Re-working cold frame

[pawsplus]

Hi all--I haven't posted here in a while, but my female redfoot, Beasley, and I are still going strong. She turned 17 this year!

I live in Tennessee, which is a pretty good place for redfoots. Beas can be outside all day (she has a 10x50 foot outdoor run) from early June through early October, and COULD be out more in May and October except that I leave for work very early when it's still cool. On days when it will get to the low 80s--but not for a while--I err on the side of caution and leave her inside.

So I've decided to make her a warmer area to which she can retreat when she needs a warmup, in the hopes that this will allow me to extend her outdoor season a bit. To this end, I ordered TWO of these coldframes:

http://www.hayneedle.com/product/riv...greenhouse.cfm

The idea is to set them on 2x12 lumber so that they are (1) higher up to facilitate heating via a small heater or strong light and (2) elevated so that Beasley can enter through doors cut in the wood and pass under the connecting walls between the 2 cold frames. This will give her a 3x6 area that is warm. If I use a small space heater with a thermostat, I should be able to keep the temp at 80F or so--when it goes above that the heater will shut off. Once it gets permanently warm for the summer I'll remove the heater and open the top windows for ventilation.

What do you think? any suggestions as to how to do the 2x12s? I was thinking that I could put a piece of 1x3 around the top outside edge of the 2x12s as a lip to keep the cold frame from slipping off--couldn't think of a better way to secure the plastic cold frame to the wood.

Will this work?

[Pussygalore]

you'd have to be carefull heating anything made of plastic but it could work, I know though you can buy metal framed coldframes which might be a bit safer as for fastening the frame to the wood the frames we used had sort of brackets so they could be screwed direct to the wood. You just about see how our frame sat on the wood and where the gap is for an entrance could be blocked with a brick or similar.

[Daryn]

I would use tube heater rather than hot air heater, this way when the thermostat shuts down the tube will remain warm for some time. I would certainly want to make sure I had enough space for this fist. If you have already bought them maybe do alot of checks first. But please keep us posted

[pawsplus]

OK--I've already ordered them. I think that by raising them up so much I will have plenty of room to place the heater without it impacting the plastic at all. Beasley is pretty big--about 10" long and easily nearly 6" tall when up on her feet--so she needs it lifted up a lot anyway to be able to get under it. I can lift it up even farther if I need to do so.

Maybe this one comes with brackets--looks just like the one on the pic above. It didn't say that so I wasn't sure. I think that just setting it on the wood will work as long as there is a lip around the outer edge holding it in place.

[Daryn]

Got to say them coldframes are really nice and wouldnt look out of place in any garden.

Originally Posted by Pussygalore

[pawsplus]

Still working on this. So I need a heat source in the cold frame. What can I use that is OK outdoors? I'm assuming that this thing may not be 100% perfectly waterproof, and it's very humid here. What can I use that won't blow up if it gets a little bit wet?

[Daryn]

TBH if their is any chance of water getting to the electric points I wouldnt put any in at all.
The only way around it is to have another area inside the coldframe that is waterproof to house everything in, Im guessing it wont leave a great deal of room.

[Daryn]

Just a thought here. You could build a waterproof shelter / tortoise den on the end of the coldframe with an entry point into the coldframe and house your electrics in that, with the tube heater warming up and their being an opening into the coldframe this could help warm it up. I would have the sensor from the thermostat inside the coldframe. Other than that I would not advise you putting any electrics in something that is not waterproof.

To much of a fire risk. Also you should have a breaker just incase.

[pawsplus]

It worked out really well. Got 2 of these cold frames and created a warm area 3x6 feet in size within Beasley's large outdoor enclosure. Right now it's HOT here so the roof is propped up and I doubt she'll use it, but in the fall I'll add a light that will make it nice and warm there for the days when it's just a LITTLE too cool at 6 AM (when I leave) but fine by 10 AM.

Here are pix! There are 2 entrances--one in the end and one in one of the long sides.

[Daryn]

Thats worked out really really well, well done and thanks for sharing