mirrors vs. mylar

[mid-east-stone]

hey ya all!
i am just now doing some construction work in my grow box.
just thought to my self , as i passed near a miror one of my neighbors tossed away: why don't i use it as a liner for my closet?

pros: will not fade. almost 100% reflection. always flat. will not burn.
cons: heavy. hard to cut around hols- basicly imposible. fragile.

i will post the photos as soon as i am done with the 3rd side...

what do ya think?

m.

 

[Sammet]

material: reflection ability:
Mylar...................................90 – 98 %
Foylon..................................92 - 95 %
Black/white plastic..................85 - 90 %
White paint............................60 - 90 %
normal mirror...........................82 - 87 %
shining white paint....................70 - 80 %
Aluminium-foil (non shining side)...50 - 70 %
black paint................................< 10 %

I saw this in another thread. The lower than 100% reflection is probably due to light lost in the glass from total internal reflection/diffusion.

Best keep things simple, go with Mylar.

 

[mid-east-stone]

damm....

damm....

well.. i will have to go with what i have...
i am very surprised that mylar can be 98% reflective.
it is qwite good ratio...
hmmm...
back to the drawing board...
m.

 

[jekyllandhyde]

you can get mylar from a security blanket from any camping store...they are called safety blankets or something like that and they are like 2 bucks

 

[mid-east-stone]

i had emergancy blankets before...

i had emergancy blankets before...

thought mirrors will be batter...
well i was wrong then..
no worries..
: )

 

[jekyllandhyde]

yes the reason a mirror is not as good is light is trapped in the glass traveling through the glass to hit the reflective coating and back through the glass again

 

[floppyfundanglr]

im curious about white paint in comparison to mylar. I know that it says that mylar is better but taking some knowlege from my astronomy teacher who is also a physicist claims white reflects light the best, only its diffused. Not trying to start a fight just an intelligent conversation. It may be wrong but this came up in conversation about telescope mirrors.

peace

 

[Sammet]

Maybe the diffused light from the white paint results in a loss of lumens? Mylar is definately the best stuff to use.

 

[jekyllandhyde]

Indoor Marijuana Horticulture (2003):

Reflection

Foylon 94 -95%
Reflective Mylar 90 - 95%
Flat white paint 85 - 93%

Artists or titanium white is more expensive, but more reflective than
the flat white paint.

 

[sophisto]

You can use wallpaper paste to attach the mylar to boards or walls..whichever suits you....I found that this allows the mylar to be like a mirror.and it doesnt make any annoying noises...no wrinkles...super reflective....Try to remove any excess glue from the surface and underneath..( Follow normal steps to apply wallpaper) ...Allow 24 hours to dry, wipe surface again with a gentle cleaner and voila.......

 

[Srgt.Stadenko]

I hate to tell you both they both are crap!!!!! Mirrors eat light up...and mylar can generate hot spots or cool spots.. They both appear to be reflecting light but in actuality they are eating the light you think they are reflecting. Not to mention with some of the new paints will help hide your grow if a infra red helicopter scan is done.,

Nothing better then flat white paint

 

[Wait...What?]

Mylar doesn't just reflect light, but total energy. Wood painted white will soak up some heat, while mylar will reflect it back into the grow area.

 

[Guest]

anything metallic eats light ... white plastic is better than mylar (mylar, like tinfoil, can burn pin point holes in ur plants (which isn't dat bigger deal bt doesn't help) ... White plastic (da stuff dat white on the front and black on da back) is good coz its almost completely light reflective and the black side of it helps prevent mold/fungus growth (or so i told lol) ... second best to white would b mylar tho.

I got this from a book I hav:

Many people get mirrors or tin foil and line their grow area
with it. This is NOT good. MIRRORS ABSORB LIGHT. This
means that only a small amount of your light is reflected back towards
your plant. What you need is something white. White is the best color
for reflecting light, period. Not shiny glossy white, just plain ‘flat’
white. A white wall will reflect more light than a mirror will. Many
growers like to paint the walls of their grow ‘flat’ white. This helps a
lot. Other people like to line their grow area with the back end of tin
foil wrapping (the white side). This is okay, but make sure that you use
the white side and not the shiny side.
A substance which looks like a tin foil sheet, called Mylar, is very popular in cannabis grow rooms. Instead of using white walls you can use this reflective alternative. Most DIY and hardware stores will sell it in roles.

 

[VitalRemains]

White, eh? What about just lining a grow-box with plain white paper then?

 

[DIGITALHIPPY]

get some spray adhesive and a 'mini-roller' (painting) it should be all foam and spray adhesive on the inside of the cab then (after pre-cutting to size) apply a mylar piece and roll it onto the adhesive... once it rolls flat it will be mirror-like and wont have the drawbacks of glass. like cutting holes. 3M 'Super 66' or 88 are the best IMO...6-12$ a can. lasts alongtime.
i saw this done severaltimes back on weedfarmer. shame the pics are unavailable.

 

[Guest]

plain white paper would work better than a mirrow or tin foil mate, I use panda plastic (white on front, black on back) bt like the book says, something WHITE! ... if u like reading and science at all, look up something on reflection of light and see how any colour at all reflected by a material will b absorbing light (coz light MUST b absorbed in order to reflect a colour or image, black jst absobs everything coz black is every colour in the colour spectrum combined into one) ... In ur first year of any sort of schooling u prolly learnt how White reflects light and black absorbs white ... i no i learnt it pretty young... I highly recommend reading 'The Cannabis Grow Bible' - altho it does hav its flaws.

 

[pugnacious]

I've also heard that white poly is the best

 

[gizmo]

i've tried using foil,white paint and mylar
mylar is deffinatly the better of the three

 

[Mrpiston38]

i have used the panda paper as well as a white all and i have to say flat out panda paper is the bette of the 2. if you want to paint and its works well. never used mylar and never wanted to.

 

[TricHorTreat]

Isn't black the lack of light?