cold frame construction

[mamallama]

My lovely and wonderful dh has built me a fabulous cold frame from found/reclaimed wood. I need to do something to the wood to protect it from the elements...but what?

Dh suggested priming/painting the interior with an exterior grade housepaint (I want it to be white for light reflection,) and sealing the exterior with a decking product.

I'm not so sure about having our salad greens in such close contact with voc's. It just doesn't seem like a good idea.

Any thoughts?

[Chicky2]

I wouldn't treat it w/anything on the inside, if it were me. Outside, maybe, but outside, no.

[mamallama]

I was thinking I should make the interior white for light reflection.

I have a recipe for whitewash. Lime is pretty much ok in the soil, right? Other than potentially changing the pH a tiny bit?

I definitely need to do something to the sash. It's from a discarded interior window. If I don't treat it, it will warp quickly.

[janasmama]

you can treat it with linseed oil.

I don't know that the reflective heat would do all that much to go to the trouble of actually doing it. If anything I think it might cause more problems like burning when their is full sun on the box. I would consider caulking any cracks and seams before the whitewash. That will keep warm air in for a longer duration of time.

We just put up cold frames over the summer and this is our first year using them. I am so excited to have them and love it. There is tons of space in the me to grow with. We set ours on an angle toward the sun so that they received the sun a bit more evenly. Good luck!

[violetflapjack]

There is a copper-based chemical that can be applied to cold frames as weather proofing, which is relatively nontoxic. Copper is needed by our bodies as a trace mineral, so it's not bad at all... It's what i'm planning to use.