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Ive already spent over 1200 dollars on my first grow room. PLEASE HELP!!!
- Thread starter noobs1988
- Start date
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Lee Van Kief
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DJXXPLATINUM
WELCOME NOOB...YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE....THESE PEOPLE HERE ARE SO FULL OF KNOWLEDGE..DJ
Thanks for the in put, I decided to jump on here one last time before I went o go buy some 2x4s and some screws. I understand what your telling me about everything and I never thought about the high humidity from veg to flower. Idk .But for now im going to at east get my veg room built and going. then we can tweak out the flowering room.
Hi Noobs. Just read your setup idea, and a couple things come to mind.
Air cooling 1400w is gonna take more than 170cfm 4" fan! I'd suggest a minimum 6", and as said before, use a speed controller to adjust temps/noise to suit your needs.
Window a/c works great, but beware of light leaks. The internals of most window shakers are styrofoam, and will let the glow of your lights out through the vents on the side.
Kind of a dead give away, when your mysterious window unit glows like a street light...
Lights on during the day should cover that, but something to consider. Check it out in the dark!
$1200..... That was 4 years, and probable $8,000 ago for me, and I'm small time, if there ever was such a thing! My wife and I were laughing about that the other day.
That said, I wouldn't trade it for anything!
Best wishes!
Air cooling 1400w is gonna take more than 170cfm 4" fan! I'd suggest a minimum 6", and as said before, use a speed controller to adjust temps/noise to suit your needs.
Window a/c works great, but beware of light leaks. The internals of most window shakers are styrofoam, and will let the glow of your lights out through the vents on the side.
Kind of a dead give away, when your mysterious window unit glows like a street light...
Lights on during the day should cover that, but something to consider. Check it out in the dark!
$1200..... That was 4 years, and probable $8,000 ago for me, and I'm small time, if there ever was such a thing! My wife and I were laughing about that the other day.
That said, I wouldn't trade it for anything!
Best wishes!
thanks man. I used that metal tape to tape the A/c to my window. That metal tape works wonders. thanks for the input also about the lights leaks. Never thought about that. Yeah 4 inches don't seem big enough for 1200 watts but its all I have and im sure my a/c can handle any heat that isn't sucked out by the fan. At least for now till I get some money. Im going to be taking picture today. I figured for my first grow I would just have one room and then go ahead and make it two after I get a little bit of cash flow. But I will be updating this so keep up the suggestions. thanks.
I hate to say it, but I don't think that 4" fan will be able to cool both those lights. Usually you want around .2-.3 CFM/per watt of HID lighting. I don't think you can get that kind of airflow from a 4" fan. A 6" would probably be a better option. As far as the placement of the inline fan. The most efficient place would be after the last reflector, but if you're concerned about odor, it's better to put the fan blowing through all the reflectors. Before the first one. If you're pulling the air out of your reflectors and there are any air leaks you'll be exhausting untreated air outside. If on the other hand, you blow through them, and there are leaks. You'll only be leaking outside air into your room. Rather than exhausting odor into the outside environment. The whole push/pull thing with inline fans, really isn't that big of a deal. It's not a monumental amount of efficiency you gain, by pulling with an inline fan. Sometimes you just have to put the fans where you can fit them and say, fuck it. That's as good as I'm going to get it. And call it a day. Drop the cash on some proper sized fans. You'll be glad you did. Or, if you really need convincing you can set up those 2 lights with a 4" fan in any configuration you want. Your room temps will skyrocket no matter how you set it up. It's just plain physics. It is impossible to cool what you've got. Sorry to say it, but you willbe spending more money in order to make what you've got work.Think of it this way. You've only spent $1500. That isn't really that much in a grow room. I've probably put 10X that in mine. $15K easily. I'm not talking a multiple lamp setup. But for a personal grow, it's pretty bad ass. This can be a really expensive hobby/occupation if you want to do it proper. You can spend $1500, and cut a lot of corners, and you'll save money. You might come out with the occasional good harvest. But, I learned pretty quick that saving a few bucks buying cheap shit, never really pays off. Buying quality equipment, with a factory warranty, in my opinion, can be way cheaper than having to replace junk all the time. Now, I only buy quality equipment and quality genetics. I've got no excuses now. I can't blame it on the gear if I screw up. I only ever have to focus on my plants now. No worrying about the equipment. I just focus on the growing. I just don't worry about shit breaking. I guess what I'm trying to say is. I'm sure $1500 might seem like a lot. It is, but $150,000 is a lot too. And I'm sure there are people on here, that have easily spent that much. In comparison, I know people who easily spend 3-4X more a month just on electricity. A $5,000 electric bill for a month. I hear you talking about co2. Just a tip, get everything else locked down tight. You won't get the huge increases you're looking for unless all your other environmental variables are all pretty much optimal. It's a bit of a waste of money using co2 if your room isn't perfect. Personally, I don't really think it's possible to do this hobby in an enjoyable way on the cheap. It seems it's kind of like golf in a way.
Yujin, I like the way you think. Only 1,500 hundred. lol. You have a lo of good points. Its just I really don't have much extra money to make big item purchases. To help make this grow room a little better I decided to just go with one room to flower and veg right now til I have more money to do both rooms the right way.
For my lights, in the flowering stage ill only have my 400w MH and ill use my 8 in to cool it. When I flower ill ADD my 1000w HPS. Thanks for the info about my fan placement too. Ill probably plan for leaks.
With my 4 in fan ill just attach it to my scrubber and recirculate the air.
Heres pics of the room im working with and heres the progress as of 15 min ago. quick joint break., About the throw up some dry wall. As you can see I build two rooms although I will only be using the room on the left for now. When I get enough money ill just the room on the right for my veg.
For my lights, in the flowering stage ill only have my 400w MH and ill use my 8 in to cool it. When I flower ill ADD my 1000w HPS. Thanks for the info about my fan placement too. Ill probably plan for leaks.
With my 4 in fan ill just attach it to my scrubber and recirculate the air.
Heres pics of the room im working with and heres the progress as of 15 min ago. quick joint break., About the throw up some dry wall. As you can see I build two rooms although I will only be using the room on the left for now. When I get enough money ill just the room on the right for my veg.
Attachments
Sorry about the jacked up pic but I had to do a panoramic view pic to get all of it. but the room on the left is about 5ft by 4ft 9ft tall. I bought insulation im going to install in the attic right about my grow room. Im also going to install it in the new wall im building now. on the inside of the wall I will put plastic I already bought and then mylar where needed. I will eventually put Styrofoam insulation of the other 3 walls. It cost about 10 bucks for an 8 by4ft sheet.
I started with that much bread....
Then I easily spent 90k on upgrades, bills and a new place over the next 3 years.
Get used to watching it go as fast as it comes until you're where you want to be, then you'll still have overhead which depends on your situation but is easily over 1k a month in perpetuity.
It is possible, you gotta be good at a handful of skilled trades, grind hard, and be persistent in the face of the challenges you'll surely face, but it can be done....
Good luck.
Then I easily spent 90k on upgrades, bills and a new place over the next 3 years.
Get used to watching it go as fast as it comes until you're where you want to be, then you'll still have overhead which depends on your situation but is easily over 1k a month in perpetuity.
It is possible, you gotta be good at a handful of skilled trades, grind hard, and be persistent in the face of the challenges you'll surely face, but it can be done....
Good luck.
thanks man, yeah I figure after my first harvest, which wont be as good as it could be, I could make some upgrades. I already have my eye on lots of goodies. 
but im just doing what I can.
I did find a 50lb old tank I was wanting to use for CO2. Do I have to get it tested somewhere before I can get it filled or how does that work? It probably hasn't been used in sometime.
but im just doing what I can. I did find a 50lb old tank I was wanting to use for CO2. Do I have to get it tested somewhere before I can get it filled or how does that work? It probably hasn't been used in sometime.
sorry for lack of updates but here what ive got done so far. should be done by this weekend.
this first picture is actually two pictures cropped together of the frame. Did it with my friends Iphone.
Heres after I drywalled it. I need to tape and float it again before its ready for texture.
The opening in the dry wall is where im really thinking about building a bookshelf door that opens open, or might just slide it somehow. In the makings. But I decided for my first grow I will only use my flowering room for blow stages of growth. Then when I harvest ill use my veg room too. But for now I just covered up the frame where the door would have went. So theres actually two rooms behind that dry wall but I just sealed off the veg room. Itll be fun when I get to punch a hole in it in about 4 months though.
Heres the light ill use for veg which will be a 400w MH. I got a 1000 watt hps ill ADD when its flowering time for a total of 1400w.
Ill also do the electrical next week and have a total of 3 circuits in the grow closet. 2 of which will be just for the grow room.
Tomorrow I should have everything tapped and floated. Then ill clean everything and put my insulation on the inside and seal off the whole room with plastic. I will then add mylar to the side walls. I will also insulate the attic. Im really thinking about moving my a/c out of the window also and venting it threw a carbon filter and add the attic so it don't leak smells. But IDK.
Well that's about all for now.
this first picture is actually two pictures cropped together of the frame. Did it with my friends Iphone.
Heres after I drywalled it. I need to tape and float it again before its ready for texture.
The opening in the dry wall is where im really thinking about building a bookshelf door that opens open, or might just slide it somehow. In the makings. But I decided for my first grow I will only use my flowering room for blow stages of growth. Then when I harvest ill use my veg room too. But for now I just covered up the frame where the door would have went. So theres actually two rooms behind that dry wall but I just sealed off the veg room. Itll be fun when I get to punch a hole in it in about 4 months though.
Heres the light ill use for veg which will be a 400w MH. I got a 1000 watt hps ill ADD when its flowering time for a total of 1400w.
Ill also do the electrical next week and have a total of 3 circuits in the grow closet. 2 of which will be just for the grow room.
Tomorrow I should have everything tapped and floated. Then ill clean everything and put my insulation on the inside and seal off the whole room with plastic. I will then add mylar to the side walls. I will also insulate the attic. Im really thinking about moving my a/c out of the window also and venting it threw a carbon filter and add the attic so it don't leak smells. But IDK.
Well that's about all for now.
Coming along nicely, noobs.
You mentioned mylar for the walls. Opinions vary, but I am a big fan of flat white paint, instead. I jacked around with mylar for my first couple grows, and have never gone back to it. It's no fun to put up, it gets dirty, it tears, it flops, and it degrades quickly, if you try to clean it.
Flat white, with the highest % of titanium dioxide you can find, IMO...
Have fun!
You mentioned mylar for the walls. Opinions vary, but I am a big fan of flat white paint, instead. I jacked around with mylar for my first couple grows, and have never gone back to it. It's no fun to put up, it gets dirty, it tears, it flops, and it degrades quickly, if you try to clean it.
Flat white, with the highest % of titanium dioxide you can find, IMO...
Have fun!
Good progress noobs...I'm with ydijadoit, FUCK mylar. i would also go with flat white paint, cheaper and much easier to maintain. All it take is to paint it again to keep at its reflective best when the time comes that you feel it too dirty. Honestly the paint stands up for quite sometime to the rigors of a growroom...much better than mylar.
Benjamin Check
Member
I'd suggest panda film over mylar or paint. Paint will offgas for weeks. Panda film is sturdy, easy to clean, air/water/light proof, and pretty easy to put up with a staple/nail gun. Put a 1.5 inch square of cardboard between the staple and the film so it won't tear. Stocking a grow room isn't cheap, IMO it's best to set out a goal, and buy as you need. You aren't flowering yet, so the 1000W is going to sit in a box for weeks. That $350 could be spent on more urgent items, such as the $150 you need at the hardware store. You bought backward, the big Home Depot/Lowe's trip is the first thing. All the things you will need to put all that stuff together. Ducts, nails, screws, drywall, foam insulation, wire, hooks, chains, staple gun etc. If you get paid regularly, you can always buy as you need unless you find a steal.
That's for the advice guys. I know what you mean about the flat white paint and I probably will go that route once my mylar givies out but hell ive alreadt bought it, so I should just use it.
Benjamin, where do they sell Panda film? Wal-Mart? lowes? I do have all the small things. I wanted to buy everything I was goiong to need at once. As soon as this tape and float job dries and I sand it, im going to clean out that room and install my equipment. So I should be done by this weekend. Looking forward to starting my first grow.
Benjamin, where do they sell Panda film? Wal-Mart? lowes? I do have all the small things. I wanted to buy everything I was goiong to need at once. As soon as this tape and float job dries and I sand it, im going to clean out that room and install my equipment. So I should be done by this weekend. Looking forward to starting my first grow.
I've only seen panda at the grow shops. I've rarely seen any white poly at any other store, let alone a thick, light proof black/white. Save up and buy the whole sheet, about $60-75 for 10x100 feet.
