In from the cold

Mark Rayner shows how to build a simple wooden cold frame in a weekend.

You will need:

150mm treated fence palings cut to the following lengths:
- 8 x 1200omm for the front and back panels
- 8 x 800mm for the side panels
- 1x 300mm for the front brace
- 1x 900mm for the back brace
50mm x 75mm treated timber cut to the following approximate lengths:
- 2 x 900mm
- 2 x 350mm
2 x window frames measuring 600mm x 1000mm
2 x 1200mm lengths of fence capping
40mm galvanised jolthead nails, 25mm galvanised flat head nails or galvanised staples, exterior PVA glue, 4 x stainless steel or zinc-plated hinges with screws and clear plastic sheeting
Drill, saw, paintbrushes, screwdriver and hammer
Resene Quick Dry waterborne acrylic primer undercoat and Resene Lumbersider tinted to Resene Alabaster

Step one
Form the front panel by fixing two of the 1200mm lengths of fence paling together attaching the front panel brace in the centre, as shown, using 40mm nails and PVA glue. Repeat with the remaining six 1200mm lengths and the back panel brace to form the back panel.

Step two
Form the two side panels, as shown, using the 800mm lengths of fence paling and the lengths of 50mm x 75mm timber
- note how the upper ends are cut at angles to follow the pitch of the sides. Again, fix with 40mm nails and PVA glue. Leave to dry - preferably overnight.

Step three
Assemble the main body of the cold frame using 40mm nails and PVA glue.

Step four
Strengthen the sloping edge of the side panels by gluing and tapping a 40mm nail through at an angle, as shown - drill a pilot hole first to stop the wood splitting.

Step five
Fix one 1200mm length of fence capping along the upper edge of the cold frame, using 4omm nails and PVA glue. Repeat with the second length of fence capping along the lower edge.

Step six
Apply one coat of Resene Quick Dry Dry primer undercoat to the entire cold frame and also to the window frames. Leave to dry for one hour.

Step seven
Apply two coats of Resene Alabaster to the entire cold frame and the window frames, allowing two hours for each coat to dry. Firmly fix the clear plastic to the underside of the window frames using 25mm nails or galvanised staples.

Step eight
Attach two hinges to the top edge of each window frame and fix to the top edge of the cold frame, using the screws provided.

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Resene Paints Ltd – www.resene.com