Making a Cold Frame (part 1)

After mentioning cold frames in at least two entries, I thought I'd show you how I'm making mine. Remember how I told you about scavenging windows and frames left in local alleys after the owners remodeled? Well, now's when that bit of frugality pays off. If you don't have a window frame handy (or one that is big enough), you can of course make the basic box out of pretty much anything you happen to have.

For my first cold frame, I started with a bay window casing about 40" x 57":


I removed the window hardware from it, including the aluminum molding on the inside (which you can still see in this photo if you look closely). Next, I wanted to cut three pieces of plywood to elevate one side. This helps to angle the frame and help more sunlight reach your plants. I decide on a rake angle from 14" in the back to 6" in the front. I had some scrap plywood from when they remodeled the stage at my church...I'm not above Dumpster diving when it comes to my garden!

The back piece is a simple rectangle, while the sides are trapezoids that slope from the height of the rear rectangle down to the height of the front of the casing:

There are my sides, ready to install. The front of the cold frame will simply be the window casing itself. A few screws and the sides are attached. Here is the frame so far:


Now for the glass top. I selected a large 3-pane window that was the right width, but a few inches shy on the length. I didn't have anything that exactly fit my casing, but the big window I picked should work nicely with the addition of a couple of plywood strips on the sides. Here is the window:

Now, if you are using scrounged windows as I am, they will often have paint that looks something like this:

This is potentially bad, because that peeling paint could well be from the 1950s and be lead-based. You certainly don't want a lead-based paint to flake off over your seedlings or your grow bed, because it could taint your soil. So, I am going to be scraping off the old paint with a paint scraper, and sanding the wood a bit for good measure. Luckily, I have child labor for just such eventualities.


Well, that's part 1 of making a cold frame. Eleanor and I will keep scraping off the old paint, and you keep doing...whatever it is that you do with yourself. Next time, I'll finish it so you can see it in action...

Good luck with yours!