Phase 1 of dome complete. Now to cover it.. tips?

[bm_cricket]

With stargeezer's mathematical advice I was able to build this 8ft radius dome with less than a yard of total waste conduit! Now I'm trying to sort out the coverings. I've found a few places that really go into the options but I wonder what people think about it. Last year during a dust storm I stumbled into a dome near the Esplanade giving out playa water baptisms. It was built from (I think) fully enclosed plastic tarp, wrapped and overlapping at the base. It was a delightful refuge from the storm. I don't remember it being very hot inside but I was covered in water.. so who knows.

What is everyone's favorite dome covering? Why?

How do you stay cool inside? Fans? Misters? Etc..

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[heikediguoren]

Used billboards, white side facing out. They are cool, waterproof, and durable. Once you've covered over any logos, the ads make for interesting ceiling decoration.

Fastening tip: along the edge of the tarp, grommet it with a double layer of vinyl--just snip a small square of billboard, put it on the edge, and run the grommet through both layers. This will prevent the grommet from tearing out during a windstorm.

Contact your local outdoor advertising agency to see if they have any used billboards that they give away. They usually pay to have them shipped offsite, so it's a savings for them.

[bm_cricket]

I've got some vinyl on it's way for flooring but not enough for the rest of the structure.. Still looking. And here are some interesting pages I found. Specifically this one on dome coverings:
http://www.weasel.com/dome_cover.html

This other page looked pretty cool too. It gave me ideas anyway:
http://www.dragishak.com/dome/dome.html

[CapSmashy]

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1385/136 ... 1ffda5.jpg

The Booby Bar domes are covered in regular shade fabric. This is from 2007. The boobs got an augmentation last year so they are a bit taller now. The shade fabric does a great job of keeping the dust down as well.

But, if you are going to be living inside of it, something that acts as a radiant barrier will probably be your best friend for the afternoon. We use silver tarps on the top of our carports and they do a decent job of blocking a lot of the heat coming through.

[Absolut Jeenyus]

Desert Structures
Tarps and fabric coverings. Shade structure profiles should be kept as horizontal and low to the ground as possible. Widely-spaced grommets in off-the-shelf tarps may rip out; more closely-spaced grommets can easily be added using kits available at hardware or surplus stores. Tarp ends can be sandwiched between wood battens. Store awnings are examples of tightly-stretched wind-resistant tarps. Canvas, denim, rip-stop nylon, and other materials can be used for sewing custom tarps and coverings. Available light tarp and shade materials:

* Shade mesh fabric. Patio and greenhouse shade mesh typically comes six to twelve feet wide. A variety of shade densities and colors are available, generally costing about $0.35 to $0.35/sq ft off the roll, and somewhere between $0.20 and $0.30/sq ft for whole rolls. Available from larger lumber and hardware outlets, and agricultural supply houses. Awning and rigging contractors can provide seaming, grommets or edging for special sizes and shapes.

* Mesh truck tarps. Well-stocked hardware stores such as Jackson's in San Rafael may have very strong black mesh truck tarps edged with grommets that run about $0.60/sq ft. These are used on pickups, gravel trucks and debris boxes. Trucking and rigging supply outlets such as Carpenter Rigging in SF and Feeney Wire Rope in Oakland have similar prices, and they can special-order any size. Trucking supply outlets may be cheaper.

* Road stabilization fabric. Concrete & masonry supply yards such as Shamrock in San Rafael have the strong black woven poly cloth Burning Man has been using for shade lately, either in whole rolls or by the foot. It's called "road stabilization fabric", Mirafi 500X or 600X. There are two widths: 12.5' wide -- 360' long -- $345 (= $0.13/sq ft); 17.5' wide -- 250' long -- $366 (= $0.12/sq ft). They sell either width off the roll at $0.20/sq ft. No edging, no grommets, and it's a very dense weave can catch the wind on vertical profiles.

* Parachutes, camo netting, and sails. Surplus stores have silk, nylon, and cotton parachutes, and camouflage netting, for about $0.50/sq ft. Check every inch of the parachute before you buy it to check for rips or rotten fabric. Used sails make very strong, often colorful, water resistant tarps, available from sail-making shops for about $0.40 to $1.00/sq ft; search online at Yahoo under "used sails".

[bm_cricket]

Thank you for the advice. And thank you 100 times over for your signature graphic Absolut Jeenyus.

I miss the playa...

[Absolut Jeenyus]

Pazhalooysta.