A question from a fellow grower:
I am currently in the process of building a 1.2x1.2m grow box with a height of 1.6m (this is my limitations), I have heard numerous reports with regards to reflective materials and have scoured the Internet for advice. I was wondering if you had much experience with orca branded sheeting and if you think it is worth the extra cost when compared to Mylar?
I will be running a 600w HPS if this helps the situation.
After reading and watching you tube videos, it seems your size grow box just might benefit for this Orca sheeting.
It is more reflective, doesn’t need to go on flat, reusable, tough, washable…just expensive!
I wouldn’t consider it for a large area, but a smaller tent, if it is what you can afford.
I put up Mylar, it has to go on flat or it is useless.
Orca sheeting says it can go on wrinkled or like they put it “like a shower curtain” and still reflect more than Mylar.
Reflected light has diminishing returns…there will be a point where you might as well just get more lights for the sides.
There are cheap and expensive options for every choice you will make with every expensive one promising a little more…how deep are your pockets?
There is a “reflective paint” that has metal in it- with 98% reflectability never no type of "burn of plants cost $49.00 a gallon (has been tested ) results are real. Know people whom use it with great sucess (also easy to clean) But with your size of grow space any mylar will work,just the “thickness of” can make it hard to manage, use the second type of thickness
@pigsquishy is actually building a grow room with the Orca reflective material. I know he just got it in, so he’s the man to ask about it. I personally just use 5 mil Panda film and made a complete 5’x5’x6’ veg tent with it. I always forget what a meter is equal to in feet, so I’m not sure how big your grow area is, but I know panda film comes in rolls of 10’-100’ and is pretty inexpensive for so much material.
great job at “summing it all up” pigsquishy.
my experience with orca film is, very easy to use and as effective as it claims to be.
its thin, and light. so you dont need heavy duty fasteners or anything. easy to get in/around corners etc;
For a small box for an auto does material matter? Just not sure about panda orca or just white. Have a small box now and used an emergency blanket Box so small lights are pretty close didn’t knowing it mattered. Are their reflective boards instead of film? I was gonna buy a tent but then felt I’d wanna hide that too and garage cabinets are crazy expensive and free craigslist armoires are few and far between so might hollow out a dresser. For a regular strain how tall should it be. Seems five feet would be shortest considering light clearance. Some tents were like 3x3x3
You can literally just paint plywood in a white paint, or use any white material for the most part.
The emergency blanket isn’t going to help at all, it will actually cause heat spots, and will trap heat inside of it, which we don’t want because weed likes air flow and ventilation.
Just get creative, use your imagination. Hope this helps.
Cool. Wonder if a car sun visor thing would work
It definitely would. I’ve seen a grow box insulated with only the window reflectors for cars. And yes, this will work and reflect light, but it’s not really going to reflect any light that will be useful for your plant to use. White is actually the better reflecting surface color. But hey, use what you can while you need to. Then just upgrade as you go along. I always try to tell people that using your imagination and some creativity will get you very far! Not just with growing, but in life!
Guess I’m spending way too much time trying not to paint Poster board? Lol
Poster board sounds great haha
Good information - Concerning the “paint” “Monster Gardens” handled it - but they don’t any more. and have found really no other company that makes’ it - was refer-ed to the parent company that made it before -they recommended a "flat white
paint was $50.00 gallon - just out of curoisitity were did you find other’s whom made such paint. I can give a good review about product - it works very well -easy cleaning - keeps it “shine”
Wow. That’s crazy.
For that kind of money, the painter should come with your purchase? Mike
Those prices put the paint at the same level as the lights, even higher.
The reflected light would need to be brighter than the light, itself, in most cases to rationalize buying the stuff…you might as well invest in bulbs and fixtures for the sides.
Yep, reflected light would need to be brighter than the main light, I’d want it to keep bugs out of the grow area and I’d want it to kill all molds and fungi, safely! Even then, I’d only get the cheapest paint of the three.
A master gardener comes with it
you mean you don’t get a painter with that paint …mmmmm maybe have to have pigsquishy whip up a batch that’s cheaper … or just invest in a Mylar factory … H