You got me thinking I could use hdpe instead of plywood. That might be best simple solution.
Discussion
polypropylene would probably be a bit more heat-stable but i'd guess even on a pretty hot summer you would only have to replace it once a year
blue would probably be the best colour in terms of durability and time until it starts to crack, also
Doesn't seem like polypropylene is readily available locally in a similar thick sheet like the hdpe is. It all seems to be corrugated sheets instead of solid.
well, yeah, that's a thought... typical "tarpaulin" style, usually semi-woven stuff, get a flexible polyurethane sealing paint and seal underneath it before you glue it down, this is a pretty good temporary dampcourse but you do need to replace it every few years depending on how hot the summer and how windy the weather (as this will inevitably cause it to flap about and weather the plastics).
i dunno what the ideal thing is, it's kinda funny setting up a yurt and not packing up every month or three to carry it in pieces on a horse to the next grazing area... if you know what i mean
they are rather good though, can be a very big shelter for something that needs no council permit...
hmmmmmmmm
yes, yurts... and horses... even if i do "own" the land i think that and a little herd of goats is definitely in my future...
and also sitting in the middle of the yurt throat singing with my family and playing my kaval
High tunnel poly folded and strapped down? Tricky to get the shape right from a sheet.
yeah, it might help to use some origami folding techniques i guess... and perhaps if you could build a thing to sit it on and gently heat it until it is soft enough to make sharp folds in your origami :D that's about the best i can think of
oh yeah, another thing, what about tractor tire tube then paint it thickly with silver paint so it doesn't instantly turn into a goopy black thing, seems to me that might be about the right size, perhaps if not quite wide enough in the centre you could carve it out
my mother is a textile artist... she just loves to knit and stitch and crochet and all that stuff, and i'm thinking about the idea of a canvas sheet... if you cut it across the bias, like a diamond against a bigger square, the natural tendency of the fabric is to readily stretch and drape over whatever you put it on
like, the most stylish stovepipe jeans - they are expensive because they cut them 45 degrees, across the "bias" - so they call this type of cut "bias cut" and it lets you take standard weaves and let them wrap around curves a lot better
so, if you are following me - what i would suggest is to get heavy canvas in a pretty decent size, something that you can cut a diamond from the square you get, or stitch together a bunch of smaller squares cut as diamonds from the base (think of 4 sections) and because of the way that the fabric naturally will cling by gravity over the curve, you can probably wrap it over top, then spray the top side with polyurethane water sealant, and then flip it inside out and the drape of it will still favour to keep with the dome shape of the curve
then, just stitch in some tabs with those metal rings, and you could have it tied down over 4 points around the sides of the yurt, it would look attractive and do exactly the job you need, and given you pick a silver or blue colour for it, it should last maybe as long as 5 years and be minimal maintenance, and have a kinda arty look about it
just a thought... i am a big fan of bias cut, always dreamed of making cargo pants in a bias cut so they are super slinky