Frugal cold frame help needed

15 years ago

I want to make a cold frame for as free or cheap as possible. I have been looking for wood offerings on craigslist and freecycle, but it goes fast.

The other thing I have been looking for is free window frames either glass or plastic to use as the top. Still not much luck there.

My other option is to use just plastic as the top and staple it to a wooden frame. Can I use a old shower curtain liner that is opaque?

Thanks for any advice :-)

Rhianna

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Comments (6)

jroot
15 years ago
Yes, you can, rhianna813. Just remember to have a top that opens, and trim and staple the curtain to the operable top. If the top is not opened on warm days, it will get TOOOOO HOTTT.
rhianna813
Original Author
15 years ago
Awesome! Yes I was thinking of making a frame for the lid that I could staple the plastic curtain to. It would hinge open. This would be much lighter than a glass window top.

Also, would it matter that the cold frame was sitting on pavement (my driveway) and not on dirt? It will be used for transplants or perhaps greens in pots. We have available space here and it's south facing.

Rhianna
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Look, I started this thread because I wanted some advice about a particular structure that I seen in a Farmtek catalog. AT THE TIME, I wasnt thinking about actually purchasing equipment labeled as "cold frame equipment", or any other thing else that can be used permanantly and for several years. I had my eye on a particular structure that can be disassembled annually. I wanted to use this in an area of my property that I have used for hardening off. However, after talking with several people here, who have enlightened me here, I have seen where I can spend just a few more bucks and get a more permanant structure, and POSSIBLY learn how to do it myself. Okay---INSTANTLY, my brain went into overdrive. I HAD NOT PLANNED ON DOING THIS SO EARLY. When the time came for me to build any permanant structure, it was going to require tearing down a rather large dilapetated shed, building a large greenhouse, and rebuilding another shed. A very daunting task that we are not ready for yet. I never planned on having any kind of gh/coldframe this soon. Now, I am planning on building this on a separate part of my property. And since I have made this decision, I am all excited with nervous energy about every detail. When I started this, I wasnt thinking "cold frame",and I can guarantee that because,in my neck of the woods, no one refers to as it as a cold frame. It is simply "an unheated greenhouse". Mentioning the word cold frame around here is referring to those flat boxes with windows on top, barely 3 foot above ground. Once I understood what you all were explaining to me, I then realized that we all were talking about the same thing, and yes there are other posts about cold frames, but I did not START this one with the same thing in mind. Cactusfrak, first off, I swear I had no idea that you were a woman, none of what I said about "average women" is directed at you. Okay, maybe where you are from, a large number of women are skilled at carpentry, but around here there are NOT. I swear I did not mean to offend, I was simply trying to explain myself, and make it clear that I am the average woman. Cactusfreak, second of all, I am VERY sorry that I made you feel like people are attacking you via email. I SWEAR TO YOU THAT IS NOT HAPPENEING. Though, I can see why you would feel that way by my stupid "thank you for the private emails". I swear, I wrote that as a sincere thank you for those who took the time to let me get to know them better (rather than typing out all personal information on the thread). Cactusfreak, no one is attacking you, I was defending myself against what you said ON MY THREAD about how you feel about a few things. How could you not expect me to get my own feelings hurt? I have read your name on dozens and dozens of posts with basic questions, and never once did you feel the need to say that you dont feel you should give out information anymore because you have invested years into your research. You even shared a story about a woman who will not tell anyone anything, they must "pay her" for her hard work and years of research. You never shared such a thing before, yet you did it one MY POST. And I was supposed to just take that with a grain of salt? PLEASE REREAD what you wrote, and try to veiw it differently. Have you ever said such things to anyone else before? Will have to finish in 30 minutes..........
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florrie2
15 years ago
I've used dry cleaning plastic sandwiched between sturdy cardboard frames for a temporary coldframe. Not too sturdy, but is cheap and available.

Florrie
wiley0
15 years ago
Rhianna813 shame on you! You are posting in a frugal forum and don't know how to scrounge? LOL. No dumpster diving yet? You ain't frugal till you've made the plunge.

Well let me help you if I may. Kidding aside, here is where I got my supplies for building a green house and raised bed gardens.

Alley shopping of course. Freecycle watching also. And then I wandered into a reuse store that had tons and tons of old windows. Wooden sash type and the newer aluminum storm windows. Not all together but just pieces of either the screens or the glass. All different sizes. I had bought a couple for like 3 dollars each.

A neighboring dumpster had a discarded outside aluminum door with the very large glass still intact and mounted in there. I ran home and got my screwdriver and released it from the frame and took it home. It is like 30" wide by 48" tall and has a mini alum frame all around. That alone will be the top of one cold frame and glue will hold a hinge on it.

I got about 10 old windows off of freecycle and these are just perfect. A little paint on the ends and they will work for cold frames, hot frames, or a mini greenhouse.

Menards has a scrap lumber bin and I get lots of small pieces of lumber there for under a buck each, sometimes as low as 29cents each. I got a dozen 2"X12"X4' pieces of lumber for like a buck each and these will be the sides of a cold frame and raised beds frames. A coat of sealer will make them last longer.

If someone has alum window frames, screen or glass, I will take them home for some future project or one day scrap out the alum. They store easily.

Hope this helps. Good luck.
rhianna813
Original Author
15 years ago
Wiley LOL

I live in srounge central, in a west coast College town. We have 2 Freecyle lists plus Craigs list. I keep an eye on all three but things get claimed in like 30 seconds. I have posted on both asking for windows, wood, stuff but have not had any offers. I called our local building materials recycling place. They didn't have any storm windows, but suggested aluminum windows... which started at $30! I nearly chocked. But I should go there in person to see for myself. Who knows that the guy on phone thought I needed....

But I will admit since I moved to the outer realms (burbs/rural) and left the downtown/campus area, my dumpster diving skills have gone the way of the Dodo. It's clear I need to broaden my vision and scope of the materials that *could* be used for this project.

I think my husband has some styrofoam in his truck, the kind used to pack computers so it's pretty big pieces. This might come in handy!

Rhianna
heather38
15 years ago
Ha ha, love this thread I was having the same problem as you, thinking towards doing it for next year, thinking I was a bit behind the times to gather and build, then a few weeks ago I was really fed up with the boys play room, all of the million and one toys they have are still age appropriate and get used in cycles, but their books nowhere for them to go, I only have a couple of book cases very low and glass fronted and because they where made in the 1960, I bet the glass would just shatter, also they where all used up, I weighed it up and realised me and my hubby are less likely to throw a brunch of books around than our 4 yr olds (twins by the way, nightmare! if I had a dollar or even fifty cents for the people who have said I would love twins I'd have $3.50!,the resources of an eight year old in the mind of a 4 yr olds! but thats a whole other story!) so I removed the glass and placed our books in boxes, this method hadn't been working for the boys! then as I am packing the boxes inspiration! some other boxes are now being used for coldframes with the glass on top, I am sooo happy, not only that as I wrote this I was thinking of my carrots which I have optimistically put in boxes to start early inside, if I can plant my newpaper and toilet tissue pot directly into the ground, why not a whole box? I will let you know the outcome (if I remember! I am pants at such things, but as I figured I would probably lose them any way, I am not losing anything trying!

Frugal cold frame help needed

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Frugal cold frame help needed

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