As part of our commitment to offer the most environmentally-friendly materials in the industry, Red Sky Shelters is now proud to offer exclusively PVC-free fabrics and coatings.

Why coat the roof fabric in the first place?
In order to be effective, portable shelters such as Yomes, yurts, and domes must keep out the elements. In order to accomplish this, the woven roof fabric must be treated with some sort of impermeable coating; this also protects the fabric itself. Practically every yurt, dome, and tent manufacturer besides Red Sky Shelters relies upon fabrics coated with PVC.

What is PVC, and what’s wrong with it?
      PVC stands for polyvinyl chloride, commonly known as vinyl. It is one of the most commonly used plastics in the world. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the worst products for the environment. Every step in the life cycle of PVC is riddled with serious environmental and health concerns. This is why Red Sky Shelters, unlike nearly every other portble shelter manufacturer, has eliminated the use of PVC-coated fabric in its products.
      When PVC is produced, many of its basic constituents (including ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride) are released into the atmosphere. These are considered to be not only carcinogenic but also to cause liver, kidney and neurological damage. Workers in vinyl plants have become ill and even died from exposure to these toxic compounds. See PVC, Toxic Secrecy.
      PVC manufacturing plants also create significant amounts of dioxins and PCBs, and these frequently leach into the groundwater. In fact, sediment samples taken downstream from these plants have shown dioxin concentrations equal to that of Agent Orange! See PVC Bad News in Threes andPolyvinyl Chloride.
      Even more problems are created when PVC is used as a fabric coating. This is because PVC by is normally a rigid substance. In order to make it flexible, plasticizers are added. Over time these plasticizers leach to the surface and are released into the air. This is the off-gassing commonly recognized as the "vinyl odor" in shower curtains and children’s toys. Studies indicate that there are health concerns associated with these plasticizers as well. See Our Stolen Future and My House is Your House and The Center for Health Environment and Justice.
      It is possible to add a final coat to PVC-coated fabrics, sealing in the plasticizers. This is often done on exterior surfaces for added durability and cleanability. However, the interior surface is typically left uncoated, allowing the plasticizers to off-gas into the interior. This is a significant problem in living spaces. Coating the interior surface helps, but this only addresses one of the many health and environmental problems associated with PVC.
      Claims are made that PVC coated fabric can be recycled. However, trying to recycle it causes even more problems and requires more energy than what it would take to landfill it and make more from scratch. Should it be incinerated or burned, PVC releases several extremely toxic substances including dioxin.
      Despite these drawbacks, other yurt and dome manufacturers use vinyl-coated fabric almost exclusively. And not only is the roof PVC: Though few manufacturers will call attention to it, the sidewalls are PVC-coated as well. Yurts and domes are considered “alternative” living structures, yet they are completely coated in one of the most ubiquitous and environmentally-destructive substances known. Note that when other manufactures call their fabric “resin-finished” or “acrylic top-coated,” they’re not admitting that these are only the top-coats and most of the material is PVC.
      From production to consumption to disposal, vinyl raises serious health and environmental concerns. You can count on Red Sky to be aware of these concerns and always choose the best materials for your health and that of the planet.

What are the alternatives to vinyl-coated fabric?
      The most common alternatives to PVC are urethane, acrylic, olefin, PTFE (teflon), and silicone. Though none are as harmful as PVC, each of these materials one has its own set of environmental impacts. See our Architectural Fabrics page.

What fabrics does Red Sky Shelters use for the Yome?
     Our standard roof material is our Legacy silicone-coated polyester roof covering (see below). For do-it-yourselfers we offer our Voyager ceramic-acrylic based roof coating, to be applied by the Yome owner. For the sidewall covering we offer our premium SunGlow polyester material.

What is silicone and your Legacy material?
      Silicone is a polymer made from silicon, oxygen, and various organic compounds. Silicone is unaffected by ultraviolet radiation, oxygen, ozone, or high temperature - all the agents that degrade most other polymers.
      As far as we know, pure silicone is a completely environmentally "green" substance. Not only is silicon the most abundant mineral on earth, but throughout silicone's life cycle, from its manufacturing, to its disposal, no harmful byproducts are produced. Unlike PVC, silicone when burned (at high temperature, given its high flame resistance) leaves merely an ash of silica dioxide (a.k.a., sand).
      For our Legacy roof material we take a strong polyester base-fabric and have it coated with silicone rubber. The result is a durable and cleanable roof material that keeps the weather out.

What about the Voyager ceramic-acrylic coated roof?
      For this do-it-yourself option, we start with a roof made out of Sunforger-treated polyester-cotton fabric. Upon setting up the roof frame, two coats of Voyager ceramic-acrylic coating are applied to the roof by the Yome owner. This coating not only seals and protects the roof but insulates it as well. Millions of tiny hollow ceramic beads are suspended in the coating to give it a hard yet flexible finish that also forms an insulative radiant barrier. See our Ceramic-Acrylic page.

What about your SunGlow sidewall material?
      After years of research, we have developed a sidewall fabric that is breathable yet water-proof, mildew-resistant and flame-resistant. The break-though came when a polyester fiber that is inherently flame-resistant was developed. Typically polyester is made flame-resistant by adding flame-retardant chemicals to the fabric that often do not bond well and can leach out, posing health risks. A new polyester fiber with a flame-resistant molecular structure has been developed (it too meets the NFPA 701 #2 standard). Red Sky Shelters has taken this spun fiber and woven it into a tight and durable material that is coated with a thin layer of PTFE. This coating allows the fabric to repeal water and dirt yet still breathe. Best of all, the material is designed to be very translucent. Its ivory color allows filtered light to enter and bathe the Yome in a rich and elegant glow. It’s like living in a cloud!

What about the Yome’s windows? Aren’t they made of PVC?
      Yes, the clear removable covering for our standard windows is vinyl, but we do also offer a polycarbonate alternative. It has greater optical clarity and a longer lifespan. However, polycarbonate windows are several times the cost of PVC. They also cannot be rolled up like vinyl. In hot weather, they can be removed and stored in a cloth container provided.