hi everyone!! so i salvaged a large double glazed pane from one of the old caravans at work as it was getting scrapped. it looks ideal for a cold frame top, but then once i had it home i started to wonder if it could be used?? not sure if double/single glazed makes any difference??
Hi Luke, I would think that the double pane wouldn't hurt to use it, other than it's weight I think that any salvageable glass would work. The weight matters if you are using a wax cylinder solar opener, but that can also be gotten "around" by sizing it for the weight of the window rather than the size of the window. It might not warm up as hot or fast as single pane, but you also save that heat energy longer at nighttime as it releases it slower. Experiment... and see how well it works for you. if you didn't pay anything for it you aren't out anything more than your time, either. Good luck.
thanks carolyn. . i researched it a little more and a fair amount of peolple use double glazed . . . is the solar opener necessary? can't it just be done manually?
Double-glazed windows can definitely work - in fact I was thinking of using them in my house project. Good insulation and definitely saving on energy bills.
Hi Luke, the solar opener is not essential to the cold frame being functional. The opener assures you that you won't cook your plants if you are not home on a sunshiny day. It automatically opens and closes the frame. it's just handy.
I guess it depends on what materials you have available or what you want to work with. I would think wood would be the easiest to work with, though. If you have to move it, because are moving, might be a factor in your choice of material.
