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Underground Growroom...crazy??

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iGrow 4 Me

Member
Hello growers! for the last month or so i have been pondering an idea to dig myself a small growroom behind my house(in a woods around 200' away from the backdoor) since i do not have an option to grow indoors considering i still live with my parents(college student). i already have grown outdoors. now IM not talking a state of the art grow room just a small room around 6 feet high 6 feet wide and around 8 to 9 feet long. i no it will take hours and hours of digging but with a good work ethic im not worried about the hardwork, im worried about how to make it water proof, prevent mould, and most of all electricity. i do have an idea to run pvc conduit 12'' underground out to the small forest behind my house but will i have enough electricity from a 20 amp(im not sure what is the standard out ampage for a normal house in the us since i will be rerouting an electrical outlet that is conviently outside already) to run a 600 watt hps/mh and a few other small lights and a small hydroponics system. i no this sounds crazy but i have faith that with a little hardwork and some help this plan could work. it is currently winter so the ground is frozen so i have a few months to plan and gather supplies. Thanks for any help!
 
rocket high

rocket high

Active member
Veteran
you could brick it up as you tunnel along and build the room out of bricks also. Have you thought about roots these will be a PITA.

Please dont hurt or kill yourself doing this man ...safety first dude.
 
H

HighPlainsToker

Sounds like you'll be pulling power from your parents house, and they wouldn't know about it? And you don't say who owns the property where you'd dig the hole. Sounds sketchy to me.
 
I

iGrow 4 Me

Member
well i certainly hope to not hurt myself i dont really see any danger with the idea but i mean if it can happen it will happen. i dont plan on digging tunnels or anything an idea i though was basically building a strong small room above the ground then digging the hole to bury it only under 4-6 inches of dirt with a hidden hatch at the top. although my best friend does work for a masonry company so bricking would be possible. and as far as roots yes they are guna be a bitch but with an axe and some motivation they dont have chance
 
Sam the Caveman

Sam the Caveman

Good'n Greasy
Veteran
Where you gonna put all the dirt from that huge hole your gonna dig. If your using a wheel barrow your gonna make some serious tracks. There is no way to hide that much dirt in a stealth fashion. Or what about the trench running from your house off into the woods, don't ya think your parents might find it a bit suspicious?

Sounds like you just need to do a bigger outdoor grow next year. You should look into doing some early season plants too. With the right strain, you can do quite well planting early.
 
L

LouDog420

Crazy... Yes. Any construction experience?? Trench collapses happen more frequently than they should. Cave ins are no joke.


Digging a trench is no easy task when you start to get deep. You're going to need shoring or some sort of sloping/benching system if you go deeper than 5 feet, not counting long term side walls. You have to watch for cave ins, and consider where you are piling your dirt and any heavy materials. Too close to the trench can result in failure. They make aluminum shoring that would work well and doesn't rust. Jack screws to hold the soil outward.

Waterproofing... Probably a dual inlet drain to prevent excess humidity in the grow chamber at the bottom. I'd want to slope the top to prevent water from pooling above. Must also consider what you are doing with the water during construction. The type of soil and weather conditions are big here. Not to mention the lateral loads placed on your shoring is also dependent on soil type...

Sealing?? PITFA unless you are dropping a sealed metal box into the ground. And once you get it sealed, you'll probably be running a dehuey to manage climate control. Pests would love to crawl their way into that beautiful controlled environment as well.

Frozen ground? Account for freeze/thaw coming to and from winter. Going to put some serious stresses on your side walls.

No electrical here...

Honestly, I see this as a very bad idea. Go guerrilla till you get your own space to grow.


If you're serious, start reading and most importantly stay safe...

http://www.nclabor.com/osha/etta/indguide/ig14.pdf
 
I

iGrow 4 Me

Member
we own the property and i have read through forums and i believe a 600 watt light only draws enough electricity to raise the electric bill up 15- 20 dollars we have a hot tub which is used alot in the winter so an increase like that in the bill would not be drastic
 
M

mugenbao

If it's not appropriate to grow in your parent's house, why is it appropriate to grow on the same property? Is it just to keep them from knowing? I have trouble imagining them not knowing with all of the digging and work it would take, but you aren't exactly clear on that and it sounds possible that you just don't want them to know that you are putting their freedom and property in jeopardy.
 
SneakySneaky

SneakySneaky

Active member
Veteran
iGrow 4 Me said:
we own the property and i have read through forums and i believe a 600 watt light only draws enough electricity to raise the electric bill up 15- 20 dollars we have a hot tub which is used alot in the winter so an increase like that in the bill would not be drastic
Click to expand...

depends on the cost of electricity. my 1k bulbs cost me 35 a month to run at 12/12. veg 1ks are 70 and i have decently priced electricity here. Your also not factoring in the veg light cost or the fans, dehumi's, heaters.
 
F

fungzyme

Active member
A noticable increase in (your parents') electricity bill is the absolute least of your worries. Sam pretty much spelled out some of your logistical challenges above - if you're trying to do this stealth I don't think you're considering the massive amount of dirt and roots you're going to have to displace and dispose of without anyone noticing.
I really think for effort versus reward you're much better off putting time into a well-placed and well-cared for guerilla grow. Unless you have access to a backhoe...
 
I

iGrow 4 Me

Member
i have some construction experience such as building pole barns and sheds but not much more than that. well it was an idea lol but ill take the advice and save the idea for a stormy day in the future when i have my own place of residence. ill just go big outdoors where the hundreds of hours of reading about cannabis cultivation will surely pay off. thanks for the help! goodluck in 2012!
 
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iGrow 4 Me

Member
i do have access to a small backhoe but idk how i would go about explaining what im doing with that lol as of being stealth with the dirt i live by a river i was planning to dump the dirt there and of course only digging by the light of the moon but ill just take the advice and go outdoor! thanks everyone!
 
billy_big_bud!

billy_big_bud!

Proud Cannadian Cannabist
Veteran
ya this a bad idea all around. take our advice, heck even post a poll. this will not work out in your favour. stick to outdoors....... please.
 
S_a_H

S_a_H

Autoflower Crusader
ICMag Donor
Veteran
For the power bill find out the account # and where the local walkin pay office is and make sure you get in there and put $15-$25 every month and hope your parents do not go over the bill and just pay the total like most.

S_a_H
 
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