CFL's and Aluminum Foil

[chemicalsmoker]

Can i use aluminum foil to put in my grow box also as a reflector for my CFL bulbs i have 23w 1600 lumens (2700k) any suggestions would be helpful

 

[Mr Bud]

uhmm... wat do u plan on growing with one cfl that is 23 watts? lol

 

[midgradeindasouth]

.25 grams LOL

sorry. j/k


The foil will be ok with low light.
If and when you amp it up get rid of the foil.

White walls are best.

 

[courtcourt420]

Yeah tin foil has like the lowest reflectivity. white walls and mylar are probably the best. Or polyshield, but its pretty expensive.

 

[chemicalsmoker]

i have 4 bulbs and i plan on growing at least 1-2 plants what about plain white paper can that be used to put in the grow box

 

[KaliHustla]

so your saying foil doesnt work at all cause i just bought the T-5(4 HO system in my closet and i have it lined with foil I should take down if i got white walls?

 

[courtcourt420]

Um.. im not quite sure. ive never read about anyone using that. I mean, its technically plain white.. so I dont see why you couldnt use temporarily until you get something else. what kinda box? like wooden box, plastic box? I have 2 chambers , a veg box and a flowering closet. i dont have anything in my veg box since they arent in there that long. but i did line my flowering closet with mylar. it does seem to make a nice difference.

 

[courtcourt420]

so your saying foil doesnt work at all cause i just bought the T-5(4 HO system in my closet and i have it lined with foil I should take down if i got white walls?

hey . like i said im no expert, but i have read its pretty shitty reflectivity, its like 12%. if you do have white walls, that'd be the way to go. or the mylar.

 

[chemicalsmoker]

its a 40 gallon rubbermaid plastic tub umm what can i use that is close to giving the same reflectivity as mylar

 

[courtcourt420]

I would think you should go for the mylar. Its pretty inexpensive and easy to find. I paid $20 for a 50'X4' roll. and you could technically line the chamber with it, we're just lazy. and now that i think about it, the white paper might be a bad idea. cuz it does get pretty hot next to the lights.

 

[GonnaRobYa]

for my grow room in my closet, I used black and white poly. With smooth walls, and the white side facing in. Most hydroponics stores should sell it, cost me about $1.50/ft, and they store owner said it was around 90% reflective (dont know if thats true), good luck.

 

[courtcourt420]

Yes thats awesome the poly is the shit. cuz its white on the inside. I wanted to go for polyshield since it blocks infrared sensors, but its so expensive. plus i found out fly-over's are illegal in the state of florida.

 

[Alphaone]

You can buy mylar cheap. The problem with foil is that it reflects too much heat. Even tho those low watt cfl's don't put out much heat, the foil will double back whatever they do put out. That would not be good in a small grow box.

 

[majim420]

bueno papa dudo que encuentres algo parecido al mylar en la republica dominicana, si no lo pides por internet dudo que consigas algo mejor que papel de aluminio o kien sabe talves aparesca algo por ahi, yo use una ves un protector de parabrisas del carro de esos que venden en la calle.

bro just in case u dont speak spanish, i doub u get anything similar to mylar in the DR, migh as well buy over the ineternet, believe me i've tried

 

[Ethnobotanist]

for my grow room in my closet, I used black and white poly. With smooth walls, and the white side facing in. Most hydroponics stores should sell it, cost me about $1.50/ft, and they store owner said it was around 90% reflective (dont know if thats true), good luck.

It's true. In fact it's probably a little over 90%.
Panda Plastic, I believe, is superior to mylar in that it is easier to hang, reusable, and doesn't crumple (hence, no hot spots). Mylar is slightly better at reflecting, but it takes some practice to get it to point where it doesn't crease at all.

Tin foil is baaad, though. It causes numerous hot spots, conducts heat, and is a safety hazard. It also absorbs some of the light spectrum that the plant uses. It's more likely to get you caught as well, if you have patrols in your area that use thermal sensors. Flat white paint, in fact, is actually more reflective than aluminum foil, believe it or not.

~Ethno

 

[YungMune]

foil reflects heat more then anything.

 

[paddy510]

the silver stuff they make chocolate wrappers, chips and biscuits packets etc out of is better than foil or paper. it made my box a lot brighter inside.

 

[jcommerce]

I got 2 mil mylar (instead of the 1 mil I was going to buy). It was a little bit more expensive, but it doen't crease easily at all and it doesn't punture or tear easily either.

 

[TheGardenMan]

NEVER use tin foil to line your grow room. This causes hot-spots and can damage your plants. Use mylar for the walls or flat white paint. You can also paint the floor of the room or, alternatively, you can purchase a special lining for the floor which is not only reflective, but also waterproof and easy to clean. Good for hygiene.