Grow Your Own Magazine

Dh built me a coldframe in the spring. It was my idea after we were left with a brand new peice of glass from when we had our bathroom double shower built (bodge it builder droped and so smashed the other peice to the two doors and so had to purchase another pair of doors (then he charged for everything under the sun to try and claw back his losses but thats another story))

As dh is very new to diy it has been made flat roofed. My concern is that if we have a heavy fall of snow the weight will break the glass. I did think that we could prop the roof open but I will probally have to house something in there overwinter as the greenhouse will be chocca. Does anyone have any ideas on how to avoid this as well as any thoughts on any other pitfalls we may find with not having the glass slopping?

Thanks in advance.

Tammy

Hi, FD - I don't think that the glass will break with snowfall - it has to be pretty strong to be sold as a shower door (even if Bob the Bodge-it Builder managed to break it!)

If you're worried, though, prop one end up on a brick or two in order to create a slope.

And look on the bright side, cost wise - I bet you were too smart to let BBB reclaim the cost of the shower doors, and you've saved about £50 on buying a cold frame...

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Hazel
www.hazelandjanesallotment.blogspot.com
update Sun 30/11/2008......Indoor Allotmenteering too!.....

Yes we were smart enough to not let him get away with it but it was a fight though!

As we now have a cold frame out of it, as well as the sense of acheivement dh has had out of building it, we are very happy.

Try and slope the roof if you can, it not only helps rain drain off, it admits more light for your plants, specially if you can sort of point the cold frame towards the prevailing sunshine. Prop it on bricks, or if it has wooden sides, put an extra layer on. If you cut one plank diagonally in half you will have two slopey bits.

I built a cold-frame out of an old wardrobe with just some perspex, a few hinges and some polythene. I'be posted it on my blog in the past i think if u want to have a look. The most impotant thing is that the cold frame is sealed, as i have had many slugs and snails in mine, nibbling at the seedlings.

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Vegmonkey and the Mrs. - vegetable gardening in a small space in Cheltenham at www.vegmonkey.co.uk

Thanks for the replies - will gently pass on suggestions to dh.