A New Life ON THE RIO GRANDE

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 This is neither a pleasant nor inexpensive undertaking, but the right-of-way does attach to my deed for 30 years, at which time it will be reviewed and, I hope, renewed, making my land much more valuable. If your dreams take you toward a similar situation, I suggest you try to avoid this expense any way you can. it can be an exercise in frustration explaining to any neighbor why you did this and why you would like them to pony Lip cash every year for the road you built and they use.

I sold everything I had of any value to finance my home. I indentured myself to a private school for two years with a prepaid contract. I also lived for three years in the storeroom of my business, without running water, a kitchen or bathroom. I even gave up on television, movies and shopping. This was in my friends' and family's eyes pretty extreme, but I learned to read again, bathe in a basin and mend clothes. I still haven't caught up on movies or trends, but I did learn about photo-voltaics, gray water systems, DC pumps, outhouses, construction and chickens. Most of all, I learned how excessive my previous lifestyle had been and how much money and time I had wasted. I was also lucky enough to have friends who in the eleventh hour loaned me small amounts of money to help me finish when I had underestimated the cost of construction.

Building the Yurt

I drew my own set of plans with the help of a county planner, then successfully obtained a residential building permit. I hired a backhoe to scrape in an 800, driveway, clear the site, dig the hole for the cistern, build an 801 rock retaining wall using the rocks on site, dig the outhouse and dump 150 tons of pit run (a rock and earth mixture) in preparation for construction. Total cost: $1,550.

The first building we erected was the outhouse, so there was privacy for myself and the crew as well as sanitation. The outhouse was as expensive as a compost toilet, but it has a 20-year life expectancy and did not take up valuable room in my 450-square-foot yurt. The design is very upscale, with inflow and outflow vents to the vault that help to eliminate odor. I insulated the interior with used plastic bags and paneled it with incense cedar. It has hand-forged wrought iron fixtures and a picture window for my viewing pleasure.

The Platform

Though some people view yurts as a temporary abode, I want mine to be my permanent home. In 15 or 20 years I will have to replace my yurt's skin, but I outfitted the platform area to be permanent I also customized my yurt, which I ordered from Advance Canvas, to incorporate a few special options that will help to stabilize it over the long haul.

It took one to two men, working three to four days per week, two and a half months to complete the yurt's platform. My 24-foot-diameter yurt sits on 12" sono tubes-columnar cardboard forms filled with 3,000 psi cement—set two feet below grade with rebar grids. Pressure treated 4" x 4"s sit in post cups and support level 4" x 8" beams. The 2" x 6" joists are set 16", on center, except under the kitchen and bathroom where they are 8" on center. R19 fiberglass batt is covered by #15 felt under the 3/4" tongue-and-groove CDX plywood floor. We presanded the plywood and applied a coat of Varathane before installation. After two additional coats of Varathane, we sanded the floor once more, then brushed on a final coat. The whole platform was banded around the perimeter with 3/8" exterior plywood extending 3" above the floor and down to the bottom of the joists. Underneath we blocked in the entire edge with sections of 2" x 6"s. We gave the band board two coats of exterior latex paint. I needed an air lock insulation underneath, so I placed a ring of straw bales just inside the edge of the platform. Then we stapled heavy black constructiongrade plastic to the band board and buried it in an 8"-deep trench using crusher fines. We cut bark-covered slab wood and screwed it to the band board on top of the plastic and buried its bottom in another 8" of crusher fines. Before applying the slabs, we dipped the lower ends in roofing asphalt to prevent rot. The upper ends were treated with two coats of boded linseed oil and turpentine and a final coat of Varathane. We'll see how this weathers. I have a feeling I will need to reapply the linseed oil mixture about every other year or so. Finally, we grouted a pad of Saltillo tile in place on the floor where the woodstove sits, and on the front of the platform we put in a sturdy set of steps and a small landing. The steps also received two liberal coats of boiled linseed oil on top and underneath. We finished one day before the yurt arrived.

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