question on growing in attic

[vindiesel]

In planning phase for new grow..at new spot..since last grow. My ONLY choices r detatched garage or attic. It sucks but i gotta work with what i have. I was leaning towards garage but when i picture it in there..i kno im gonna hear the most silent of fans and whatnot. I live in a very quiet spot..u could hear a squirrel fart in the woods. I live in NY area to give u idea of climate. Grow will only b april-nov..i live on a very wooded lot. House and garage almost surrounded by a canopy of big oak trees so sun doesnt blaze down much..very shady here.not sure what ambient temp of attic will b. Is it possible to realistically have a healthy successful grow in attic here. I will use a tent in either garage or attic. Would using a good 6" exhaust from tent with a T so i can also exhaust the attic work. Attic has no fan now. My tent will have 2 4" axial 112 cfm at top..all passive intakes..and will also have a 6" exhaust from tent with a T also to exhaust attic..duct will run from tent and t to attic vent. I can also keep my photoperiod lights off during most of day. Am i pipedreaming with attic grow like this or can it b done? Thx

 

[vindiesel]

O yea..will b using either a 250 or 400HPS in tent. In tent also a tower fan. 6 plants in flower tent. Seperate veg tent under T5s..

 

[RM - aquagrower]

Gonna be a challange either way, but i think a little less so in the garage.

Problem is temp. Roof deck temps on a 90 deg day (in the full sun) can reach 170! I know you said you're in the shade, but still. Just don't think you'll be able to cool it. Attics got HOT.

Place don't have a basement?

 

[Mr.Fastcast]

I've been growing in an attic for a long time with great results,so If I can do it so can you.I only grow from October to April.

 

[moodster]

have you seen these http://green-qube.com/roof-qube/ real good tents

 

[mpd]

I ran a 400 watt closet grow for years with it venting into the attic and had no problems. It's all good, vin.

 

[dogfishheadie]

currently going through the exact situation right now. key is to really think it through, wouldn't even begin to germinate until you've got a plan from planting through curing. we have a 8x6x8 room we're building in an attic that's going to be split into veg (2'x4') with 400 watt mh, flower (3.5'x6') 600 watt air cooled.

currently plan to use a 10k btu AC / heating / dehuey all in one, built in a small separate room just to house the unit, configure it from there to thermostat / timers etc.

biggest challenge thus far has been ventilation and figuring out the ducting, especially when planning to implement C02 after the first crop,. after a few days of thinking it over, i think the easiest route will be a constant supply of fresh air drawn into main room, then each room can have intakes / exhaust on timers to maintain C02. from there i'll have my 400 cfm carbon filter suck from any exhausts from plant rooms as well as suck from the main room? first time actually growing right and this ventilation stuff still has be scratching my head at times.

 

[mpd]

That's the real key, isn't it dog? If you fail to plan, plan on failing. When I did my closet grow and when I decided to build a no-holds-barred stealth cabinet I spent a full month just on the design, layout and expected interaction of all components. Everything was carefully calculated and sized for the job at hand based upon the best stoner engineering advice I was able to solicit off of my fellow OG and ICMAG members. MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE!

K+ to you on that score, bro.

 

[dogfishheadie]

agreed my man. really though, it's possible to grow just about anywhere when you think of it. some setups are a breeze, others are a bit more complex and require some real due diligence, especially in a attic setup with so many factors to take in.

you really need to take think of every angle from:

electric

how are you going to run it?
plan on at least 2-3 circuits if you're running HID's, blowers, fans etc. (don't quote me, you need to figure out how much you'll be pulling, we plan on 3 for our setup)


calculating the correct ventilation

have you actually sat down and done the calculations? if not, crack a beer, smoke a bowl and read the link. this is critical to figure out or you can end up with all sorts of problems, like odor escaping back through your intakes.

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=112862

how are you going to get it in there?
does it match / exceed the cfm's for exhaust?
know you're going to need to get AC in there somehow and make sure it's regulated by timers / thermostats to ensure it isn't running at all times, driving up your electric bill.

humidity

how are you going to control it?

temps are going to fluctuate quite a bit up there. with a decent heuy and decent sized room you can expect 2-3 gallons of drainage that needs to go somewhere. also think about mold and potential bug problems that can be brought on by lack of control and poor sealing. bug bomb the place 24-48 hours before you plan to lay down plywood / insulation and all that.

security

rental? own the property?
how are you going to vent the heat leaving from the building?
odor control?


whole bunch of stuff to really sit down and figure out. list your issues and come up with a detailed plan of attack. like MPD said, failure to plan is planning to fail, couldn't be more applicable with growing. i've seen just about every setup and design on the web and those having a nice, tight clean setup that's really dialed in to the exact temp and PPM have some mind blowing results. this guide below really helped me out and made me think even harder about my setup, best i've come across.

http://buymarijuanaseeds.com/commun...-up-and-a-reference-for-everyone-else.128153/

let me know if there's anything else I can help with!

 

[vindiesel]

No basement in house. Thx for replies guys. No..not doing a think until everuthing is thought thru

 

[vindiesel]

Can i put an AC unit in attic or thats ng?

 

[Hydro-Soil]

Got a room that can handle a 3x3x4 box of unknown purpose?

Build a 400w medical cab, scrubbed and muffled... should be able to throw a table cloth over it and put a fishtank on it to cover the noise.

Built right... even a 400w cab noise output can be covered with just a room fan or a low radio.

I'd save the attic grow for the winter months and even then... only after you've had the time/money to build in a nice drywall flowering spot.

Stay Safe!

 

[mpd]

I like hydro-soil's thoughts too.

 

[paddypooh]

Attic growing

Attic growing

I put a window style 5000 BTU AC in the attic grow. Ran a 20A seperate circut just for the AC. You will need to install a drip pan with a drain for the condensate that will run like a dripping faucet in mid summer.
My grow is insulated, drywalled, built like a meat locker and the AC will still run 24/7 on high June - Aug.
The roof over the attic is covered in trees and yet the attic will be hot as hell and stay that way into the cool evening hours.
I'm a little farther North than you so I figure the seasonal conditions we experence are somewhat simular.
Happy Growing to ya!

 

[vindiesel]

Thx guys..yea..my last grow at old house..i had the tent in basement covered with supplies on a rolling cart draped in front of tent..and i used something similar to the fish tank to help cover up any noise..only iy was a shallow water tank with waterfall and frogs. Those were the diversion frogs. Whatever route i.go..i will figure it.out and make it right for startup in april

 

[Jellyfish]

Temps is a big issue with attics, as well as climbing up and down the stairs all the time, with water, dirt, gear, etc. Stay on the ground unless it's a mini op. My

 

[mpd]

Vin, take at least as much time on designing your concealment plan as you do everything else. Safety first. Security is a very close second.

 

[vindiesel]

I agree