DIY grow tent help please

[phatgui46]

hello. so my wife and would like to start growing some bud ourselves. we have been watching all kinds of videos and such on growing.

we dont have alot of money for the best grow room items like a proper grow tent. so we would like to build something ourselves.

i have a bunch of this hotwater tank bubble wrap stuff just like shown in the picture. basically its bubblewrap with a tin foil like cover on it. so it is very reflective.

i have plans in my head on how i would like the grow tent to look. but im wondering if this stuff would be good to use. it highly reflective, and helps keep the heat inside.

what are your thoughts on this stuff. or can you suggest something else that is fairly inexpensive.

 

[Chris Scorpio]

White paint is better, foil doesn't work as well , but that would be fine if you have cold issues, everything helps

 

[phatgui46]

that was the other thing i forgot to mention. because it is now winter and i have snow on the ground. i want to make sure inside the grow area stays at a constant temp that this stuff would help with that as well.

 

[TorturedSoul]

In truth, it's not the best insulating material in the world, either. They also use that stuff as duct insulation in HVAC setups. If I remember correctly, it can provide an R value of up to 8.0 - but only when the installer bothers to create a ¾" "dead air" gap between it and the duct (and many installers don't, or else don't do it consistently/properly). But it's better than nothing, and will help a little in that regard.

It's light reflectivity is... not great. But, again, it's better than nothing. You will get some slight diffusion effect due to the way that stuff is typically constructed (glued to a sheet of bubble wrap instead of being a truly flat surface).

I've used it, myself, from time to time. I'm poor, too, and that stuff can be had for free by stopping at a construction site and asking if you can have the "tag end" that's left on the roll. Occasionally you'll be told that they save it for the next job, but they often don't bother and end up throwing it onto the pile of stuff that they have to pay to dispose of. And I'm kind of lazy, lol, and it's quicker/easier to staple it to the walls than to paint them.

But, like Chris already mentioned, paint is better (if it won't break the budget). So is mylar, if it's used properly (installed flat with no wrinkles or bubbles). That stuff isn't all that expensive; I just checked and found a 4'x100' roll of 2-mil mylar on Ebay for $24.59, with free shipping. If you do decide to go that route, though, use some care when installing it, because it's really thin (the entire roll only weighs 12 pounds), so it is relatively easy to tear.

 

[SmokeLake]

If you build it they will grow! Ive used and observed many setups i thought were good and or bad but you gotta start somewhere and improve. No one ever gets it perfect first time take pics and post em youll pick up all kinds of ideas from the opinions and impressions of others.
Goodluck Grow Hard!!

 

[phatgui46]

hey all. so i have moved my first plant from the box i currently had it in into a closet now. i know i need to still paint the walls white. but that is something that i will be doing in the near future. this is just so i can have the extra room now to help the plant start growing taller. so im curious as to what you guys think so far.

the strain im trying to grow is northern lights auto flower.

first pic is of cource the full grow area.
2nd pic is showing how far away i have the lights from my plant. the lights are currently 16 inches away from the plant.
3rd pic is a close up of the plant. because this plant is an auto flower. it looks like to me that it is trying to grow the buds already.
4th pic is a light that i have ordered and will be ariving within the next week or so.

i just moved it into the closet today dec 31st 2018. and before in my old grow area i was using just 1 light. now im using 2 as you can see. and the light has been on 24hrs a day.

what are all your opnions on my grow so far. take into mind this is my first ever attempt at growing a plant. lol.

 

[SmokeLake]

hey all. so i have moved my first plant from the box i currently had it in into a closet now. i know i need to still paint the walls white. but that is something that i will be doing in the near future. this is just so i can have the extra room now to help the plant start growing taller. so im curious as to what you guys think so far.

the strain im trying to grow is northern lights auto flower.

first pic is of cource the full grow area.
2nd pic is showing how far away i have the lights from my plant. the lights are currently 16 inches away from the plant.
3rd pic is a close up of the plant. because this plant is an auto flower. it looks like to me that it is trying to grow the buds already.
4th pic is a light that i have ordered and will be ariving within the next week or so.

i just moved it into the closet today dec 31st 2018. and before in my old grow area i was using just 1 light. now im using 2 as you can see. and the light has been on 24hrs a day.

what are all your opnions on my grow so far. take into mind this is my first ever attempt at growing a plant. lol.

Im no expert but your plant is definitely starting to flower. Ive recently found out i should have switched to bloom nutes earlier on and i think you should be at this point as well if you havnt already. Looks good keep pulling everything together by the time you get grow space painted and new light mounted i think you still have time to gain some bud weight! Keep us posted. Goodluck and Have a Happy New Year!!

 

[Odinstrange]

Personally never grown a auto yet still new to the grow game as well but what kinda lighting do you have if it's just the 2 CFL you are gonna want to buy at least 12-14 more just as you have them an hang them all around plants (they wont burn so dont worry about distance closer the better) or you can buy a somewhat cheap led from amazon

 

[phatgui46]

ya there each a 13w cfl floresent light at 900 lumens each. as showen in pic 4 i do have a led grow light. just waiting for it to get here in the mail. because i live in canada and the time i ordered it its just taking forever to get here because of a long postal strike packages are backed up about a month.

 

[Odinstrange]

What kinda led did you purchase

 

[SmokeLake]

ya there each a 13w cfl floresent light at 900 lumens each. as showen in pic 4 i do have a led grow light. just waiting for it to get here in the mail. because i live in canada and the time i ordered it its just taking forever to get here because of a long postal strike packages are backed up about a month.

Mail strike is silly and why they choose to do so during holidays just to get more attention makes me want to ship by other means whenever possible. You can move your 13w bulbs closer to your plant in the mean time tho and this may or may not make a diff in the long run but every bit counts.

 

[phatgui46]

the led light i have comming. here is the description.

Excelvan 14/45W LED Plant Grow Light. Suitable for all kinds of plant growth, flowering, results. LED plant growth lamp can replace 3-5 times the power of the traditional high pressure sodium lamp and other lamps, energy saving 80%. Passed CE, FCC, ROHS and PSE certification, safety, environmental protection, no pollution and harmful substances. Widely used in greenhouses, plant factory, greenhouse farming, flower farming, indoor gardens, water soluble breeding, pipeline cultivation, farm, potted plants, spray the plant, tissue culture and so on. Application The Excelvan LED grow light will emit light in the red and blue and white wavelengths correspond to chlorophyll's absorption peaks and will greatly enhance the photosynthesis of your plants. This LED plant light uses just 45 Watts of power and generates very little heat so unlike regular light bulbs, HID lamps or fluorescent tubes which means you can enjoy large savings on your power bill. With a 50,000 hours life span this LED grow panel comes with 4 strong wires and hook for easy, secure installation making it ideal for your greenhouse or living room. With this grow lamp you don't need to have green fingers so it’s easy to start your own warm house or plant farm today and earn big buck from fantastic flowers, vegetables and plants.

 

[phatgui46]

hey guys. so i got my grow light today in the mail. yaaaaaa.

i have now hooked it up. but im wondering what is a good distance away from the plant is for it to get the best light?

here is a picture of the light. and the post above is the description on the light. it is actually bigger then what i was thinking it was going to be. which is nice. but i just want to make sure im not putting it to close or to far away from my plants for them to get the most light from it.

 

[phatgui46]

so here is the light hooked up in my closet. i measured and it is 3 feet 3 inches above the plant. which im sure is way to far away. and as you can see i still need to paint the wall in my closet.

im wondering what kind of white paint would be best to use? or should i just get some kind of milar film to cover the walls instead?

 

[Virgin Ground]

Flat white paint is best. How many true watts does it pull from the wall? 14/45. I'm guessing the 14 is the true wattage. My guess is to run them very close. I'll try to look up your light. I run a 24 watt within 2" of my mother plant.

 

[Virgin Ground]

Did your light come with a manual?

 

[SmokeLake]

Im sure you can start running it within a foot of your plants and move it up or down based on temp and how plants react better to start a bit high and work down but 3 feet away your not getting the benefit of light intensity that you could. Looks good tho im sure your plants will enjoy it!!

 

[TorturedSoul]

so here is the light hooked up in my closet. i measured and it is 3 feet 3 inches above the plant. which im sure is way to far away.

It just occurred to me... If you have any cannabis seeds that you aren't planning to grow out, you could germinate one and place it at the level of your current plants' containers. If the resulting seedling falls over, lol, then your light is too far away (and, I would guess, that the word significantly would belong in that sentence). Not exactly a scientific experiment, and established plants obviously require more light-energy than new seedlings do - but if there's not enough food in the house to keep a baby alive, how well-fed would you expect its parents to be?

and as you can see i still need to paint the wall in my closet.

im wondering what kind of white paint would be best to use?

Ceiling paint is cheap. It's white, it's bright, it's flat so it reflects light without glaring harshness. But it's also not washable, and not extremely durable (resistance to wearing from people rubbing up against it and such not exactly being a requirement for good ceiling paint ).

I like Behr's Marquis brand of paint. It's good stuff - and to put that statement in perspective, I derive a fair amount of my yearly income from painting, lol. It's not real cheap, because it's Behr's premium line. But it's cheaper than Sherwin Williams' premium offering. It's also better in every way imaginable, lol, and when I use Behr's top shelf paint, I and my drop cloths don't end up wearing the stuff home. Behr's Premium Plus paint is also really good paint, and it slots in at a lower price point than their Marquis stuff.

If you want something that can be washed/scrubbed, go for their eggshell finish. The sheen is soft and subtle - and you can clean walls that are painted with it, which seems like a useful feature in a grow room, lol. For most people in the real world, that little bit of reduction from "the perfect" is well worth it. Save the satin and semi-gloss for painting trim and doors in your house and the gloss for... IDK, highway signs? Heh.

You'll notice that paints such as Behr Premium Plus and others state that they are a "paint and primer in one" product. <SHRUGS> That's all well and good if you're repainting a ceiling (that has no water or smoke damage) or walls that are of a similar color as what you are applying. Primer is CHEAP - buy it and use it.

Follow the directions on the cans in regards to time to wait between primer coat and paint, and between first and final coat of paint. You can spot-prime any bare/patched spots before putting a general coat of primer on things. And if your walls are not especially smooth, you can always throw on a skim coat of drywall mud. That's up to you... Using the stuff properly is about as difficult as managing to hit the ground after you've already fallen off a ladder, lol, but... Well, after having painted off and on for 30 years or so, I'm surprised the sky isn't full of people who haven't figured out how to hit the ground yet . The goal here is to make the walls smoother - not leave 100 lines in it from your broad knife and/or a "border" around any patches.

It's not exactly rocket science. Go ask the person behind the counter in the paint section of Home Depot. They ought to be able to fix you up with everything you'll need to do a good job.

 

[HydroponicFireman]

Go to a grow store and ask for a mylar roll. They are a few hundred square feet for $30. Line the walls with it.