Using styrofoam for my grow room ??!!!

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FLgrower21

Member
I've been doing extensive research on small grow rooms and have been messing with different ideas for 4x5 grow room

i was thinking about using a large cabinet or connecting cardboard, but then I thought of using thick 2in thick styrofoam.

As as far as making it light tight and a door I can handle that, but my questions are be would this insulate light enough? Also would the odor from the plants seap right through?

any concerns or comments would be much appreciated !!
 
tusseltussel

tusseltussel

Well-Known Member
this is a sealed room with co2? if not there should be negative pressure so no odor will seep through. many old hippies built rooms out of rigid Styrofoam boards glued together but there are much better options out there you will need to line it with Mylar or something. Or you could use 2x3s build frame and staple plastic to it making your room, get some tarp zippers for a door. I prefer solid walls. ply wood makes a nice grow room that you can mount things to anywhere in the room add a coat of white paint and u in
 
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FLgrower21

Member
tusseltussel said:
this is a sealed room with co2? if not there should be negative pressure so no odor will seep through. many old hippies built rooms out of rigid Styrofoam boards glued together but there are much better options out there you will need to line it with Mylar or something. Or you could use 2x3s build frame and staple plastic to it making your room, get some tarp zippers for a door. I prefer solid walls. ply wood makes a nice grow room that you can mount things to anywhere in the room add a coat of white paint and u in
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Is the Mylar neccesary? The inside will be pure white and this stuff is pretty reflective already.
AND i agree a solid framed grow room would be better but this is my first project and am not 100% sure on where I will be placing just yet so I feel it would be easier as far as working with it.
 
tusseltussel

tusseltussel

Well-Known Member
FLgrower21 said:
Is the Mylar neccesary? The inside will be pure white and this stuff is pretty reflective already.
AND i agree a solid framed grow room would be better but this is my first project and am not 100% sure on where I will be placing just yet so I feel it would be easier as far as working with it.
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I am not sure of reflectivity of Styrofoam. this is sounding like more of an experiment than an actual grow. You need a place for it if your gonna do it. What is the situation? you can build a box that is not permanent. what are our goals with this grow? You are going to succeed at growing it is not hard be prepared! I would hate to see you waste your time.

so what is your goal what lighting do you want t use? how much do yo want to produce so far you want a 4x5x? room that a cat could tare apart
 
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FLgrower21

Member
No it's not an experiment using styrofoam has been done before it's sturdy enough once sprayed with stucco. A cat wont scratch through it other wise it wouldn't be used on the outside of every house now.

as far as lighting I would like to run a 600w hid system but depending on my budget I might have to use enough CFLs to cover 45000 lumens and I would love to produce 2ozs per plant

ill be running a scrog/hydroponic system hoping it will maximize bud mass but we'll see :)
 
G

GrowersWarehouse

Member
FLgrower21 said:
No it's not an experiment using styrofoam has been done before it's sturdy enough once sprayed with stucco. A cat wont scratch through it other wise it wouldn't be used on the outside of every house now.

as far as lighting I would like to run a 600w hid system but depending on my budget I might have to use enough CFLs to cover 45000 lumens and I would love to produce 2ozs per plant

ill be running a scrog/hydroponic system hoping it will maximize bud mass but we'll see :)
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RTECH foam makes styrofoam that is mold and pest proof as well as not flammable. You can get it in 4'x8' sheets from anywhere to a half inch thick to four inches thick. This is extremely common in the hydroworld being used as false walls.
 
rickymac21

rickymac21

Well-Known Member
superstoner1 said:
Using mylar inside of white walls is just not needed. . i would take the white anyday over mylar
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In other situations that might be true, but i happen to know that the Styrofoam (polystyrene) is not as reflective as mylar. My room is built with this material and although its bright without mylar, the mylar does improve light disbursement.
 
rickymac21

rickymac21

Well-Known Member
FLgrower21 said:
I've been doing extensive research on small grow rooms and have been messing with different ideas for 4x5 grow room

i was thinking about using a large cabinet or connecting cardboard, but then I thought of using thick 2in thick styrofoam.

As as far as making it light tight and a door I can handle that, but my questions are be would this insulate light enough? Also would the odor from the plants seap right through?

any concerns or comments would be much appreciated !!
Click to expand...
Like tusseltussel said,use 2x4's and then black tarp. The polystrene is not dense enough to block all light (should be fine on odor as long as air filtration is present).

Just make sure you make percise cuts to prevent cracks. And for the plastic painters tarp, get the tickest you can find. I think mine is 12mm. And with 1.5" polystrene, mylar and the tarp, light still glows through faintly. So i would double or tripple up on the tarp or polystyrene.
 
F

FLgrower21

Member
I appreciate your comment! But I think I'm actually gonna go even smaller scale and just go with 3 50gal storage bins.

one box for 4 plants pre flowering
other 2 have 2 plants each 2 different strains
and another small container for clones

hope this works as a good perpetual cycle :) what do you think ??
 
BenFranklin

BenFranklin

Well-Known Member
I think you won't be able to pull it off, not perpetually.. I don't think that this will work as well as you think it will. But I never knock trying.
 
bird mcbride

bird mcbride

Well-Known Member
I used corolite in the contruction of my grow-op. It looks like styrofoam but is much denser and doesn't burn. It is commonly used in forms and insulating concrete. It can be had in 4' x 8' sheets.
 
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anzohaze

Well-Known Member
You can buy styrofoam sheets with mylar looking shit on one side of it at lowes home depot etc. Make sure the edges of 2 peices are sealed up amd youare sealed and done. Nice reflective walls insulated in 1 product
 
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Spanky84

Active Member
My box is made of styrofoam. It was a great material to build with. Very light, cheap, rigid enough, easy to cut...

It has good heat insulating properties which might be a good or a bad thing depending on the situation.

Only problem is that its quite soft so you can't atatch heavy stuff like light fixtures directly to it.
 
TurboTokes

TurboTokes

Well-Known Member
You can buy a 2x4 or 3x3 tent for $50 or less

Ive built my own grow areas, and they are needed when stealth is required and custom sized walls, but it will not be cheaper in the end than a cheap tent. Ive had my 2 ebay 2x4 tents for years and not a thing is wrong with them.
 
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