Preparing your Access Mini greenhouse or Cold Frame for stormy weather
Preparing your Access Mini greenhouse or Cold Frame for stormy weather
Our range of Mini greenhouses and Cold Frames are designed to withstand strong winds, storm force gales and gusty conditions even on Atlantic coasts. However, here are some tips specifically on preparing your Access Mini greenhouse or Cold Frame for stormy weather – if you have a non-Access greenhouse, we have another blog dealing with these.
Keeping the bolts tight
It is very important to make sure the bolts are really tight – the nuts and bolts are stainless steel, so are very strong and it is difficult to overtighten them. Modern models have an Allan key for tightening – older models will need to be tightened with a large, flat-bladed screwdriver. Replacement hex head bolts are available if you need to upgrade.
If the greenhouse or cold frame is newly assembled, check the bolts after a month and re-tighten if necessary. Once the bolts are fully tight, they should not work loose even in windy conditions so after that, an annual check should be all that is needed.
However, if the bolts are not tightened properly, they will work loose, and the frame will become like a wobbly jelly – potentially causing the glass to come out of the frame and the framework to be damaged.
If you are in an area of constant wind, then you can use Loctite Threadlocker to prevent loosening through vibration. This is especially useful if the frame has been powder coated as too much tightening force will damage the coating. You can either use Blue 242 which is removable or Red 271 which needs to be heated if you even want to undo the bolts.
Closing the glass
Access models are designed to have no lifting lids or hinged doors to get caught in the wind – the original designer of Cold Frames lived on the west coat of Scotland, so was very conscious of the damage that could be caused by the wind. With Access models, as long as the sliding panels have been completely closed, the wind will just flow over the top of the frame – keeping everything inside snug and safe.
Bolting down
Taller models should be bolted down into slabs or concrete, this helps in strong winds and also prevents the frame from falling over in the event of a child running into it. In very exposed locations, such as on the top of moorland or overlooking the sea, it may be prudent to bolt down lower models as well. For cold frames on the earth in a veg patch, then it is not normally necessary to fix these down as in high winds the frame will just settle into the soil slightly. However, if the frame is on a raised base, timber blocks should be used to prevent the possibility of the frame sliding off the raised bed if there are strong winds from one side. Access supplied raised beds have a slight recess to ensure the frame cannot move.
Bracing
Most models do not need to be braced, even in very exposed locations. For some of the taller Value models and Tomato houses, there are optional extreme weather braces available. For the 8ft long Cold Frame there is also a brace for very exposed coastal or moorland locations.
Glazing
Up until around the year 2000, all of the glass we supplied was 3mm horticultural glass, which is more susceptible to damage and is also more dangerous if broken.
Since then, our Classic models all have 4mm toughened safety glass fitted, and we have very few incidents of this being broken even in extreme ‘red’ weather warnings for wind. The 3mm glass in the Value models is toughened, but can be more easily damaged, especially by flying debris. We stock replacement panels of all of our glass, so in the event of breakage, we can quickly despatch replacement sheets. We also stock a 4mm toughened glass sheet in the standard 24” x 24” (610mm x 610mm) sheet size.
Preventing glass rattles
Some customers comment on the fact that the glass rattles in our Value models and Cold Frames – Classic models have a slightly different design which prevents the rattling. The rattling glass will not cause the glass to be damaged, even during stormy conditions. However, if the rattling glass annoys you, we recommend either fitting a draught excluder type self-adhesive brush tape to the inner top edge of the top glass channel or fitting glass wedges into the top channel when it is windy.
Conclusion
Preparing your Access Mini greenhouse or Cold Frame for stormy weather involves periodic maintenance of the greenhouse and ensuring that the sliding panels are closed. Also ensure that taller models are anchored down.