Question
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YURTS
DIRECT
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COMMENTS
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Yurts are made in Mongolia?
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YES
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Our yurts are made in our own workshop in
Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia
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Yurts are made in Inner Mongolia?
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NO
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Inner Mongolia - That's China. Mongolians are
repressed in Inner Mongolia just like Tibetans in Tibet
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Any bare wood visible on door edges or lintels?
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NO
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Wood will rot & joints will quickly fall apart if not painted
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Joinery designed for Western climate?
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YES
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Mongolians use straight through tenon joints because
they feel they are "strong" but which are next to
useless in the UK as exposed tenon joints just soak
up water, expand and push themselves apart
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Made using exterior grade glue?
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YES
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Essential if yurt is to stay together
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Made using exterior grade paint?
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YES
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If not paint will fade very quickly Click HERE for picture
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Made using cheap Chinese lead paint?
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NO
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Everyone in Mongolia except us uses lead paint to
paint their yurts. Lead paint is ILLEGAL in the EU for a
reason. Click HERE to read report by The Guardian
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Are you advised to paint or varnish wooden
components on your yurt because the
manufacturer wouldn't/ couldn't be bothered or
more likely you are told this is "authentic"
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NO
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Some yurt importers try to make the rubbish yurts they
import last longer by advising you to paint door edges
or put an "extra" layer of varnish on their badly made
yurts. Don't be fooled by the spin that they are authentic
Mongolian yurts, they are badly made rubbish.
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Primer/ sealer has been used?
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YES
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Paint does not stick to wood without primer
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Two coats of exterior grade paint are then applied
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YES
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Usually just one coat or two coats of very thinned down
Chinese paint are used
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Everything is finished off with a coat of tough
polyurethane
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YES
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Other companies will use lacquer which will crack and
turn yellow with age.
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Wall sections come as bare untreated wood?
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NO
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Will take you 2 long messy days to paint them with
linseed oil or some such yourself
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Wall sections have been carefully steam bent into
correct shape?
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YES
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Cheap yurts in Mongolia use split wood wall sections
that have been forcibly curved using a blunt axe.
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Wall section made from "split" wood?
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NO
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All cheap wall sections in Mongolia are made from
split wood. Because they are light. Which is good for
nomads. They are not strong, they are not nice to look
at, moreover they are bent into shape the lazy way
using a blunt axe. Not what we offer.
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Wall sections made from cut wood?
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YES
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Cut from premium quality larch and then carefully
steam bent into shape using a form. They are heavier
than the more popular cheap option but we feel they
are worth it.
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Wall sections made from willow?
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NO
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Only Chinese yurts use willow or bamboo. After 6
years in Mongolia I've never seen willow wood for sale.
Willow is only good for cricket bats.
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Are carved yurts offered for sale?
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YES
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This is indicative of a company that is able to make
quality products and not simply churn out cheap yurts
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Wood comes from a certified source?
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YES
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Ask for proof. Not passed on heresay
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Polyester ropes used for exterior of yurt?
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YES
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Performs & lasts better than natural ropes
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Horsehair ropes available as extra?
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YES
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Real horsehair rope not cheap camel or yak hair rope
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Can you see slightly raised white patches
underneath paintwork on your yurt
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NO
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If YES what you can see is common wall plaster used
to make things look "nice" for a while
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Felt edged in nylon to stop fraying?
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YES
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No nylon edging means that after time it will fray and
start coming to bits
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Are a variety of different quality felts offered for
sale?
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YES
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Most companies offer just the one.
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Canvas cut to an adjustable design?
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YES
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Normal Mongolian canvas is cut into front half and
back half. This design leaks!
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Suncover available in cotton
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NO
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Will go mouldy and fall to pieces in the year
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Suncover available in untreated 12oz canvas?
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YES
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Hard wearing, natural looking. Do not accept anything
less.
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Crown wheel comes with wooden flashing?
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YES
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Nobody else does this, gives an excellent finish to yurt
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Crown wheel comes with perspex inserts?
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YES
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Not essential but something that differentiates us from
everyone else. Crown wheel is "glazed" keeping out
light rain/ dust/ insects etc.
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Covers are packed in individual bags?
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YES
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Why pay £3,000 + for yurt & covers are thrown on the
floor?
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Woodwork is wrapped in protective padding?
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YES
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Do you keep yurts in stock?
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???
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We try our best to, but mostly no. We sell so many
yurts we find it hard to keep up with demand.
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Are you a VAT registered business
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YES
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We sell over 100 yurts a year. We must be doing
something right?
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Comes with 60 page illustrated set up guide?
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YES
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Competition to lazy to make one perhaps. Or just don't
like to put things in writing
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Comes with 20 page floor construction guide?
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YES
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Ditto above.
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Mongolian staff receive health & social insurance?
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YES
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Our yurt maker is the only one in Mongolia who pay's a
fair wage and health, social insurance and free meals
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Yurts are sold at a fair price?
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YES
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Yes it's shocking but some people do import cheap
yurts and sell them at a HUGE markup. Beware
people will sadly lie for a profit.
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Do people listen to you???
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SOMETIMES
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I'm the only non-Mongolian living in Mongolia making
yurts. For 5+ years now. I know what I'm talking about.
Unfortunately it's easy to mistake insight for just
rubbishing the competition. You only have to make a
mistake once to find out I'm right. Please do not buy
Mongolian yurts not made by us.
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