banana buds
Member
I don't see a lot of talk about some of the things unique to getting in and running a warehouse location right and proper. There are some things that you learn the hard way, and things that don't necessarily come out of common sense. For those of us new to the warehouse game, those of us who are old salts, and those who are getting ready to step up out of the residential gig, let's talk about it!
I'll start:
-getting on a demand meter is great! I don't know how it is for everyone, but we saved a very very solid chunk of money on the power bill switching to demand-based billing. Our power co. did it after the first few months, but I definitely would have requested it right off the bat if I had known.
-Know your 3-phase power, they aren't all the same. When we looked for locations, that wasn't on the list of things to look at. The type of 3-phase you have will play a large part in how wiring goes. We are in an old location with 3-phase ungrounded delta, so in order to get 120v power we have to use step-down transformers.
-Mini splits are the shit! If you are willing to do some reading on how to properly evacuate lines, you can pick up the equipment to do the installation yourself for a decent price and avoid having to call an HVAC guy out for it. Make sure you know the routine inside out before you go and trash that shiny new mitsubishi though!
-Trapezes beat the shit out of putting a bunch of hooks in the ceiling. If you aren't familiar with the concept, you run a rail (we used EMT) for each row of lighting you are throwing up, and then can hang all your lighting equipment from those instead of mounting ballasts and hoods in separate spots. It's clean, simple, and gets stuff out of the way in your rooms.
-Jack's 5-12-26 hydroponic and calcium nitrate are a godsend. You can buy it in bulk from JR Peters for DIRTY cheap, and it works! It pains me to think about the amount of money I spent on GH flora when I am seeing the same results for a tiny fraction of the cost now.
-Pest management is HUGE HUGE HUGE. In all my time growing in residential, I had absolutely zero pest issues. I came into my warehouse with a near-total lack of experience on how to dispatch the borg. Stay on top of preventative pest control because when you have to blow through $70 bottles of azamax like cheap cocaine in the 80s just to keep your shop from turning into a haunted house it isn't fun. Regular planned spraying and doing things like having an airlock and clean grow-room-only clothing are the best thing since sliced bread.
-Learn how to do framing and drywall. You can build badass growrooms for chump change if you can handle it yourself. Basic construction skills and building everything to code are within the reach of anyone with half a brain.
-Make the place comfortable. Having a fridge, tv, some comfortable couches, and nice glass will go a long way to making life not suck when you have to pull a 24hr work day. Being able to happy and comfortable is so important when there is a mountain of work to do and you need to take a break.
-
I'll start:
-getting on a demand meter is great! I don't know how it is for everyone, but we saved a very very solid chunk of money on the power bill switching to demand-based billing. Our power co. did it after the first few months, but I definitely would have requested it right off the bat if I had known.
-Know your 3-phase power, they aren't all the same. When we looked for locations, that wasn't on the list of things to look at. The type of 3-phase you have will play a large part in how wiring goes. We are in an old location with 3-phase ungrounded delta, so in order to get 120v power we have to use step-down transformers.
-Mini splits are the shit! If you are willing to do some reading on how to properly evacuate lines, you can pick up the equipment to do the installation yourself for a decent price and avoid having to call an HVAC guy out for it. Make sure you know the routine inside out before you go and trash that shiny new mitsubishi though!
-Trapezes beat the shit out of putting a bunch of hooks in the ceiling. If you aren't familiar with the concept, you run a rail (we used EMT) for each row of lighting you are throwing up, and then can hang all your lighting equipment from those instead of mounting ballasts and hoods in separate spots. It's clean, simple, and gets stuff out of the way in your rooms.
-Jack's 5-12-26 hydroponic and calcium nitrate are a godsend. You can buy it in bulk from JR Peters for DIRTY cheap, and it works! It pains me to think about the amount of money I spent on GH flora when I am seeing the same results for a tiny fraction of the cost now.
-Pest management is HUGE HUGE HUGE. In all my time growing in residential, I had absolutely zero pest issues. I came into my warehouse with a near-total lack of experience on how to dispatch the borg. Stay on top of preventative pest control because when you have to blow through $70 bottles of azamax like cheap cocaine in the 80s just to keep your shop from turning into a haunted house it isn't fun. Regular planned spraying and doing things like having an airlock and clean grow-room-only clothing are the best thing since sliced bread.
-Learn how to do framing and drywall. You can build badass growrooms for chump change if you can handle it yourself. Basic construction skills and building everything to code are within the reach of anyone with half a brain.
-Make the place comfortable. Having a fridge, tv, some comfortable couches, and nice glass will go a long way to making life not suck when you have to pull a 24hr work day. Being able to happy and comfortable is so important when there is a mountain of work to do and you need to take a break.
-
