Frequently Asked Questions
Do you offer discounts if I order several yurts?
Yes, we provide discounts based on the order volume. In addition, we offer significant discounts for early orders to compensate for the long lead time.
What is the lead time for order?
It depends on where you are located. We ship 1-2 containers a year to the United States, and the average lead time is about 5 months. For other countries, the lead time varies depending on a number of factors such as the volume of current orders from the country and existing orders. We strive to reduce the lead time through the expansion of production capacities.
What is the difference between Mongolian and Modern yurts?
Mongolian yurts have shorter wall heights than modern yurts, which are mostly made by U.S. companies. Higher walls mean you do not have to bend down when you enter or exit the yurt if you are tall. Higher walls also mean larger cubic space inside the yurt, requiring more energy to heat and cool it down. Short walls in a Mongolian yurt do not mean you will have to be bent down the whole time you are inside. Most of the time, you will be away from the wall and do not have to be bent down, even if you are 6ft or taller.
The skylight (crown) in modern yurts is smaller, allowing for only a small amount of natural light. A small skylight also means fewer rafters spaced far apart. A Mongolian yurt has much more rafters spaced closely, allowing someone lightweight to go on top of the roof and do maintenance and cleaning when necessary. Because of the small skylight, modern yurts do not have to have pillars (central posts) supporting the skylight. The pillars are required for Mongolian yurts 19ft (5.8m) or larger. The skylight design in modern yurts does not allow locating the stove in the center of the yurt. This is possible for a Mongolian yurt with a smoke pipe going through the skylight. Our Original Yurts have preinstalled pipe flashing accommodating smoke pipes of various diameters.
Modern yurts have only radiant barrier insulation, while Mongolian yurts have felt insulation, which has better insulating properties when chosen appropriately. Original Yurts have both felt and radiant barrier insulation.
Outer covers for modern yurt are usually made of polyester, which lasts much longer and is easier to keep clean. The outer cover for a Mongolian yurt is usually made of white cotton canvas, which tears down easily and needs to be changed every 2-3 years. Original Yurts have a PVC cover that comes with 10 10-year manufacturer’s warranty. We also offer optional heavy-duty canvas, which lasts more than 5 years.
Perhaps the most important difference between the two types of yurt is that a Mongolian yurt has a character; it gives you a feeling of being in an artistic, unique, and natural space.
Please check our webpage, Mongolian vs. Modern Yurts, for more comparisons between these types of yurts.
What will be included in my yurt order?
When you order a yurt with us, you order a complete set, including all necessary wood components, insulation, and other fabrics. The platform is not included. You will have to prepare a platform before installing your yurt.
Please check our What are Included? page for details.
How can I become a distributor?
We are interested in having distributors in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South America, and some parts of North America.
The main requirements for becoming a distributor include:
- Have a yurt for display
- Have means to transport and properly store the yurts.
- Learn how to assemble and disassemble the yurts and provide customer service in his/her area.
Please contact us about other conditions for becoming a distributor.
How long do yurts last?
Mongolian yurts last for generations. You will have to replace the outer cover in every 5-15 years, depending on the material. The paint facing outward might need restoration once in several years if the yurt is exposed to direct sunlight.
The other parts can last decades as long as the yurts are kept dry and attended.
Are yurts waterproof?
Yes, our yurts are waterproof. The main source of leakage in traditional yurts is through the crown/skylight.
Our yurts are designed to be waterproof even without covering the crown/skylight with a flap. We do not cover the crown/skylight with cheap vinyl to prevent water from coming through the crown/skylight, as other suppliers do. This also blocks air circulation through the skylight. Instead, our crown/skylight is fully covered with clear plexiglass and has openings for air circulation and smoke pipe while ensuring it is still waterproof.
You can use the flap crown/skylight cover included in our yurt to block sunlight to prevent the yurt from becoming too hot, but not for waterproofing.
Are yurts portable?
Yes, our yurts are 100% portable. You can dismantle the yurt in a few hours and move and re-assemble it. But with thicker, sturdier wood parts and heavy-duty canvas and felt, it will require a little more physical energy from you to move the yurt around.
Do you supply furniture for yurt?
Yes, we supply painted and decorated furniture in matching colors for customers buying yurts from us. Furniture available for orders includes a closet, dresser, kitchen cabinet, chest, table, and stools. However, an order for furniture needs to be placed at least six months in advance.
Do you supply wood stoves?
Can I use wood stoves in Original Yurts?
Yes, you can use wood stoves in our yurts. The default place for the stove in Mongolian yurts is in the center of the yurt under the crown/skylight. When you heat the stove at this location, heat is distributed evenly in all directions. Our yurts have dedicated smoke pipe flashing in the crown/skylight, accommodating pipes of various diameters.
What type of stove would you recommend?
The stove should be selected based on the yurt size. Our customers use a variety of stoves; Jotul F 602, True North model TN10, Anevay traveler stoves are some of the most used.
Do you have any suggestions on how to build the platform?
Generally, yurts can be raised on any flat surface. If you do not have much budget for the platform, you can have a simple wood platform (drawings are available from us) directly on the ground or at a slightly elevated position for drainage purposes. An advantage of this type of platform is that it provides natural insulation, as there is no space between your yurt and the ground. A disadvantage is that you may need to replace parts of the platform in 5-10 years, and it is prone to flood risk if there is such risk at your location.
If your land has a slope or you want a more permanent solution, an elevated platform can be built using various materials such as wood, OSB, and sip panels. Local contractors are usually able to build elevated platforms.
How are Original Yurts different from other Mongolian yurt suppliers?
Our yurts have several advantages over yurts sold by other suppliers, who are mostly intermediaries making a profit by buying cheap yurts in Mongolia and selling at a huge margin. Wood parts in Original Yurts are about 30% thicker and sturdier; our yurts have full plexiglass skylights, operable windows allowing for air circulation, radiant barrier (reflective) insulation, heavy-duty outer cover, and higher walls. The wood, felt, glue, and paint we use for the Original Yurts are selected with consideration of the humid climate where most of the yurts are used. The glue and paint we use are imported by us specifically for the Original Yurts. Mongolian yurts supplied by the intermediaries mostly use what is available in Mongolia, which has an arid climate.
Please check our page Why Original Yurts? for a detailed comparison of Original yurts and other Mongolian yurts.
How do you ship the yurts?
If you are located close to our distribution bases in your country (Sacramento, CA in the U.S., Sydney in Australia, and Berlin in Europe), our staff or distributors directly deliver directly. We partner with freight companies for long-distance deliveries. When freight companies are used, the cost of shipping is usually lower if you could pick your yurt up at a shipping terminal near you instead of having it delivered to your door.
Can I live in a yurt permanently?
Yes, many people live permanently in yurts. Mongolian Yurts can provide cost-effective, comfortable accommodation, even in the harshest climate, such as in Alaska. Nomadic herders in Mongolia have lived in yurts for generations.
What is the average price of a livable Mongolian yurt?
A 5-panel 19ft (5.8m) Original Yurt starts at US$9,900. This price does not include the cost of transportation from our distribution bases to your location and the cost of the platform, which costs $2000 or more depending on the material and the style you chose for the platform.
Yurt prices vary greatly depending on the size. Please check our catalog for prices for different sizes and models.
Do you assist with assembling the yurt?
If we deliver the yurt ourselves, we can provide assembling assistance for some fee.
If we use freight companies to deliver the yurts, we will be available for online assistance via video calls.
We have a 49-page written instruction and demonstration videos on raising the yurt.
What kind of manpower do I need to complete the assebling?
If you are assembling for the first time, a team of 4 people can complete it in about eight hours. It gets much easier and faster once you learn how to assemble.
What tools and equipment do I need for assembling?
You will need 1-2 step ladders, drill and screwdriver. If there are less than 4 people in your crew, an adjustable platform ladder is required to put the skylight at position while you are attaching the rafters.
Where are you located?
Our yurts are shipped from Mongolia. Our workshop is located in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia. But some parts of our yurts are produced at our subsidiary in Zavkhan province of Mongolia, which is about 800 km from Ulaanbaatar.
How much maintenance is required for Original Yurts?
We strive to make Original Yurts as maintenance-free as possible. In this effort, we innovated the design of the skylight to make it waterproof, introduced heavy-duty canvass for the outer cover, improved insulating properties using both felt and radiant barrier insulation, replaced tension ropes made of animal hair with man-made material highly durable under outside use, and added two layers of varnish to protect the paint.
However, there are certain things that you need to consider from the beginning to make the yurt maintenance-free. These include: a) selecting an appropriate spot for your yurt away from the trees if possible; b) preparing a platform enabling proper drainage; installing all yurt fabrics, including the waterproof fabric, properly in the right order.
Heating the yurt once in a while is highly recommended. The frequency of heating should depend on the level of humidity in your area. Heating will help keep the felt and other fabrics in good condition.
Can I have a bathroom inside the yurt?
Yes, if the yurt is large enough (26 ft / 8m or larger), you can create a section inside the yurt for a bathroom. We do not provide material for the segmentation; it needs to be done after the yurt is set up.
It is also possible to connect a smaller yurt to your main yurt and use the small yurt as a bathroom.
Can I connect two or more yurts?
Yes, it is possible to connect several yurts and use them as separate rooms. It will be just like the rooms in a house; exit from one room is an entrance to another room. If you choose this option, the platform should be designed accordingly.
Can I purchase your yurts in Mongolia?
We do not supply yurts in domestic markets in Mongolia.