Example One

Materials:

• Four 4 X 6 boards
• Two 3' X 6 1/2' glass doors (standard size for sliding patio doors)
• Four small cement blocks or tiles

Procedure:

• Cut two of the 4 X 6 boards so they are 69 inches long.
• Cut the remaining two 4 X 6 boards so they are 84 inches long.
• Paint / treat the boards with waterproofing and allow to dry.
• Mark a rectangle in your garden measuring 69 inches by 75 inches making sure your corners are square.
• Mark the corners and place a cement block at each corner.
• Lay out the boards so the ends rest on the cement blocks and form a rectangle with the interior dimensions approximately 69 inches by 75 inches, matching the rectangle you marked on the ground. You will find that the shorter boards butt up against the longer boards.
• Lay out the glass doors on top of this frame and see how it looks.
• If you like it, mark the location of the blocks, disassemble the cold frame, an bury the blocks in the ground so their tops are level with each other and flush with the ground.
• Finally, replace the boards and shovel some dirt up against the outside of the boards.

The dirt against the outside of the boards serves two purposes. It holds the boards together, and it prevents cold air from infiltrating into the cold frame under the boards. Also, the boards rest on the blocks rather on the ground so they are more stable and the wood does not soak up moisture from the ground.

With this design, the boards will be stable, and you can stand on them as you tend your plants growing inside. Depending upon the strength of your glass, you may also wish to place a brace in the middle of the rectangle to support the weight of the glass, snow, and ice that may accumulate on top of the glass in winter.

Back to Cold Frames
Back to home page