Growing marijuana indoors can be a challenging venture and requires a great deal of control over the intensity of light that your plants receive. Because there is only so much light that can be produced in an enclosed space, many indoor growers understand that it’s important to invest in material to reflect the light back towards their plants. This is essential because there rarely is any sunlight to encourage photosynthetic activity of your cannabis plants in a grow room.
The reflective material reflects light from the grow lights and spreads this light evenly to cover all crops to encourage maximize growth. In addition, reflective material also reduces “red spots” in your grow room and increases the light intensity by over 30%. In many cases, you will usually only need one grow light if they pair it with reflective material as well. Thus, energy costs can also be cut down by using this method.
Here is a breakdown of some of the most popular grow room reflective materials used today.
1. Rust-Oleum Ultra Matte Interior Chalked Paint, Linen White
If the interior of your grow room can be painted, this paint will make an excellent choice. It can be used on a variety of materials such as ceramic and metal, all without the use of a primer. In the case of wood walls, however, a primer will need to be used. This paint features a special latex formula, allowing the paint to emit a minimal odor. Clean up is super easy as well, since this paint can be cleaned with just soap and water. You can expect the paint to dry to creamy white, matte finish within just 30 minutes, which means that you’ll no longer have to worry about damaging the paint job that you worked so hard on if you bump the wall.
This type of paint is perfect for growers with a busy schedule as only one coat is needed to take advantage of its reflectivity. One can of it holds roughly 30 fluid ounces, allowing you to cover an area of approximately 150 sq. ft. A single can of this paint retails for the affordable price of $14.91 USD. This product is perfect for grower looking for a chic, budget friendly option.
2. Reflectix Double Pack Insulation
This Reflectix insulation is specially formulated to reflect up to 97% of heat. With two outer layers of aluminum foil bonded to a tough layer of polystyrene, two inner layers of insulating bubbles, and a center layer of polyethylene, this product is built to last. The formulation of this reflective material for grow rooms resists conductive heat flow, making it extremely beneficial for your cannabis plants. Reflectix insulation is also easy to install as you can use almost any adhesive you want on it.
In addition, it is fairly cheap retailing at just $22.22 for two 48 in. by 10 ft. rolls. This product is a good pick for anyone who wants a highly-functional reflective material at a bargain price.
3. VIVOSUN Horticulture Highly Reflective Mylar Film Roll
Vivosun’s mylar roll is easy to mount and is waterproof, corrosion resistant, age-resistant, heat-resistant (up to 190 °C/374 °F) and puncture-resistant. It is also capable of reflecting 92-97% of light, optimizing the growth rate and volume of your plants. This also allows for less light sources needed in your grow room. The mylar roll also optimizes energy use and can help reduce your electric bill. It even comes with a sealing cover for safe storage.
The 2 mm. grade of this product is the most durable available and its unique design features a poly backing which acts as a vapor barrier. Lastly, this product can be cut in whatever way suits your grow room best. VIVOSUN Mylar film retails for $34.99 USD and can cover up to 400 sq. ft. of area. This mylar roll is a popular grow room reflector choice and is sure to elevate your grow room lighting setup.
4. NAVADEAL Silver Reflective Mylar Film
NAVADEAL offers a pretty good mylar film for growers working with a tight budget. This mylar is environment-friendly and is optimized to get the most out of your grow lights. Each side of the mylar is coated with high-quality VMPET and metallized to prevent wear, tear, and corrosion. The film allows light to spread evenly while minimizing any red spots, leading to optimum growth and volume of your crops. In addition, it’s capable of reflecting up to 95% of light particles allowing for excellent growth rates.
The mylar is also easy to install, as it can be applied to almost any surface using adhesive spray or tape. NAVADEAL’s offers a money-back guarantee and the film. The roll comes with two 82 by 47 in. sheets of material retail for the extremely budget-friendly price of $7.99. It’s noteworthy to means that this film tears extremely easily, so be careful when cutting and applying it.
Figuring out what reflective material for grow rooms to use can be challenging, however, most people go with one of two options: white paint and mylar. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but it really depends on your individual setup and constraints to determine what is best for your grow room.
Mylar is one of the most popular materials as it has the ability to reflect over 95% of light. However, it produces radiant heat, so it is important to have the right ventilation or else your grow room will get too hot. This can be detrimental to your plants, and may make mylar your new enemy.
Flat white paint is another popular, budget-friendly option for most growers. It’s ideal for both large and small spaces and can reflect between 85-95% of light. There are many benefits to using white paint in your grow room. First, it’s very easy to clean and maintain unlike mylar, which needs to be replaced every few years.
In addition, white paint does not produce as much heat, allowing the interior of your grow room to remain cool. It also eliminates any hot spots or air pockets in your grow room, allowing for optimal growing conditions for your plants.