Grow Box Interior ~ MYLAR VS. WHITE PAINT

[White]

White Paint

 

[eclurker]

ATM I'm strapped for cash so I've glued empty, and washed, chip packets to the inside of a PC case. (a fun way to get mylar)

Anyone think this will work?.

LOL! YES!!!!! Nice to see another open-minded budget grower.

 

[K.J]

B. Self Reliant makes some very good points...very good indeed.

 

[uffda]

Hey, I'm wondering why flat white paint is used as opposed to a gloss? is it just to minimize hot spots?

 

[banjobrain]

I'd go with Exterior Flat White paint. It has a fungicide in it, so mold and fungus won't be a problem.

I like this idea.

I didn't know about the porosity of mylar...judging from everybody's thoughts and suggestions - I think I'm going to stick with paint.

Mylar seems like too much of a hassle.

Thanks for all the input.

 

[kaotic]

ATM I'm strapped for cash so I've glued empty, and washed, chip packets to the inside of a PC case. (a fun way to get mylar)

Anyone think this will work?

Although I sometimes worry that with CFL's inside, the heat may transfer to the outside of the case and give the game away. I haven't started growing yet, just working out problems before they happen.

You can buy a mylar blanket for the price of a bag or of chips. I still vote paint.

 

[NiteTiger]

.99 Flat white spray paint makes a cab reflective in under 10 minutes.

Mylar doesn't

 

[Gantz]

i once used printer paper....and it worked pretty well

 

[ne0b0rn]

...

 

[ScrubNinja]

Ok then so White Paint it is....the question now is gloss or flat and why?

From wikipedia

The most familiar example of the distinction between diffuse and specular reflection would be matte and glossy paints as used in home painting. Matte paints have a higher proportion of diffuse reflection, while gloss paints have a greater part of specular reflection.

It's worth going there and reading a few things about reflection and energy if yer interested.

There is not just light being reflected. Heat is another thing (and sound, and probably other shit too) and something like flat white paint is going to absorb the heat energy well and still reflect a good bit of light, whereas a shiny specular substance is going to reflect all the IR heat as well as light.

Specular reflection
Diffuse reflection
Luminous energy
Radiant energy

So in short, the best surface for avoiding heat problems (in my opinion after reading wiki for ten minutes between joints) would diffuse the light, and reflect a high ratio of luminous energy compared to radiant energy. As well as ease of cleaning etc. Sounds like flat white paint to me

 

[Milhouse]

I know it has been brought up here before but has anyone used titanium dioixde in their white paint to increase reflectivity?

 

[Daiwa13]

White plastic & the expensive tarp style Mylar

 

[Castelvetro]

doesnt much matter, the reflected light of walls being so weak isnt going to make much differance, go with flat white paint. its all about point source light, reflected light is overated, it just looks brighter to your eyes, much like cfls look so bright to your eyes simply becuase they reflect most of there light back onto themselves.

 

[thestruggle]

I vote white paint. Flat white. I used mylar and it seemed to trap heat. Temp def dropped a couple degrees when I replaced it with white paint. It was also a PITA to get on perfectly.

 

[le crunch]

Flat white paint has always worked well for me.

 

[grow1620]

flat paint is much better then glossy.

think of it like comparing mylar to a mirror, when light bounces off of a mirror is has to pass through the glass surface not once but twice before it's reflected. Now think of mylar, no glass covering it (which is really the only diff between mylar and a mirror) so there is hardly any loss of light in the reflection. The glossy paints will have a finish on them much like the glass on a mirror. Where as flat paint is just pure reflective surface and no glossy/glassy coat over the top of it to eat up you lumens.

flat white paint is much easier to clean and easier to install. As it was stated earlier those 98% reflectivity #'s for mylar is only when the mylar is perfectly clean and perfectly flat. the paint will go on smooth and clean and will most likely have better reflectivity right from the getgo.

Also emergency blankets work, but are very low quality mylar. Hold one up to the light and you can see right through it. All the light that you can see though the blanket is light that's not going to be reflected.

 

[silentspider]

i use flat white paint now, when i first made my pc case i used a silver type of tape, but it didnt seem to work so i ripped it up and painted it white instead

 

[Bloodstone]

The SunFilm by Sunlight Supply co. Is Junk! That metalized polyester film wore away too easily, showing cloudy patches and Brown spots from moisture!!