Converting my basement closest into a grow room

[TwelveCoffee]

Looking at turning our basement closet into a grow room. I’m honestly not sure what size it is but I guess the main question is to tent or not to tent?

Tentative Plan

I’m going low budget was going to either hang the plants or put them in fabric 5 gal baskets then installing a 2x4 or something similar to mount lights and for air probably cutting a hole for the duct and allowing it to exhaust out the window.

Potential issues

The first issue I’m provably going to run into is that the closest has no door or roof so when it comes time to have dark cycles I will probably need to hang a sheet or something along those lines.

Secondly, we have a leaky basement and it’s a rental. Pretty sure the hole is behind the heater and out of my expertise and level of comfort. With this being said I have informed the land lords multiple times and they aren’t doing shit.

Thirdly, keeping the plants warm/cold when it comes to it. Is there anything I can do that won’t cost a fortune in hydro to keep the girls happy?

Last issue, my toddler he doesn’t go into the basement but I imagine as he gets older he will want to see what’s in the room.

So that’s the plan not sure how far it will go again concerned about the leak but the water wouldn’t reach the plants regardless.

 

[TorturedSoul]

Rental? Be prepared to make your cannabis garden vanish at any time, on short notice. Now this depends somewhat on the local legality of your activities. It'll also depend on your landlord, and what the local rules are like in regards to growing cannabis inside rental housing.

Always best to enclose your indoor garden. You are aware about the need to provide periods of uninterrupted darkness (at least with photoperiodic strains). However, there is also the issue of light getting out of your garden space. Any light that escapes will be doing your plants zero good - but you still have to pay for the electricity each month. It'll also be a beacon to anyone who sees it (which may or may not be an issue, depending on your circumstances). It also makes it possible to set up an exhaust fan / carbon filter, in order to stop the odor of cannabis from permeating your residence (and, possibly, your neighborhood, lol). Even if it's entirely legal to grow your own cannabis, indoors, in someone else's house... Do you want your wardrobe to smell of it? Do you want your neighbors to occasionally(?) catch a whiff of your plants? Plan to have a babysitter over, now and then? Or friends/family who either do not approve or simply cannot keep their mouth shut? People talk - and some of those people are thieves.

If you run an exhaust out of your home, you'll have to bring an equal quantity of air back in. That does not necessarily mean that you will have to construct/install a passive intake. It really depends on how well sealed your house is in general. If you merely move the air to a different part of your house, then you'll be able to draw air from an internal location. Either way... Carbon filter.

Is the air quality down there good enough that you'd be comfortable sending some of it to your main living space? (While I'm thinking about it, consider testing for radon gas. You'll probably be down there "from time to time.") And, also, is the environment in your basement such that it would not be unhealthy for you to spend an entire week (day and night) in it? If so, you'll probably be able to grow cannabis, although you may need to address some issues. If not, well, expect problems.

You mentioned a water leak. What's the environment like, in terms of humidity and dampness? Mold/mildew? BtW, a below-grade water ingress (leak) is not really something that you can slap a band-aid on and expect it to do much good. Sure, you (or someone) could patch/repair a hole. But water tends to find a way - or create one. When I was a little boy, my parents' house was on a slight slope. Dad dug all the way down to the foundation, on both sides and the front of the house (which was a considerable amount of shoveling). He repaired the cracks in the mortar joints. He "painted" the walls with something; I think it might have been some kind of hot tar. He installed perforated drain pipe, rock/gravel, and backfilled the ditches. That kept their basement dry for more than 40 years. If water is coming up through the floor due to the local water table, or after rain events, a sump pump/pit might need to be installed. Which can be a little bit more complicated than doing the same thing for water that is leaking down from above after rains. In the latter case, you're basically just building a basin that the water will drain into, then pumping it back out.

If your water leak is causing your home's environment to be unhealthy, your landlord might be required by law to deal with it. But it'd have to be more than merely a damp basement, I think (unless it's written into your lease agreement that you're guaranteed a dry one, I suppose). In other words, if it is making you or a family member ill, or if black mold is present. Otherwise, you might end up having to live with it, or to somehow deal with it on your own. If you are left to handle the issue, and can (learn how to) properly make the repairs yourself, or pay a qualified professional to do so, it is possible that your landlord will compensate you by reducing the rent for a period of time. After all, he or she will presumably one day be renting the property to someone else, and repairs/improvements you do to the place will probably allow for a higher rent. <SHRUGS> Or maybe not.

Insects? Many insects won't affect your garden - but some will. And mice will eat your plants, of course (so, hopefully, you do not have any in residence).

What is the temperature range down there? And what's the temperature of the floor slab? Is it bare concrete, or a floor(ing material) that sits directly on the bare concrete? If so, it'll likely be colder than is good for your plants. If so, even if your lighting/etc. heats your garden space up to a comfortable degree (heh) for your plants, if they're sitting on the floor, their root zones might still be too cool. Some rigid insulation panels could be beneficial.

Assume that your child will end up knowing far more about your activities (including your gardening ones) than you'd want - and much sooner than you expect. It'll turn out... to not be an assumption . Some honesty will help - so, too, will the establishment of proper parent/child activity boundaries. Oh, and don't end up raising an asshole, lol, and you won't have to worry about being blackmailed by your kid.

 

[SmokingWings]

Looking at turning our basement closet into a grow room. I’m honestly not sure what size it is but I guess the main question is to tent or not to tent?

Welcome aboard.

The group will be able to help with answers to many questions or at least give another way of looking at a problem. Sounds like you have been giving some serious thought to what your current growing situation is so you have a good head start. And, everything that @TorturedSoul mentions is part of what you have to include.

There are a couple of other things or questions you have to think about. Maybe the answer will be enough to stop all all your plans dead.

Since you are renting you should have a good idea about whether the landlord will be OK with all this if he or she finds out. Do they care? Even if it is legal where you live the landlord is the one who owns the house and is in control. Read through the many posts on this group and we find a couple of threads a year from growers in similar situations who suddenly have to move their entire grow out of the house because the landlord is coming over for an inspection, the landlord is selling the house, the landlord is finally going to send someone over to fix the hole in the wall or the landlord believes that Marijuana is the sign of the devil.

Plus, are you planning on moving? You should figure that the project you have in mind is about 16 weeks long. People will say that it can be pulled off in 12 weeks but that usually works for those who have already done a successful grow or two. Just figure 16 weeks, or more, from now to the first harvest which gives you time to do a bit more thinking your way around potential problems.

Since this room is in the basement and has no door is it a storage closest or is it a maintenance closest where the water meter or water pump is located? Is this heater you mentioned for water or is it a furnace. Anything you do in the room cannot block easy access to anything like those or anything else that might need repair. Is there anything in the room that cannot be moved.

Looking at turning our basement closet into a grow room. I’m honestly not sure what size it is but I guess the main question is to tent or not to tent?

While you are thinking about all these points or issues mentioned you should measure the room. I cannot imagine how to think about the layout or plans for a tent without measuring. How wide on each side and measure from the basement floor to the joists holding up the upstairs floor. No point in buying a 68 inch tall tent if it is only 64 inches from floor to ceiling. If there is a ceiling light for the room then include that in your plans as to whether the tent will fit. While you are looking at the ceiling light look at where any electrical outlets are.

Speaking of those electrical outlets, are they in this room or are you considering using extension cords? The fewer cords the better.You will need power for lights, at least one fan to move air around, a fan for the filter and maybe an electrical outlet for a heater on extremely cold winter nights. You might need electrical power for water pumps depending on your hydro set-up.

Since you mentioned hydro that means an easy to get to source of clean water. And an easy to get to floor drain or laundry sink or similar. It does not matter if you have a tent or not, you have to plan ahead for water.

Sometimes planning out the successful grow space is part of the fun.

 

[TwelveCoffee]

The group will be able to help with answers to many questions or at least give another way of looking at a problem. Sounds like you have been giving some serious thought to what your current growing situation is so you have a good head start. And, everything that @TorturedSoul mentions is part of what you have to include.

There are a couple of other things or questions you have to think about. Maybe the answer will be enough to stop all all your plans dead.

Since you are renting you should have a good idea about whether the landlord will be OK with all this if he or she finds out. Do they care? Even if it is legal where you live the landlord is the one who owns the house and is in control. Read through the many posts on this group and we find a couple of threads a year from growers in similar situations who suddenly have to move their entire grow out of the house because the landlord is coming over for an inspection, the landlord is selling the house, the landlord is finally going to send someone over to fix the hole in the wall or the landlord believes that Marijuana is the sign of the devil.

Plus, are you planning on moving? You should figure that the project you have in mind is about 16 weeks long. People will say that it can be pulled off in 12 weeks but that usually works for those who have already done a successful grow or two. Just figure 16 weeks, or more, from now to the first harvest which gives you time to do a bit more thinking your way around potential problems.

Since this room is in the basement and has no door is it a storage closest or is it a maintenance closest where the water meter or water pump is located? Is this heater you mentioned for water or is it a furnace. Anything you do in the room cannot block easy access to anything like those or anything else that might need repair. Is there anything in the room that cannot be moved.


While you are thinking about all these points or issues mentioned you should measure the room. I cannot imagine how to think about the layout or plans for a tent without measuring. How wide on each side and measure from the basement floor to the joists holding up the upstairs floor. No point in buying a 68 inch tall tent if it is only 64 inches from floor to ceiling. If there is a ceiling light for the room then include that in your plans as to whether the tent will fit. While you are looking at the ceiling light look at where any electrical outlets are.

Speaking of those electrical outlets, are they in this room or are you considering using extension cords? The fewer cords the better.You will need power for lights, at least one fan to move air around, a fan for the filter and maybe an electrical outlet for a heater on extremely cold winter nights. You might need electrical power for water pumps depending on your hydro set-up.

Since you mentioned hydro that means an easy to get to source of clean water. And an easy to get to floor drain or laundry sink or similar. It does not matter if you have a tent or not, you have to plan ahead for water.

Sometimes planning out the successful grow space is part of the fun.

Hi there thank your for such a detailed response! The landlord from my understanding doesn’t even want people smoking outside of the unit but no word on growing.

When it comes to the basement it was a large unfinished basement that my fiancée and her dad converted to a little apartment for us about 4 years ago. The water meter is in the other room but the leak would be over the baseboard furnace heater (I think that’s what it’s called?) it’s also just a concrete slap no tile etc

In terms of planning the grow space I am still working on that aspect but generally I was just going to go without a tent and work from there. All outlets needed are either beside the grow space or reachable with extension cords. We do have the laundry basin as well.

I was planning on filling up some cheap 6 gal barrows from Home Depot to regulate the ph before watering the plants maybe an auto watering system not sure.

I hope this helps explain it a bit better if I get some time tonight I plan on measuring and maybe taking a few photos to show my idea.

Edit - had two quotes for some reason?