seven Simple Techniques to Soundproof your Yurt
To make your yurt soundproof, you can;
1. Seal Gaps Between the Vinyl Sheets or Doors and Windows.
A straightforward way to reduce noise is by sealing the gaps around your yurt with a waterproof sealant. It is advisable to use waterproof foam tape as your sealant.
This tape provides a solution to sound insulation together with thermal insulation. You get to kill two birds with one stone. By sealing the gaps in your yurt, you get to protect yourself against incoming noises such as noise from traffic.
You also get to reduce the noise coming out of your yurt by a considerable degree, which in turn mitigates your privacy issues. When sealing the gaps, you should make sure to focus on the noise hotspots around your yurt as sealing your entire yurt may be an expensive and tedious exercise.
2. Cover the Yurt with Thick Moving Blankets
It is all about efficiency and cost-effectiveness when it comes to such an activity. And what is cheaper than a blanket? It is best you use moving blankets since they are dense, affordable and require zero maintenance once you put them up.
To use the blankets, just follow the steps below;
- Hang the blanket from the inside. Use nails, tacks, or super strong glue to keep it in place.
- You can combine the blankets with an MLV which we will get to discuss later on in this article.
- When installing the blankets combined with the MLV, first set up the MLV and then you tack the blankets onto the MLV from the inside.
The blankets are also useful for covering your windows and doors and provide a good echo reduction. Just see what wonders a simple blanket can do for you?
For a blanket, it is recommended you buy the Supreme Mover Blanket since it is the heaviest in the market. Check current price from Amazon.
Though if you are not looking to dig deep into your pocket, you could opt for cheaper moving blankets that are also available for much less. Moving blankets are useful since once you are done with them in your yurt, you could still use them for other functions like covering your furniture to prevent from dust.
3. Seal Windows and Doors
Apart from sealing the gaps in the windows, doors, and your vinyl, to receive an optimal sound reduction, you can add certain material to your door and windows.
You could opt to use the moving blankets to add a layer on the doors and windows. To do this, you need to have the proper measurements so as not to fall short after beginning the exercise. You simply cut the blankets and fold them to increase their mass and either glue them to the door or tack them.
By doing so, you would have reduced the sound bounce, also known as echo around the yurt. You also contain the noise within the yurt.
4. Cover the Yurt with Mass Loaded Vinyl
Mass loaded vinyl (MLV) is a heavy vinyl sheet amalgamated with metallic particles to give it an increase in mass. You can use MLV to increase the mass on walls and ceilings as part of a soundproofing measure.
Another advantage of using a mass loaded vinyl is that it is flexible and easy to cut in order to use in tight bends and corners around your yurt
In yurts, you can opt to buy a mass loaded vinyl to use for covering your yurt.
To use MLV effectively, you should;
- Cover your wooden construction with the mass loaded vinyl
- Cut the vinyl to make sure it fits even the tightest of bends and curves.
- Cover your entire yurt using the vinyl.
- Make sure to prioritize to cover the noise hotspots more than any other region
It is important to note that one single layer of a mass loaded vinyl reduces sound transmission by almost 32 decibels. This is a considerable reduction in noise and to make it even more effective, though costly, you could add another layer to increase noise reduction by yet a higher decibel rating.
In covering the yurt, you can nail the MLV or screw it to the wooden construction. You could also use glue or tie it to the wooden construction though nailing and screwing is mostly preferred as they hold the mass loaded vinyl in place longer.
You can use sheets of the vinyl to cover gaps between the sheets on the construction of the yurt to help reduce the noise further. You can order the mass loaded vinyl from online shopping stores like Amazon for a reasonable price.
Click here for current MLV pricing from Amazon.
5. Use Insulated Bamboo Walls
The cheapest and most straightforward method to achieve soundproofing in a yurt is definitely using insulated bamboo walls.
Bamboo is very easy to find since most of them grow indigenously and are widespread all over wetlands. They are cheap too if you opt to buy them.
To soundproof your yurt using this method, you have to;
- Tie together bamboo frames
- Make sure you tie frames for both sides.
- Use burlap or poly bags with insulation and sandwich the bags in between the frames.
- Use rice hulls or other insulation materials in the bags
- Make sure to tie the frames with the bags in between tightly.
- Make this bamboo wall all around your yurt, and after you are done, you will only have one thing to do.
- And that’s plaster the bamboo walls. You can use earthen plaster or lime plaster. It is cheap to use bamboo walls as a method of insulation.
6. Use of Acoustic Foam
These can be used plus the other soundproofing methods. Though they are costly as one tray that splits into two.
You should use this method if you are willing to spend a little extra to achieve a near maximum soundproof yurt.
7. Soundproofing the Windows
Another tip to thoroughly dampen the noise from outside or inside is by making your yurt windows soundproof. It may sound farfetched, but soundproof windows do exist.
You can buy a manufactured one custom made for your yurt (it is expensive), or you can opt to make one for yourself if you consider yourself the handy type.
You have several options to soundproofing a window;
- Completely blocking out your window (Though since you will need light coming into your yurt, it may not be the best option)
- Adding a layer of acrylic to your window. This is the cheapest method of dampening sound. Though it is not as effective as other methods.
- Buying sound deadening curtains. They not only increase the aesthetic value of your yurt but also absorbs reflected sound and noise hence canceling any bounce off.
- Buying double paned windows. Though for a yurt, it is not advisable to use a double paned window.
If you do decide that you want to build a soundproof window from scratch, here are the items you will
definitely need;
- A fiberglass soundproof blanket to deaden sound by covering the windows.
- Calyx interior cordless honeycomb cellular shade to reduce the impact of echoes in the room.
- A barrier panel made of acoustic foam that has the primary purpose of absorbing noise and reflected sound (echo).
- Self-adhesive weatherstripping as a cheap alternative to sealing gaps in the window.
- A window insulator kit that has an assortment of window insulation materials that you could use for up to 5 windows.
- And finally, a soundproof matting and acoustic foam to use as a window plug
Tips to Make Soundproofing a Yurt a Success
As you can see from the above methods, soundproofing is not a walk in the park as it requires time, dedication, and well, money. Soundproofing has also been made easier in yurts. Because the construction of a yurt is much thicker than that of a tent. Yurts can withstand a lot of weight accompanied by the use of blankets and Mass Loaded Vinyl.
A huge mistake you should not do is buy a yurt or construct one with Velcro windows. They prove to be troublesome. Since you have to go outside to close your windows, they are also hard to insulate in your attempt to make your yurt soundproof.
The key areas to make sure you enjoy your soundproofing experience include;
1. Making Mass Your Priority
Soundproofing deals with a general principle of mass. The more the mass on a structure, the less the noise it produces. Meaning if you have a yurt with close to zero furniture, there will be a lot of echoes resulting in noise production.
To reduce this noise, apply any of the techniques above and use hardwood furniture as they are denser and absorb more sound. You could also combine the methods listed above for optimal results.
2. The More, the Better
For any method, you decide to use for soundproofing, the more material you use the results improve. Though it will cost you an extra penny, it will be worth your money.
Soundproofing your yurt is a lifelong investment, so take it step by step. Find what method works for you best financially and make full utilization of the method you choose.
Remember, the more the material, the better the sound reduction.
3. Know Your Measurements
To avoid wasting materials or to fall short of the materials, it is best you first take into account your measurements to know the total length you will require.
It is always advisable to go the extra mile while doing measurements. It will not hurt if you decide to buy an additional meter of vinyl sheets or an extra blanket, depending on the material you choose to use.
4. Make Sure to Account for the Floor-to-Wall Transition.
Use soundproofing floor underlayment or an acoustical sealant to reach optimum soundproofing levels. You could also use an acoustical back rod or a Green Glue soundproofing compound and sound isolation clips to increase noise reduction.
All penetrations made during the construction need to be sealed for maximum results, meaning you will definitely, need putty pads for the outlets.
How did You DO?
Now that you are equipped with how to make your yurt soundproof go ahead and try one, or better yet, two or three of the methods listed above. Whichever fits as your cup of tea and you will get astonishing results. Remember, the more of these methods you combine, the better the soundproofing results for the yurt will be!
Make sure to visit our new YouTube channel for the latest how-to soundproofing guide to help you with your DIY soundproofing projects!