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Recent Email Questions and Answers 2008-
On Oct 27, 2008 Subject: Re: pond covers The dome covers are a full domes while the shell covers are just the top of domes. All pond covers come with our greehouse covering while the shells can be orders with the greenhouse or shelter coverings. Sincerely, Bob Gillis On Oct 25, 2008, at 7:01 PM, Subject: Re: Grip clips for a 20" geodesic dome Bob Simplest is to pull the tarp over your frame and attach HD GC to your tarp at about 10 " from the base of the dome then use a 3/8" or so rope to "lace" the tarp to the bottom of your frame. Then go around the dome with a marker and mark your tarp for placement of HD GC on the overlapping folds (mark all layers and even have a person inside mark the inner layers) that your tarp as it has been pulled tight and shaped on your frame, such that after you loosen the "lacing" rope you will know where to attach the HD GC to join the overlapping folds to each other and create a fitted cover for your dome. Re-attach your "rope" and make adjustments to the overlapping as needed to get a tight but not too tight fit. Another way is to tension the tarp to the inside of the dome. I would start with the top center and use Heavy Duty Grip Clips. Pull the clip tight to the hub at the top center. Next add hd gc to the tarp and pull them tight to the next 5 hubs. You should get the tarp as tight as possible or else your tarp will flap in the wind. In one or more of the hubs you will need to gather a pleat in your tarp with your clip. Proceed to the next lower hubs etc till you reach the base of the dome. One advantage of hanging your tarp is that it will not rub the poles which may with time wear on it. The last way would be to attach Grip Clip Pros to your frame and drape or pull up your tarp to the pros and attach the ring part of the clips. You must get the tarp as tight as possible. This approach is the easiest and quickest but for the same number of clips is not the strongest. Sincerely, Bob Gillis On Oct 4, 2008 sherry You are right you could hang a cover within or cover the outside. If you cover the outside is it smooth were your hubs are? To hang a cover use gp gc or hd gc. to attach cover to out side use gp or hd gc on the edge of your covering to pull it to the bace of your dome and use the same to gather the covering if need be. The Pro gc can be used to attach the covering to the frame to prevernt or less lift up and flapping in wind. On Oct 2, 2008 Hi Bob, Subject: Re: loads for grip clips In most circumstances the GP is stronger than the Pro. The Pro is best when you need to attach a tarp directly to a surface. The HD will spread the load better than the GP and will handle thicker tarps. The GP will work in most situations. So go with the GP I would say. try to have one about every meter or two Patches do not add strength but can increase holding power by making the tarp thicker and there by preventing slippage if your tarp is thin and loaded. Sincerely, Bob Gillis Date: September 30, 2008 Bob: Greetings from Endless River Adventures. I am interested in seeing one of your Yurt Domes. If you check our web site you will see we do white water kayak and rafting trips to Ecuador. We have property on the Quijos River and are thinking of developing a custom camp there for our trips. The property is located in the cloud forest of the Amazon Basin at about 6000 feet. This area is very humid and as you might imagine gets a tremendous amount of rain. I am looking for potentially 7-10 18'-20' tents that can be set up as cabins. The idea I have is to connect a private bathroom with an outdoor shower to each tent. The questions I have for you are; Has anyone used your tents in a jungle environment? I am excited to see one of your tents. Feel free to contact me via phone or email. Sincerely. Hi Ken Sounds like a great project. Has anyone used your tents in a jungle environment? Yes, I am not sure if we have a posted testimonial: http://www.shelter-systems.com/yurt-dome-testimonials.html Can the tent be attached to a platform? Yes: http://www.shelter-systems.com/lighthouse-manual.html Are the tents or can the tents be fitted with screening for bugs? We offer net doors and velcro: http://www.shelter-systems.com/accessories.html I noticed that some folks talked about the tents getting hot, can you give me any feed back on the solution for that problem? Shade is essential if you are not in the shade then get or make sun shades: http://www.shelter-systems.com/accessories.html Air flow is important: set and use upper vents: http://www.shelter-systems.com/lighthouse-manual.html Keep the 4 doors open; use porches over doors so they can be open in the rain. We offer porches or you can make your own: http://www.shelter-systems.com/accessories.html Do you have any tents in our area that we can look at. We cannot give out customer information. Or do you have a demo that you could send to us that we can set up and get a better idea of what it looks like? We do not have demos. Do the tents come in any other colors? Given the area we are planning to use the tent in, green would be great! No, colored tents tend to be oppressive and effect the color sensitive pigments in the eye. White transmits the most light making for a bright interior. I do understand the desire to blead in. Perhaps you could shade the domes with thatch. Sincerely, Bob Gillis Date: September 21, 2008 Hello, I have been reading about your yurt domes and I had a few questions that I couldn't find. I am living in Portland, OR and I am planning on living in the yurt dome for the winter season which means rain, rain, rain. I was looking at the 14' one. Can you put a woodstove in the 14"? Also, which type would you think would be best? I also was confused about the extra strong version, should I order that one? Have people ever complained about http://www.shelter-systems.com/lighthouse-manual.html? I know of quite a few cats in the area and fear that they might try to sharpen their claws on it. Any suggestions? Hi Sarah You can add a wood stove to our domes: http://www.shelter-systems.com/lighthouse-manual.html but do note that the 14' is quite small (7' tall Only in the center). You might be happier with an 18'. You can use either the standard dome (with 4 clear vinyl windows or the extra strong windows (only the windows are different). Cats are not often a problem but if you have one to make a pin hole or two use 100% silicone rubber glue to seal it up. Sincerely, Bob Gillis chem-senstive housing Hi Karen Thanks for the email which may be of value to some of our potential customers who ask about this issue. People ask but all I can say is I have not heard back negatively. Sincerely, Bob Gillis On Sep 19, 2008 Hi I have an 18ft dome I bought from you in 2002. I have to say, that it's held up very well over 7 years at Burning Man, and other events. It was a demo dome that had some extras included with it. However, it is also now in need of some TLC. I'd like to ask how much it would be to repair the following: * Velcro holding doors and windows are shot and need to be replaced Despite all this, It's done very well! I was amazed how well it held up this year, even when it broke away from several pieces of rebar holding it to the ground in a huge dust storm (the rebar had worn away the cords holding it to the ground). Also I will need to ship this to you from Seattle. Any idea how much shipping will cost me. Thanks! Sam Sam Sounds like you got a lot of use out of the dome; I like the zip tie fix. We can ship all the parts you will need including panel replacements if you let us know which ones are spent. The trick to clipping the replacements at the 4 way junctures is to use the Heavy Duty clips not the General Purpose ones that came on the dome. They are bigger, have more room for the layers and are easier to put on. Let me know if you want to go this way; which panels you need way and I will get you a price. If you have to ship the dome here then you will have to pay for shipping both ways and the labor to put it together. Sincerely, Bob Gillis September 8, 2008 Hey Elanor Dougal here from the newly formed Magic Bubble Events. On Sep 12, 2008 Hi Bob Madelin Winter greenhouse gardening requires quite a bit of effort. Our greenhouses are best suited to fall and spring use, unheated, where you can dramatically increase your growing time. You can start gardening earlier in the spring and garden later in the fall. You can heat our greenhouses to winter over plants but many tropical plants require lighting as well as heat to thrive. I would talk to the people who provided you with your plants to get a handle on what the needs of your plants are. I do not have an R value for you for our greenhouses as we have never tried to determine this. I can tell you they are very easy to heat, due to the fact that they are domed shaped, having a minimal surface area for the heat to escape. It is the translucent nature of all greenhouses that makes them not the best insulators. You want the light to come in but this means the heat, as inferred radiation, can escape. Sincerely, Bob Gillis Date: September 3, 2008 Hi Eleanor: ...Yes but you can use a blue tarp to save money. ...The floor comes with 12 GP Grip Clips which after you spread out your floor inside the dome you attach to the floor and then use the cords on the clips to tie it to the clips on the inside of your dome. ...Thats right; most just use the stakes we provide; pounding them below the surface. ...See the online manual: http://www.shelter-systems.com/lighthouse-manual.html ....We have had good reports so far for this year. The 18' is very strong and drum tight. You would not want that kide of wind to go on for days and days. Parts would wear out. ...Should not be a problem On Sep 5, 2008, Hi Bob, LOVE the site and will be purchasing either a 18' or 20' dome for camping on the beach in NC with my wife and 3 kids. I really want the 20' because of the extra room but have read that the 18' is better in wind and is sturdier. I also read that you can tie on extra bottom leg poles to make any of your domes sturdier in wind. I have 2 questions: 1. Instead of adding an extra 12 poles to the 20' to make it better in the wind, could I buy 12 larger size PVC pipes and slip the provided dome legs into the lager PVC pipe? I could cut the larger pipe so that the ends of the smaller pipe would stick out and would fit the tent connectors. Would this work to make the tent sturdier in the wind? 2. Do you think if I did this, or added the extra legs as you have suggested in the users manual, that the 20' would be ok on the beach in mild wind? Thanks a bunch, Chris Hi Cris I do think #1 would work and I do think a 20' would hold up to mild beach wind (most likely even without the extra poles). Do be sure to have very good anchors on the beach; you could bury fire wood as anchors. One person should have a hard time to pull one up. Sincerely, Bob Gillis I was going to carry empty sand bags, (because they are light and easy to carry). Fill them with sand at the beach, and then bury them and tie off to those. Then after, dig them up, dump the sand and away we go. Will that work? THANKS, Chris That sounds good, just make sure you hold your dome down well. On Sep 3, 2008 What makes the 18' and 30' domes stronger than the 20' (which seems to be implied on this page: http://www.shelter-systems.com/playadomes.html ) I saw one of your 18' domes on the playa this year and was very impressed. Is there a reason to prefer the 18' over the 20' in terms of "strength"? Thanks, Brian Brian The 20' uses the same diameter poles as the 18' but each pole is longer so the poles end up less stiff thus the dome is not as strong. At the same time the 20' dome presents more surface area to the wind then the 18' so it is hit harder by the same wind. The 30' dome uses a larger (stiffer) pole than the 18' and 20'. The pole is shorter than the 20' dome, which also make the dome strong. The 30' dome is a less than a full hemisphere, only 1' taller than the 20' dome, so it does not present much more height to the wind. All this being said the 20' dome, for its weight and size, is a strong dome, just not as strong as the 18' or 30'. Sincerely, Bob Gillis On Aug 20, 2008, Bob, Thanks, I would suggest 2 - 18'. This way you would have two rooms. Three would be even better. You could make one a kitchen/ living room and two divided into bedrooms. Be sure to read our wind and snow warnings. Sincerely, Bob Gillis On Aug 15, 2008 Bob, Thanks so much for your help on the phone. As we discussed I would like to create some shade outside my 18 foot dome for burning man and currently have 2 shade cloths. Please email me your ideas on how to pull the cloth out to a "porch" and what supplies you think I may need so I can bring them with me. Thanks so much! C. Here is the drawing of a possible porch you could make. Be sure to study the manual as to how to attach the sunshade to the dome and how to set the stakes safely: Manual: http://www.shelter-systems.com/lighthouse-manual.html
On Aug 16, 2008 http://www.3m.com/brands/scotch/transducttape/lasts6x.html Avalible at many hardware stores. A customer tells me There is a clear long lasting duct tape. Lets recommends this also not as ugly as the gray on our white domes.
On Aug 12, 2008 Dear Bob, 1. What is the estimated setup time of the 31' Yurt Dome? Two strong people 45 minutes. The first time longer 2. What is the expected lifespan of the domes, that are used frequently but for It is the sun that most times wears the dome out. It should last at least 3 years in most climates. Less in high elevations more with shade. 3. Is the fabric easy to clean? What detergents can be used to obtain original It cleans well with most detergents. 4. Is it possible (with reasonable use of energy) to heat up the interior of the Lets see ... 86 F from 5 F . I have not had personal experience with the 30 and 31 heating but we have sold them where people have used them in winters so my guess is yes. I have found it easy to heat a 20' with liner in below freezing temperatures with a small wood stove. Why so hot? The domes are easy to heat but do not hold the heat well if you turn your heater off. They also collect and are warmed somewhat by the sun. 5. Do you supply any prefabricated "tunnels" for connecting several domes with The domes can be connected door to door: http://www.shelter-systems.com/lighthouse-manual.html 6. What are the possibilities (prefferably in 30, 31' domes) of attaching At each pole crossing there is a clip on the inside of the dome that can support about 8 lb. 7. What is the delivery price and time (if you can also arrange intercontinental delivery) of the domes to Warsaw, Poland, counting from the Please contact 831-464-2002 eleanor@shelter-systems.com for shipping and timing questions. Thank you in advance for your reply. Sincerely, Dealing with wind blown dust on the playa and your Shelter Systems Yurt Dome. Use Scotch Heavy Duty All-Weather Duct Tape 1-800-494-3552 (regular duct tape does not hold up in the sun) available at many hardware stores for sealing up unused doors, floor to wall or shingleing when in extream dust conditions. Apply tape to dome when it is clean and dry Use only one door for entering and exiting your dome. Seal your other doors with tape. Attach sticky back Velcro on the door you use (apply when clean and dry - it takes about 24 hours for the glue on the velcro to set). Consider using just one side of your door when conditions are windy. Tuck your dome's skirt under your tarp floor and then tape your floor to your dome's skirt on the inside of your dome. Weight down your floor with all the objects you have (in high wind, wind will blow under your floor and lift it up shaking dust into the air. Seal the horizontal shingles with tape on the windward side of your dome and or any shingle that leaks dust. On Aug 10, 2008 Bob, I'm close to ordering a 30' dome with an intention to install it at my I have a few questions: Is it possible and/or recommended to install the woodstove stack up What is the best way to seal the wall/floor juncture against rodents and Thanks for your help. I hope to be enjoying a dome before this coming Chris Chris, I imagine this could be done but it is not something I have done, in part do to the leakage problems that may occur from the hole you would need to cut. Note that you would want to use insulated pipe and keep it away from poles and the dome covering so that it does not melt either. Also, note that the domes poles cross in the top center of the dome. We recommend putting your stove pipe through a door opening: see our online Manual: http://www.shelter-systems.com/lighthouse-manual.html The dome is easy to heat especially with a liner. You will want to install a vapor barrier in your dome which can be a large blue tarp. Gravel can if not toped with soil can make for a "crunchy" floor base. The dome has a short skirt that sits on the ground outside your dome; inside your "tarp floor should be cut so it goes up the inside wall of your dome. You could tape your floor to the wall with UV stabilized "Gray" Duct Tape, but this is usually not needed. Rodents and bugs are best detoured by keeping your dome clean and storing all food in mouse proof containers. You cannot entirely exclude them but if they do not find food they will tend to stay away. Be sure to read our wind and snow warnings: http://www.shelter-systems.com/warning.html Sincerely, Bob Gillis On Jul 17, 2008 Hi Bob we were using an 18' dome at a festival and at about 10:30 at night an approximately 70 mph wind blew in for 20 or 30 minutes and caught our dome and pulled it from the ground and rolled it for 1/4 mile into a barb wire fence. I wanted to tell you how impressed I was to find that it had only 4 small holes the size as a finger nail, one pole broke and one clip pulled off. It is just incredible Jul 17, 2008 We bought an 18' dome for projection. It is fantastic, looks great and the projection screen is excellent. We are Thrilled. Thanks On Jul 11, 2008 ........Take a look at: http://www.shelter-systems.com/sizes.html ........We can make a greenhouse that is half white and half greenhouse but note that the greenhouse covering is not fire retarded. ........The 20' has 4 doors. The 30' has 8. A backdoor tunnel connecting to the camper door? ........See: http://www.shelter-systems.com/lighthouse-manual.html Instructions for Attaching a Door to Door Connection Strip Parts: Strip 3' by 16' for 18' dome or yurt, 8 Grip Clips, 8 clip cords. This strip when attached properly will join two dome doors tightly and create a gutter between them that redirects water to the base outside the domes. On a windless day set up two domes next to each other such that two doors are facing each other. Roll up and tuck the two door coverings over the poles at the top of the doors. Move the domes together so that the base of the door openings touch each other. Follow carefully the instructions in you manual to secure your dome to the ground using all means necessary. 1) Knot end of each cord. Feed the un-knotted end of the cords through the concave side of each the "button" ends of the clips. Using the Clipping Instructions at the end of your manual attach two clips to the center end of the connection strip about 8"from the end, such that these clips are about 4" from each other. 2) Enter one of the domes and lay out your connection strip under the two door openings so that the button clip cords are to one side and centered in the door ways. The cords should be facing up and close to one of the sides of the openings. 3) Slip and tie tight one of the connector clip cords through the clip hole at the base and inside the doing closet to that clip. Repeat this with the other button clip cords inside the other dome. You will now have join these two domes together with the connecter strip. 4) Keeping the connector strip centered and tight apply two clips to the connector strip so that the button cord is on the same side of the strip as the first two clips and such that when these two clips are tied to the inside upper clips of the two, they pull the connector strip tight and centered. You may need to remove and reposition these two clips to get the connector strip tight, centered and even. 5) Next proceed to do the same for the next two door way clips. Keep the strip centered and tight. 6) Finely, secure the remaining two base clips. The connection strip should now be secured tight to the walls inside both domes creating an air closure and water tight connection. 7) You may carefully trim excess material from the strip. 8) If your soil does not drain well then make a ditch around your dome to direct water away from the domes. 9) If you need to make more connection strips you can remove the one you have fitted and use it as a pattern to make other strips. ......20' has 4 about 1.5 sq foot each ......30' up to 8 can be added about 3 sq foot each. These are extra $35 each. Do any come with it? How much extra for each? How many can you have in one yurt? Tarp used as a floor is less expensive and works fine. ........See: http://www.shelter-systems.com/lighthouse-manual.html ........Be sure to read our snow and wind warnings: http://www.shelter-systems.com/warning.html .......see: http://www.shelter-systems.com/accessories.html On Jul 10, 2008 Hi Bob, I have been using one of your 18' extra strong yurt domes at Burning Man for the past four years, to great success. This year I am considering modifying the doors to secure the loose material from flapping in the wind. I would greatly appreciate your insight as to the feasibility of what I propose. I would like to attach velcro to the side of the doors. I am considering using a self-locking variety to avoid the prospect of dust clogging the loop side of traditional velcro. I think that sewing through the dome's material would cause tear-out problems, so I'm leaning toward glue. Do you know of an adhesive that would work with the dome's material and wouldn't flake out under intense sunlight? Thanks for your help. I love your product. I just recommended your domes to two friends in Minneapolis who I think are planning on making a purchase. Sincerely, Pete Loeffler Hi Pete Sewing will not significantly weaken the domes covering. Preferabley choose 10 or less stitches per inch. Sincerely, Bob Gillis Date: July 8, 2008 Hello: Hi Cricket I think our Grip Clips would help hold your tarp. They grip a much larger area of tarp then the tarp's standard grommets and do not poke holes in the tarp which weaken the tarp even more. I would recommend you try some of the Heavy Duty and some of the General Purpose. Bungies of the heavy duty black rubber type are a good idea also as these can help dampen down tarp's vibration, which contributes a lot to the degradation of tarps. Sincerely, Bob Gillis Date: July 7, 2008 Hi Bob- Cathy Thank you for sending the photos of your two wind damaged yurts. Unfortunately our guarantee does not cover wind damage. However you can repair the domes at your location or ship the two damaged domes to us and we can repair them here for a small fee and ship them back to you. As to why it may have happen; since I was not there, I can only guess that you had some very strong wind blow through. Some of the stakes may have been loosened by rain or just the soil was loose; the two damaged domes could have pulled free except for one stake, which then being overloaded, ripped out the clip from the dome. The damage to coverings appears to be were clips where attached. This type of damage is difficult to patch and we suggest you replace the damaged panels. If you chose to repair the yurts at your location we can ship you replacement panels ($65 for each panel which includes 3 Heavy Duty Grip Clips and cords). You would then need to remove the damaged panels and insert the new ones reattaching using the Grip Clips. If you wish to ship your damaged dome's coverings (no need to ship the poles) to us for repair, we would replace the torn panel or panels and ship them back to you. From your photos and assuming there is no other damage, we would need to replace the two torn panels one for each dome see attached estimate for pricing. Please contact eleanor@shelter-systems.com to arrange your repair. Sincerely, Bob Gillis On Jul 6, 2008 Bob, I am so happy I found your dome site. I have been looking at the Pacific Dome -- I like it but it is very expensive compared to your dome what would you say the main difference is other than cost? David Dave I do not know Pacific Domes well enough to compare in detail however our dome is lighter in weight, much faster and easier to put up, much more portable. Sincerely, Bob Gillis On Jul 3, 2008 Hi--I am a spinner/weaver and the house I'm moving to doesn't have enough room for all my equipment, supplies, etc. I'm wondering if an 18' tent on a wooden floor would work as a studio space. It may take a couple of years to get enough saved to build a more permanent structure so it would be used non-stop for 2 years or so. Thanks Hilly My guess it would but be sure to check out our http://www.shelter-systems.com/yurt-dome-testimonials.html and http://www.shelter-systems.com/warning.html You may not need a woden floor: http://www.shelter-systems.com/lighthouse-manual.html Let me know if you have questions Sincerely, Bob Gillis Date: July 2, 2008 I was wanting to know if you can put a wod stove in the 20' dome. does it come with an opening in the ceiling for the stove pipe to go through? Any information you could provide to me about this would be helpful. Thank you. Hi Amanda We do not include a stove jack with our domes but they are not hard to install: http://www.shelter-systems.com/lighthouse-manual.html : Keep all flames and heat away from your dome's covering and other objects in your dome. If possible have your stove pipe come out the back of your stove and pass through the plywood wall. If your stove pipe exits your stove at the top then place an elbow as close to your stove as possible. Attach a horizontal section of pipe to this elbow and pass this pipe through the wall such that it will slant slightly down towards the outside. This will keep rain from following the pipe and dripping inside your dome. We recommend using insulated stovepipe throughout. Place an elbow on the outside. Attach a vertical pipe on the outside pipe and a spark arrester cap on top. Use steel wire to support and stabilize the pipe outside the dome. Loop it around the elbow so it lifts and supports the weight of the horizontal pipe. Another wire will be needed around the vertical pipe to keep it upright and stable in the wind. Tie the other ends of the wires to the dome and or attach them to wooden poles driven into the ground. The wires should be tight enough to lift the horizontal pipe so that it is centered through the hole in the wall and not touching the fabric. Local codes may require other installation procedures. Carefully follow the instructions given with your heater. It is best if you can get a vented heater so that combustibles are expelled from your dome. When a fuel is burn it produces water vapor which will add to the dampness of your space; and carbon dioxide which can suffocate you if you were in an airtight room. The other reason is the fumes which the heater produces can smell and if burnt incompletely produce carbon monoxide (this not the carbon dioxide we mention above but more dangerous and can kill you. Now there are heaters which claim to be safe with out being vented. Read and follow their directions. Sincerely, Bob Gillis Date: July 6, 2008 Hi Eleanor, Many thanks once again for our wonderful yurt dome - we received it yesterday and put it up immediately! It's a wonderful thing and we are so pleased with it - we have just a small query - we tried taking one side off in order to make it an open fronted dome (for use at festivals/trade shows etc) but it made it really unstable. Are we doing wrong just to take out one arc? Regards, Ian Try this: First stake out your dome then un-clip the tension band on two adjacent doors; un-stake under the arch that connects the two doors; remove the poles under the arch; roll up the covering under the arch; tie the rolled up covering to the arch clips. Sincerely, Bob Gillis Date: July 4, 2008 Hi Bob Sushma I would recommend the General Purpose if you are using blue tarps and the Heavy Duty if canvas. The # clips per tee pee depends on the size of the tee pee. If you tell me as size of the tee pee I could suggest how many clips but as a guess I would say about 18 - 25. You will need stakes to hold the covering to the ground. I will ask the order desk eleanor@shelter-systems.com to quote you a price. Sincerely, Bob Gillis On Jun 30, 2008 Hello Hi Eric Thanks for the feed back. I am wondering: you mentioned you "held the dome down" did it pull out the stakes? was it staked all http://www.shelter-systems.com/lighthouse-manual.html Another way to make your dome stronger in the wind is to add an additional set of "base poles" (12 extra poles for the 14', 18', and 20') (20 extra poles for the 30' or 31'). You will also need two "connectors" and two " clip cords" for each of your extra base poles so you can tie them tightly to the Grip Clips cords that support the existing dome's base poles. This is best done with your dome set up. Tie the connectors tight to the Grip Clip cords above and below the domes base poles and then bend and insert your extra poles into these connectors. You do not have to remove these connectors when you take the dome down. Just remove the extra poles by bending as you would any of the other domes poles. With your dome well staked out set guy-lines off of each the clip cords at the top of your base poles. Be sure to hang strips of cloth, etc. to your guy-lines to avoid tripping hazards. Include a heavy duty shock cord in each of your guy-lines so that the dome will have some give and take.
You might find these SuperStakes of use also: http://www.shelter-systems.com/accessories.html SuperStakes™ Sincerely, Bob Gillis On Jun 27, 2008 Hi, Bob. I would like to buy a 30' dome, with the nylon fabric. If it's at all Our plan right now is to use heavy-duty grip clips to suspend I know that you recommend against putting any shade over Are there chemicals in water-based latex paint Thanks, Conni Hi Connie I will try to answer your questions. I should point out that the covering we use on our domes is not nylon. The 30' dome we make is standard with 8 doors. You can open up more wall panels but since the covering adds strength to the dome doing so will weaken the dome somewhat. Replacing the diagonal tension lines with rope (corner to corner) in the panels you open will help maintain the tension you lose by opening the panel. Please check with the order desk to see if have the 30' in stock. If we do not it is usually just 3 or 4 days but as we get into August we can get very busy. Many people have applied paint to their dome and so far none have reported problems. I do not know of any problems useing latex paint; but try it first on the skirt of the dome. Sincerely, Bob Gillis On Jun 13, 2008 Hi Bob Thank you for spending time with me today to discuss the dome I'm building for BM and the clips you think are best suited for the billboard vinyl I will be using for my cover Hi Matt Thanks for the update and photo. I appreciate the link and any future details on about how your covering works out. including photos and vinyl sample. If I can be of further help let me know. Sincerely, Bob Gillis Some other tips and links: Frame: http://www.desertdomes.com/index.html Use Heavy Duty Grip Clips: http://shelter-systems.com/gripclips/ Drape vinyl over frame and pull down all around. Attach clips to tarp about 1foot from bottom of dome's frame Use rope or strong cord attached to clips cord then under bottom frame poles. Pull up on rope and tie. Be sure to stake our your dome so it will not blow away. On Jun 11, 2008 Hi Bob, My apology for suggesting you had referred to your dome/yurt materials as "biodegradable." Reviewing your statement on this topic in Q and A, I realized I'd misused the term. Of course the materials can't be biodegradable and stay intact in the weather for very long! Sorry. We would still like your opinion on off gassing, though, if you would. Is there somewhat of a chemical odor for awhile after raising the dome/yurt? If so, does it completely disappear in a relatively short period of time (hours? days?)? Thanks, Hi Jeanne I do not notice any odor from the dome but that is not to say that someone else may not but then I have not had any customer tell me they notice an odor from their dome. We offer two types of windows. One is vinyl the other of the same material as the covering. My guess is to skip the vinyl. We do not use urethane, or vinyl in the domes covering. Sincerely, Bob Gillis On Jun 9, 2008 How can I make my dome stronger in the wind. The simplest way to make your dome stronger in the wind is to add an additional set of "base poles" (12 extra poles for the 14', 18', and 20') (20 extra poles for the 30' or 31'). You will also need two "connectors" and two " clip cords" for each of your extra base poles so you can tie them tightly to the Grip Clips cords that support the existing dome's base poles. This is best done with your dome set up. Tie the connectors tight to the Grip Clip cords above and below the domes base poles and then bend and insert your extra poles into these connectors. You do not have to remove these connectors when you take the dome down. Just remove the extra poles by bending as you would any of the other domes poles. With your dome well staked out set guy-lines off of each the clip cords at the top of your base poles. Be sure to hang strips of cloth, etc. to your guy-lines to avoid tripping hazards. Include a heavy duty shock cord in each of your guy-lines so that the dome will have some give and take. Using this same approach an extra set of ring poles can be added for additional strength. See our online manual for more information on staking: http://www.shelter-systems.com/lighthouse-manual.html Even though stronger, your dome can still fail: be sure to read our wind warnings: http://www.shelter-systems.com/warning.html Extra poles, connectors and clip cords can be found at our Accessory Page: http://www.shelter-systems.com/accessories.html On Jun 7, 2008 Dome frame question Bob, I just discovered you domes. As one who is leery of introducing any nore Jim You can use bamboo, branches, wood strips, aluminum tubing, fiberglass (solid rod or tubing) or any material with sufficient stiffness to flexibility relationship. To get the right stiffness compare to one of our PVC poles of the same length. You will also need to make connectors that your replacement poles fit into with about 1/4" of slack and with the same bending strength as your poles. Connectors are 6" with a hole in the middle (two per pole intersection with 12 for the ground level. Sincerely, Bob Gillis On Jun 2, 2008 Hello. I'm looking into dome structures for Burning Man, and naturally found my way to your site. I'm looking for something a little larger than your 30' dome, and was wondering about the feasibility of connecting two 30s together in opened-arch form. From your photos, it seems that this would work, but I'm wondering how it would hold up under playa conditions. I'd appreciate any insights you have. Thanks, Hi Matt This has been done with the 20' and could be done with the the 30 also. The dome is weaken somewhat because of the truncated poles. I would suggest that you add to the junction arch at least 2 other arch poles. I would also remove rather than tie up the unused wall sections. An arch juncture strip need to be attached inside and to both sides of the juncture, similar to the way two doors are joined (see the online manual: http://www.shelter-systems.com/lighthouse-manual.html ) If you decide to do it please send photos: (Thanks). Let me know if this is not clear. Sincerely, Bob Gillis On Jun 2, 2008 Bob - Thanks for your call. Sorry I couldn't talk long. Please send along an estimate for how much it would cost to convert our 30' dome to a 31' x 16' dome. Appreciate your help! -- Kathleen, A conversion kit to turn your 30' dome into a 31' dome including all the parts you would need: 16 panels,36 long poles, 4 short poles, 20 HD Grip Clips each with 2 attached connectors is $840 plus about $90 shipping. Sincerely, Bob Gillis On May 26, 2008 Hi Bob, I have an 18' dome I bought from Shelter Systems in Best, Josh Hi Josh Use 1/2"plywood that is made with exterior grade glue that will hold up when wet. The plywood "door plug" should be slightly bigger than the door opening and should fit inside the dome with the sides of the door openings lapping over the outside of the plywood. The plywood needs to be widen at the bottom. This can be done with some of the scrap that you cut from top of the plywood. A small triangle can be cut to fit the gap and then attached to the larger "plug" with a 3" wide strip of plywood on both sides of the joint. You can then screw this juncture together or alternatively it can be glued with urethane glue. Drill two small holes near the top of the "plug" so you can tie the plywood to the two clips on the inside of the door opening. You can attach the door opening sides to the plywood with 1" by 1/4" strips of wood nailed or stapled over the over lap of the door opening. More info at: http://www.shelter-systems.com/lighthouse-manual.html Sincerely, Bob Gillis On May 23, 2008 Hi Bob I'm looking forward to buying a bubble dome 18 for use in Southern California. Is there a technique you might recommend for setting up a (semi?) permanent entry to the dome from a house? I'd like to be able to link a doorway (not built yet, any shape is possible) from the back porch to the dome so I could walk right into the dome from the porch, without opening up anything -- just having a "hallway" or portal to the dome. I don't mind spending a bit on materials, but I'd like to end up with something reasonably weatherproof. Could a second identical dome be linked to the first one I get fairly easily? If I plan to do that, is it possible to get one with two doorways? (One doorway to the porch, one to the second dome) I see some curves (folds?) on 4 of the rectangular panels in the 20' bubble dome pictured. Are these a required part of the dome, or some option of the purchaser? I'm aware that the bubble dome is not so stable, so I plan to surround it with piers and lines -- we do occasionally get some wind here. Thanks Nick Hi Nick See our online manual: http://www.shelter-systems.com/lighthouse-manual.html The following is extracted: This or a modification of this approach may work to create a water shedding connection for you. Our domes flex in the wind, so create some slack to avoid stressing the connection. Instructions for Attaching a Door to Door Connection Strip Parts: Strip 3' by 16' for 18' dome or yurt, 8 Grip Clips, 8 clip cords. ( you will need a longer strip if you use the tall door say: 27') This strip when attached properly will join two dome doors tightly and create a gutter between them that redirects water to the base outside the domes. On a windless day set up two domes next to each other such that two doors are facing each other. Roll up and tuck the two door coverings over the poles at the top of the doors. Move the domes together so that the base of the door openings touch each other. Follow carefully the instructions in you manual to secure your dome to the ground using all means necessary. 1) Knot end of each cord. Feed the un-knotted end of the cords through the concave side of each the "button" ends of the clips. Using the Clipping Instructions at the end of your manual attach two clips to the center end of the connection strip about 8"from the end, such that these clips are about 4" from each other. 2) Enter one of the domes and lay out your connection strip under the two door openings so that the button clip cords are to one side and centered in the door ways. The cords should be facing up and close to one of the sides of the openings. 3) Slip and tie tight one of the connector clip cords through the clip hole at the base and inside the doing closet to that clip. Repeat this with the other button clip cords inside the other dome. You will now have join these two domes together with the connecter strip. 4) Keeping the connector strip centered and tight apply two clips to the connector strip so that the button cord is on the same side of the strip as the first two clips and such that when these two clips are tied to the inside upper clips of the two, they pull the connector strip tight and centered. You may need to remove and reposition these two clips to get the connector strip tight, centered and even. 5) Next proceed to do the same for the next two door way clips. Keep the strip centered and tight. 6) Finely, secure the remaining two base clips. The connection strip should now be secured tight to the walls inside both domes creating an air closure and water tight connection. 7) You may carefully trim excess material from the strip. 8) If your soil does not drain well then make a ditch around your dome to direct water away from the domes. 9) If you need to make more connection strips you can remove the one you have fitted and use it as a pattern to make other strips. It is possible to get a bubble dome with two doors but this will weaken the dome. As you note the bubble dome 20 is already weakened by the fact that it is higher in the wind and has a smaller base than the dome. If you are at all concerned about the wind consider using our standard 18 or 30' domes, which are our strongest domes. Bob Gillis On May 18, 2008 Hi, Hi Greg Using your dome 12 or more times a year should not wear it out. We had a customer use the dome a a puppet theater putting it up daily for several years without wear problems. Sincerely, Bob Gillis On May 13, 2008 Hi Bob, On May 15, 2008 At most shorten all the poles by only 1/4" each with a hack saw; put it up and see what you think. If it is still tight you could take off another 1/4" off each poles. Shortening all the poles a little is better than shorteing a few a lot. Shortening poles too much will remove tension but could make you covering shaggy. Sincerely, Bob Gillis Thanks Bob, On May 21, 2008 Hi, Sincerely It is an 18'. Sincerely, Bob Gillis April 29, 2008 Dear Bob, I made models of your dome tents as in photo below (the figures are not to true scale, but these were models of the 8', 14' 18' 20' and 30', so that we had an idea of how the size changes by height and volume as well as base size.) "Make your own modles: http://www.shelter-systems.com/modle.html " The land has a gradient relief map - see below I enlarged this map to house the models to approx scale. It looked wonderful, and we were able to see the earth works needed for us to camp in a larger size dome. In the end, we dug in a 20 ' platform big enough for us to have either a 10' + 14', or to have one larger 18' dome. We are still debating the pro's and con's of one larger or two smaller domes, and reading what others in a similar situation have done, on your website. Here is my dream ideal of a tent set up that could be permanent (but not very practical) As you can see, I am having quite a bit of fun with your domes, without having even purchased one yet! The domes are here on a sharp incline, on decking with Australian Shade cloth designs over head, ranging from a 20' at the bottom to a smaller 10' at the top. They were planned as a kitchen/living space, bedroom for our daughter and finally the top was a meditation and yoga tent. - We might start with something a bit more simple! Warm regards, Our two strongest domes are the 18' and the 30'. These have survived gusts of up to 55 mph for short periods of time. If you are in areas known for strong winds I would not recommend our domes or for that matter any tent. Tents by nature are light weight and portable but problematic in strong or continual winds. Our domes, for the materials used, I believe are the strongest in the world but this will not keep them from failing in extreme conditions. Constant wind will wear on components until one part fails causing the rest of the structure to fail. Be sure to read our wind and snow warnings and our manual about wind and anchoring. Sincerely, Bob Gillis On Mar 11, 2008 hi. I am wondering what the highest gusting wind speed you expect your designs to be exposed to in a mountain environment is. On Mar 5, 2008 Hi Bob, we have one of your 30 domes that we have been using to great effect for exhibitions for a few years now and I would like to know what possibility there is for hanging lights and other objects inside the tent, can we use grip clips on the tent itself ? Rory You can hang objects from the clips inside your dome. Use common sense as to how much to hang: do not hang so much that the dome or clip is over stressed or sages in. Sincerely, Bob Gillis On Mar 8, 2008 Hello Bob, Hi Laurie It might be that your concrete is absorbing heat. Is the greenhouse in full sun? Are you checking with an indoor and outdoor (keep in the shade) thermometers? If it is the case that your patio is absorbing most of the heat, it should eventually heat up to the point that it holds heat into the night. An old rug with or with out foam back could help insulate the air in your dome from the heat sink of your concrete. You could alternatively lay down plywood or wood decking as insolation. Or, how about chopped tree bark with stepping stones trails to your plants. Sincerely, Bob Gillis Hi, Todd Answers to your questions: Our 18' will sleep four to ten depending on if in cots or not. Our floors fit inside the dome and up against the walls about 4 " (bathtub type; they tie in. - rain runs down the outside of the dome and since there is no sewing does not wick to the floor). The porch is tied to the dome's poles over a door opening so that the door can be opened without vertical rain falling into the opening. It also allows you to take off wet gear before entering the dome. Our doors hook close at the two lower corners. Zippers a a nuisance if you are using your dome more than just for one night and they brake or jam with use. Our doors overlap the dome side walls by about 3 ". We also include binder clips to secure the doors to walls in wind. Optional sticky back velcro can be used. A pole is provided that can be added to the bottom of the door that functions as a weight, such that when one corner of the door is hooked, you can walk up to the door, grab the other side of the door, swing it open, walk in and the door will swing closed after you (try that with a zipper door). Please contact Eleanor for shipping details: 866-777-1066 eleanor@shelter-systems.com Sincerely, On Mar 2, 2008 Hi There, I purchased an 18' Playadome from you in January, and I just set it up in my backyard as a test. The primary purpose of the dome is for use at Burning Man. I'm very impressed so far with the design and the easy set up. I'm curious about securing the dome against the high wind gusts that sometimes happen on the Playa. Are the 12" included pegs sufficient in your opinion, or should I use guy lines as well? Very few pictures on your site show the use of guy lines, so I get the impression that would be overkill. Hi Karl Generally we have found our 12" stakes are sufficient for the Playa; but heres the rub: you never know what the condition is of the Playa is going to be and once you are out the closest home depot is in reno; so its only smart to at least take along 10 or 20 - 18" rebar stakes with heavy cord to attach them to the domes clips: see manual: http://www.shelter-systems.com/lighthouse-manual.html Guy lines: most of the time the domes do well with out but be prepared for that one and ten year wind storm: at least bring them along and watch the wind and if you have any doubt set guy-lines with bungee cords as described in the manual: http://www.shelter-systems.com/lighthouse-manual.html Sincerely, Bob Gillis February 11, 2008 Eleanor, Outdoor Classroom On Jan 4, 2008 The answer is yes, with a large enough heater. How large... can't say... but it would only take a small wood stove. Electric heat is expensive but if you are willing to sit in front of a radiant heater you can heat your body but not the whole dome's air. Another issue with radiant heater is that many are not "vented" and will add moisture and carbon dioxide to the air in your dome. For these reasons you should use a vented heater. Adding a liner will save fuel but with a big enough heater you will not need a liner. The Extra Strong has 4 translucent windows that let through more light than glass (yet you can not see clearly through it). If you want to see out, order your dome standard which comes with clear vinyl windows.
1 1/2-YEAR GUARANTEE. If for any reason you're not completely pleased with your purchase, return it in original, clean condition within 30 days of receipt for a full refund or exchange as you wish. All items in this catalog have a warranty against defects in materials and workmanship for 1 1/2 years. Should any product prove defective we will repair or replace it at no cost to you. Special Orders are not returnable. Read Snow and Wind Warnings. Order online with our Secure Order Form! Questions? Orders & Customer Service: Toll Free 866-777-1066 or 831-464-2002 eleanor@shelter-systems.com Technical: 650-323-6202 bob@shelter-systems.com. Copyright © Shelter Systems 1976 - 2008 All Rights Reserved
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the way around? If you decide to use it again at BM see the added section in the online manual: 
Using this same approach an extra set of ring poles can be added for additional strength. See our online manual for more information on staking above. Even though stronger, your dome can still fail: be sure to read our wind warnings below and: 
