Product review: reflective material; Lighting 97%

[Guest]

Lighting 97% is a new reflective material product clamed to have 97% reflect-ability/
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As a general rule, the smaller the garden, the more light misses the target and instead illuminates the walls or surrounding area. In a larger garden how much side light reaches additional plants will depend on your reflective material choice.

In an indoor garden, reflective surfaces can increase the light getting to the garden by 50 percent or more.

Reflectors differ in the way they direct light, some create a more concentrated beam while others diffuse it over a larger area. Reflectors that diffuse it lose more light in small gardens - Ask Ed:
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Foil will run 20-30% at most with hot spots - is hard to work with & flaps in the breeze.

Mylar is said to have apx. 90% is HARD to work with – not durable & has hot spots that can burn a hole in a plant

Flolyn; has clamed to have 90-95% as well, however it is much more expensive than Lightning 97%

I bought a roll from;
http://www.altgarden.com/site/mylar/page1.html

I believe it is the best 80.00 I have spent so far on my grow room (got plenty left 2) / it has great reflecting power on the walls & especially the floor / it is very easy to work with & can be hung with ease. It can be scrubbed & walked on with out tearing it up; & with normal abuse should last a long time on the floor, and indefinitely on the walls & ceiling.

In all I give it a; 10 & highly recommend to ANY indoor grower where a reflective material is needed.

 

[Guest]

Flat white paint is a lot much more economical, Cheap as hell, Does'nt create hot spots like mylar, Defuses the light better than Mylar, Reflects 95% of Light. Easier to apply and can be painted on over and over. Cleans just as easy too.

Not knocking what you bought just showing others a more cost freindly way of getting the most out of your garden.

Blatant ;wave

 

[Guest]

Heres a chart i got from a grow book.

Reflective Chart

Material Percent Reflected
Foylon 94-95
Reflective Mylar 90-95
Flat white paint 85-93
Semi gloss white 75-80
Flat yellow 70-80
Aluminum foil 70-75
Black less than 10

peace :friends:

 

[Guest]

/ this was a product review / not a debate /


& i respectivaly disagree on the chart & the clame that white paint has 95% / it stands as the best 80.00 I spent /

 

[Guest]

Slow down Freddy! We're not ragging on you.
Just posting up what others may find usefull. Sorry to invade your REVIEW.
Geez!

Blatant

 

[Guest]

Yeah i was just putting out more info i thought was usefull.

I guess jorge cervantes don't know what he's talkin about. peace and *bong*

 

[Smokin'Bones]

Fredster

Don't take this the wrong way but the link you proved works but doesn't give much info on the product itself. The "more info" link on that page just pops up the pic with no description.

 

[Guest]

it was only a link to where I bought it - if i sounded offended I am sorry - my bad day caught up I guess & people can post any information they think helpful they want / having used all but folyn I just wanted to offer my personal opinion of the product -

(my facts come from Advanced Nutrients research & personal use)

I know people that will pay thousands for 1 more horse-power in a race car / guess that's the way I am with my grow room - although it just cost 80.00 & I will have it for years;

I am glad I bought it & hightly recomend it.

All good blessings

 

[Nugs of Science]

Thanks for the info

Thanks for the info

Hey Fredster, that does look like interesting stuff. 2x the cost of mylar but if is as durable as advertised then it is a one time buy. Hell, if you use it on the floor, it has to be tough. I wouldn't even think to put mylar on the floor. So this material doesn't winkle? Does it scratch when cleaned? If not then I may have to give it the old college try. Thanks aga in Fredster
NoS

 

[Guest]

Nice find Fredsdter...

I scrolled further down and bought the BLACK & WHITE PLASTIC SHEETING, actually not from Alt bought somewhere else. I love this stuff and will soon be buying another 100' roll. It's great for making rooms in my wide-open basement and totally light proof.

 

[Guest]

Aluminum foil is no more than 55% reflective - if used, make sure that the dull side is the one that is used to reflect the light. When it becomes creased its reflectivity is even lower (around 35%.) It is also very dangerous to use because it creates hotspots easily, is electrically conductive, and is a fire hazard when it is in close contact with HID lighting. Attaching this to walls is a pain and usually using aluminum tape or glue is the best way. This should only be used as a last resort, and even then its usefulness is questionable.

White/Black plastic (also known as panda plastic or "poly"):

"Poly" is useful if you are setting up a temporary grow room or don’t want to damage the walls. Poly is easily cleaned.

The purpose of the black side is to not allow any light to pass through the plastic, which ensures your dark cycle remains dark. The white side is 75-90% reflective. Choose a 6 "mill" thickness of poly for maximum light blockage and duribility.

If this plastic is put too close to the light, you will obviously melt it so be careful!. Panda plastic does not create hotspots. Poly can be attached to the walls by using carpenter’s nails or using tape glue or similar means. This can be used as a cheap alternative to mylar if painting your grow room is out of the question.

Flat white paint:

Self explanatory; a great option for large grow rooms or for people who are interested in a low maintenance wall. Flat white paint has the ability to reflect between 75-85% of the light, and does not create hotspots. Adding a fungicide is recommended when painting.

Glossy and eggshell whites not reflect light as efficiently as flat white. Semi-gloss paint for example, only has the ability to reflect between 55-60% of the light. Also important to remember when using paint is that any smears or blemishes on the surface take away from how reflective the wall is so care should be taken to avoid marking or staining the walls. Titanium white paint is very reflective; however it is usually only used on reflectors due to its high cost.

Mylar:

A highly reflective polyester film that comes in varying thickness, the most common being 1 and 2 mm thick. The 2mm thick mylar while not quite as durable as the foylon, is fairly rugged. The 1mm thick mylar tears fairly easily, so taking it down for cleaning is quite difficult without damaging it in the process. Both types of mylar are able to reflect approximately 92-97% reflective, giving it the potential to be more reflective than foylon, but because foylon is more easily cleaned without damaging it as well as it being harder to crease, foylon usually ends up being slightly more reflective. Important to note is that mylar reflects radiant heat energy just as well as foylon (around 85%), so proper ventilation is necessary if mylar is used in your grow room. Attaching this to walls can be done in a similar fashion as foylon, and the same caution should be used to avoid creating hotspots in your room. The 1mm thick mylar stands a fair chance of being creased or ripped in the process unfortunately, even if Velcro is used to attach to the walls.

Foylon: - (97% lighting a NEW* reflective product is cheaper & better)

A more durable version of mylar, made of spun polyester fabric and reinforced with foil laminate. Foylon is resistant to most solutions, won't tear or fade, and can be wiped or washed clean.

A great solution for growers who are interested in long term use, and though it may be slightly more expensive than mylar, its durability will more than make up for its cost. It has the ability to reflect about 95% of the light and approximately 85% of the heat energy, so a good ventilation system should be used in conjunction with folyon.

A recommended method to attach Foylon to the walls would be using Velcro, as it makes taking it down for cleaning much easier nd reduces the risk of tearing, creasing or bending it. If this is used for your walls, making sure you get it flush with the wall with no pockets of air between it and the wall to prevent hotspots.

*newer than folyn

 

[badmf]

Well I use visqueen or as you call it, black/white plastic as it has so many uses. Also I put it on the floor and it contains spills, I don't have any but just in case! You can get it cheaper than most others ones too. As far as improving the light 50% that is quite a bit over what can be expected, you can add in 20-30% thats it. Learning to angle the reflective sheeting to the plants height is also important to get the lite where it does the most good. A PAR or lumens meter helps here. The product you have will last you a long time and can be taped on the reverse side to customise it to differing wall surfaces. Angle down lite that escapes to the ceiling!! I have some of it too but I have had it for some time so I don't know about it being "new", anyway anything you use is better than nothing, and as noted some better than others.

 

[badmf]

On that same note several growers, they did the same, unfortunately neighbors weren't amused. One had to replace "all" neighbors belongings and the other had the cops arrive after the manager was called. And this was after the 2nd leak! Some people never learn!