Thoughts on grow room plans, please?

[ShowMeTruth]

Hey all,

I'm planning on converting part of a shed we have to a grow room. It's insulated, and a long rectangle shape. 7x9 in usable space for plants with a 3 foot entry and water storage area. We'll be cloning and vegging in a separate area, so this will be a flower only room.

I was planning on using 4 400 watt HPS. Am I correct that 4 400 watt HPS should be alright for coverage in that 7' x9' footprint?

I am planning on covering the walls in Panda film for ease of cleaning and good reflectivity. Is there any reason not to do this? And it is linoleum floor, and I wasn't planning on covering the floor with Panda. Should I do so?

Also, we're in an illegal State and I was thinking that perhaps putting the bubble wrap mylar insualtion on the ceiling would reduce infra red signature. The ceiling is insulated with R 19, but would mylar help to reduce that IR sig or not?

On ventilation, I was planning on running 2 4 inch inline fans out at the ceiling at the highest point. There is a register in the floor that will draw in fresh air. That air will also be cold in the winter, so I may have to seal it off for the coldest periods. But will those 2 four inch fans be sufficient for exhaust? Both will run through carbon filters prior to leaving the building. I want 2 fans for redundancy. If one goes, at least the other will still be operating.

We are in the sticks, so neighbors wouldn't smell anything when harvesting or opening and closing doors.

Also, I was hoping to do 16 to 18 plants in this, all coir btw, generally shorter varieties because the ceiling on the low side is only about 6'6".

Any thoughts, criticism or suggestions are appreciated!

 

[nivek]

best karma sent friend,,

welcome to the world of grow rooms

be adaptive and creative,, my only thots

i built a similar situation to yours, kinda,, so i can point you to my first journal for some creative ideas

a link if you would like a view,, Nivek's Need to Know Nature - First Grow Journal - 2015

all the bull work is going to come from you, the reading and researching.

there is many tremendous growers in these forums, growing every different style imaginable

check out the grow journal forum for similar grows to your ideas and join some threads and ask q's all day long,, folks just itchin to help

cheers friend,

 

[ShowMeTruth]

Thanks! Good vibes are much appreciated!!

I've been looking and perhaps have reached the point where simply doing it will clarify. I just want to avoid foolish mistakes.

Cheers!

 

[bluter]

Hey all,

Also, we're in an illegal State and I was thinking that perhaps putting the bubble wrap mylar insualtion on the ceiling would reduce infra red signature. The ceiling is insulated with R 19, but would mylar help to reduce that IR sig or not?

actually the first thing to do is find out if FLIR detection is used in your area. in many places it has been dropped.

Reflectix ( tm name) and other bubble wrap mylar insulation, will block FLIR detection.

in order for it to be effective it has to be on all four walls as well as ceiling, or you end up with a blocked area surrounded by an intense halo screaming LOOK HERE !!!, CHECK OUT THIS MASSIVE GLOW, MUST BE SOMETHING INTERESTING HERE !!!

it works due to the fact it has mylar facing on both sides. single sheet mylar alone will not work as it has to face outward on both sides.

a number of grow tents will also block FLIR, but make certain to ask before purchase as a large number do not. most of the better brands do have this capability.

you can also line or build separate grow spaces ,within your shed with the wrap, to achieve a similar level of stealth, if you do not want to line the entire shed. again, it will only be effective if you line all four walls and ceiling of the grow spaces you build. you can skip the panda if using the wrap.


if FLIR is a serious concern tho, don't go anywhere near HPS, metal halide, or other HID lighting. go direct to LED, COB, or quantum board lighting for much much lower detection rates, and massive energy savings, while retaining similar or better yields. COB or quantum are your better choices, the best lights are self built. hands down.

hope this helps.

take care and be careful.

 

[ShowMeTruth]

Thanks, bluter!

I've been looking at COB actually. Currently I have a couple of Meizhi's, which are now half the price I paid for them, but there isn't enough white light in them. I just bought the first HPS to help out the LED's, but for the room, it looks like COB will be the best.

I'm wondering if those space blankets, two of them held back to back with spray adhesive would foil (ha) heat detection? It would be less expensive. I was planning on lining the room with Panda, but could put the mylar up and then cover with Panda.

So many choices. Kinda makes my brain spin. I do know that the creases in the space blankets cause hot spots, so I wouldn't cover the room in that and call it good.

 

[bluter]

the space blankets are not near as effective. do work for some small spaces tho. honestly go with the wrap. the randomness of the bubble eliminates hot spots, and it is effective.

i'd rather put something on a wall i have confidence in right now, over deciding what would spruce up the walls of a jail cell later.


have a quick look at my shower build space. just a quick scroll will give an idea of how the wrap is used.

 

[ShowMeTruth]

Copy that, bluter. Just wondering if it would work or not. I used the bubble mylar for my vegetable and aquaponics greenhouse. It can just get a little more expensive. Then I was reading how the Panda is actually better at reflecting than mylar...so, what do I know?? lol.

Jail and I wouldn't get along very well. Nope.

 

[bluter]

Copy that, bluter. Just wondering if it would work or not. I used the bubble mylar for my vegetable and aquaponics greenhouse. It can just get a little more expensive. Then I was reading how the Panda is actually better at reflecting than mylar...so, what do I know?? lol.

Jail and I wouldn't get along very well. Nope

panda is better at reflecting light over regular single sheet mylar. not IR.

panda does not block FLIR, and single sheet mylar is generally not enough to block FLIR completely.

single sheet mylar still shows up as a glow on FLIR, just not hot as having nothing in place.

unless you wrap single sheet mylar a few times it still remains detectable, and then the shapes in that reflection become a dead give away. by the time it is sufficient, you'd have spent well more than ponying up for the wrap.

this is not an issue if FLIR is not used in your area. smart meters and other sources are usually the first ways LEOs detect activity now. FLIR if used will usually be called in to confirm other suspicion.

everything is your choice. dollars for freedom.

 

[ShowMeTruth]

It would rock to grow off solar power. Just can't afford to do that right now. Might be good to start to get a battery bank together and just charge them with the gas generator...hmm.

At this point, I am going with COB for the lower electrical expense. I cannot find whether or not they are using FLIR in our area. So probably best to act as though they are, and be safe instead of sorry. We can pop for the bubble mylar.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge!!

 

[ShowMeTruth]

I really hope I'm not doing anything wrong here. But I found a very interesting grow on another forum that used vertical LED light strips. The dude pulled over 2 pounds off 9 plants in a 4x4. I'm thinking of possibly trying that.

Has anyone had any experience trying that kind of grow? A company is selling lighting kits, but it can be built fairly easily for a very small cost. And I can definitely cover small costs. Lol.

I searched the forum, but only found a few people supplementing with verticals, not growing with vertical lighting. Thoughts???

 

[Purpsmagurps]

hey, go with quantum boards!
they are really efficient. I built 4 200W quantum puck bars to go with my 350w blurple in my 6x9x8 room i built in my garage. the thing is they generate no heat. so if you are in a cold area I might go with one 400 hps and a few 3000k qb kits

check out my grow I just got over 2# using just 1kw
Purps' Perpetual: DIY 800W & 350W LED, 9x6, COCO/DTW & RDWC

 

[Purpsmagurps]

260W QB V2 LED Kit

two of those will save you big in the long run in power i would get a 600w dimmable hps and put it in the middle of those two but only if you are cold outside.., I didn't even need ac. 81 degrees 60%humidity in veg then 75 and 45% in flower easy with a dehumidifier(go with a 70 pint per day).

 

[Purpsmagurps]

here is something a little more flashy you can make these look really good in the rapidled heatsinks and rails. no fans needed. I could even help you out with a schematic and make it easy, I'm going to school for electrical engineering. ChilLED Logic 100w PCB - LED Grow Lights - Commercial Grower Max Yields | ChilLED Tech

 

[ShowMeTruth]

Purps, very nice grow!!! Thanks for the thoughts and really for the offer of help. Super kind! And I might very well take you up on it.

Here's a screen shot of the grow that made go "wah?!!" And consider building the vert LED grow...

This is right before harvest, so the leaves are yellow.

Pretty sure what he has there is 720 watts, but I could be off.

I should probably make one row as a prototype check before going all in...I think I could do that for about $150. Then if it's crap, I'm not out a ton, and if it's good, I'm good to go at not a gigantic cost to go.

But, then again, I want to be sure I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel here.

Arrgghhhhh. Choices and brain melting!