Siting a cold frame

One would normally site a cold frame facing South I believe but in our zone 7 we can reach temps exceeding 90 degrees, so wouldn't have thought it wise to place the frame where it would receive that intense heat. Then on the other hand, surely I would only be using the frame during the cooler months and winter of course to either protect emerging cuttings or tender plants. Comments please?

louisa, while I'm not in your temperature range, we do get some warm days . Mine is in a corner made by the back wall of the huse and the east wall of the back room. It faces east, but gets the benefit of the early spring sun from the south. If you have a place near the the south end of an east wall, it would probably work very well, and be shaded when the temps rise in the late afternoon.

You could always open it as the temps rise-just like i have to open my windows in my greenhouse.
*A good stick to prop it open! ;]

South and East combination is good..

"eyes"

I remember reading quite some time back that the location (facing)of a cold frame is really not important UNLESS you are far north...as in Alaska. (Apparently that far north they recommended they face south, kinda makes sense to me.) They also went on to say that they don't really need a sloping roof except very slightly to allow rain to run off. (I know the ones I've made in the past with sloping roofs were frustrating because I kept losing available space as the plants grew taller...I could only use the back where the roof was higher.)
Hey "Weezy" (hehe, Louisa), what kind are you gonna build? Just curious becuz if you make the top light enuff you can buy these spring-loaded automatic openers that open and close according to the temp inside the cold frame.

Thanks guys!! Now I'm Weezy huh Shoe!! After three colds I guess you could call me that...lol!! I'm going to make the sides of the frame from builder's block painted white and I just thought I would put an old window frame on the top somehow!! I shall place good sand and soil at the base to a depth of about 6 inches. I can't really site it next to the house in the East/South area because the a/cs are in the way. Since an East facing position at the back of the house gets the morning sun up to about 1 o'clock I thought this might work (placed at the foot of an East facing wall I mean). What do you think?? I do have much open space at the back of the property surrounded by forest but then the winds would pose a problem from the South/West which is open land! But my question is also would I actually need the frame in the summer? Even given ventilation it would become a hot house indeed!!

You won't need it in the summer, louisa.

"eyes"

That's what I thought eyes!!