Orca Grow Film

[dank_stuff]

This is my first post and designing and building a 2x3x6 grow closet.

Light: Advanced platinum series DS100 led
Intake: passive or PC fan, still deciding
Exhaust: 440cfm inline fan with filter
AIR Circulation: 12in wall mounted fan(low/medium speed)
Nutrients: Technaflora Recipe for Success.
Setup: DIY Ebb/Flow

My question is:
what reflective material should I use?
Flat white paint? Or Poly film (thinking Orca Grow film)

And would I notice a difference between the two?

 

[fishwhistle]

I put Orcafilm over brand new flat white paint so +1 for orca here.No hotspots,room glows bright everywhere and its super tough and washable,downside is expensive,i bought 2-54''x100' rolls and they were about 200 apiece.Gavita actually recommended this to me when they did my lighting plan also,I even asked about using a foil like reflectix instead and they said nope we recommend orca.

 

[dank_stuff]

I put Orcafilm over brand new flat white paint so +1 for orca here.No hotspots,room glows bright everywhere and its super tough and washable,downside is expensive,i bought 2-54''x100' rolls and they were about 200 apiece.Gavita actually recommended this to me when they did my lighting plan also,I even asked about using a foil like reflectix instead and they said nope we recommend orca.

Have you noticed any difference in your plants?

 

[pezthetoker]

Orca film is the way to go. It is available in a 25 foot roll that would be more than enough for your space. It is noticeabley brighter than other options, and it reflects back the proper color spectrum.

 

[dank_stuff]

Orca film is the way to go. It is available in a 25 foot roll that would be more than enough for your space. It is noticeabley brighter than other options, and it reflects back the proper color spectrum.

Awsome, that seems like the way I'm going with it.

 

[Granger2]

Sure Orca's great stuff, but white Paint all the way. There is very little difference in reflectivity. Good luck. -granger

 

[TheSilverMullet]

I've got a 5 foot strip of orca running around my room.

the rest of the room is painted white.

the orca stuff is noticeably more reflective.

 

[Granger2]

SilverMullet,
More reflective based on what? How did you determine that it's more reflective? Thanks. -granger

 

[chefbudz]

what mill is the orca?? you say its tough and washable lol how tough

 

[Beta Test Team]

Sure Orca's great stuff, but white Paint all the way. There is very little difference in reflectivity. Good luck. -granger

That's not correct.

ORCA has about 92% to 94% reflectivity and 99% diffusion, flat white paint is around 80% to 93% reflectivity, with who knows what % diffusion.

Also, ORCA reflects the entire PAR range equally, as much as is realistically possible, short of using WhiteOptics. Not so for flat white paint, and, flat white paint suffers from spectrum sift, not so from ORCA.

Mylar is poor reflectivity of around 80% to 85%, and very poor diffusion %, as it's specular.

Poly (Panda film) has around 70% to 75% reflectivity and poor diffusion %.

White paint, Mylar, and poly (Panda film) don't reflect the whole PAR range equally. And Mylar must be laid flat and not crinkled, while ORCA can be installed easily.

Another big plus with ORCA is it's simply woven plastic, so it's easy to clean using disinfectants (like quandary ammonium), not so with paint, mylar, or panda.

What's better than ORCA is WhiteOptics, but WhiteOptics is way too expensive to use.

 

[Beta Test Team]

what mill is the orca?? you say its tough and washable lol how tough

I don't know the mil, but there's no way you can tear it, it's woven plastic. It lasts years.

This stuff is very tough, and washable with soap and disinfectants, unlike any other options listed in this thread.

 

[TheSilverMullet]

SilverMullet,
More reflective based on what? How did you determine that it's more reflective? Thanks. -granger

Not very scientific I know but just based on being in the freshly painted room with the lights on before and after I put up the orca. It seems noticeably brighter in there like there is more light being reflected back off the walls now.

Maybe it's a placebo effect and it is just my subconscious mind trying to justify the 170 bucks I paid for a roll of the stuff.

 

[Beta Test Team]

SilverMullet,
More reflective based on what? How did you determine that it's more reflective? Thanks. -granger

Not very scientific I know but just based on being in the freshly painted room with the lights on before and after I put up the orca. It seems noticeably brighter in there like there is more light being reflected back off the walls now.

Maybe it's a placebo effect and it is just my subconscious mind trying to justify the 170 bucks I paid for a roll of the stuff.

It's not placebo effect, rest assured.

 

[dank_stuff]

what mill is the orca?? you say its tough and washable lol how tough

From what I've read on their website it is extremely tough because of the fibet like material it I made of and 11mil thick

 

[Pangea]

What is the Orca film material? what is the industrial use it is sourced from?

I know many diy projector screens use a 54" blackout curtain because of its reflective attributes, any chance this is the same material?

 

[Beta Test Team]

What is the Orca film material? what is the industrial use it is sourced from?

I know many diy projector screens use a 54" blackout curtain because of its reflective attributes, any chance this is the same material?

ORCA is woven plastic. From my discussions with the owner, their IP is in how its woven, not the type of plastic. I didn't ask what type of plastic, but he may tell you if you ask.

If I know the projector screen material you're referring to, it's not the same material.

 

[fishwhistle]

Have you noticed any difference in your plants?

YES,no hotspots and plants on the edge or in dark corners before are lit great now,room is lit even all over.Granger if you go in an orca room and a white paint room you will SEE the difference.

 

[DemonTrich]

side note, your gonna LOVE the technaflora recipe for success nutes. been running them for almost 4 years and absolutely LOVE it. couple tips, buy gallon jugs of the bloom, boost, and veg base if you use veg nutes. don't buy any more sugar daddy after the 1st bottle is gone. theres a product from botanicare called sweet. same chems as sugardaddy, but only 53.00 a gallon vs 90.00 for the sugar daddy. even has sulfer as does sugar daddy.


good luck on the build, I bought a roll of 4x125' of reflectix wrap for 175.00 ill be using on my 8x12x7 flower room.

 

[Mikell]

Or grab some sugar, water and epsom for a fraction of that...

 

[Granger2]

BetaTestTeam,
Where did you get your info? I'd like to see comparative specs. If I was wrong I would like to know and learn.

You said that Orca is easy to clean with disinfectants, "no so with paint, mylar, or panda." They'll all clean up fine with disinfectants.

I've also read that white paint is an excellent diffuser. Spreads it all over IME. -granger