Getting good lights that are bright enough for your space is the first step of a grow room setup. But just because your lights hit the minimum necessary light levels doesn’t mean that you’re done. Even the simplest light setup can be maximized with one quick trick: reflective walls.
Why Use Reflective Walls
Light is the direct trigger for plant growth. Without enough light, your plants won’t reach their full potential. That’s why getting lights that are bright enough for your grow room size is so important.
However, even the best light rig has to deal with shadows. The plants in the center will cast shadows on their neighbors, and plants at the edge of your grow will never receive as much light. With a reflective wall, however, you can fix that.
Normal wall materials simply absorb light. The light that hits your walls becomes entirely wasted energy, usually being converted into heat. When your walls are reflective, on the other hand, they direct light back at your plants. Light that would normally go to waste instead bounces back at the plants on the edge of your grow area, which results in an increase in cannabis yields. It’s a win-win – less energy goes to waste, and your plants get to fulfill their potential.
Reflective Materials Overview
There are a couple different materials you can use to reflect light back at your plants. Something to keep in mind is that something doesn’t have to look like a mirror to reflect light. Bright white materials reflect the majority of light, too.
Bright White Latex Paint
If you have a grow room where you can easily paint the walls, bright white latex is great. It has three benefits. First, a flat white paint can easily achieve upwards of 90% reflectivity. This is incredibly effective! Second, you can find flat white latex paint at literally any hardware or home improvement store, usually for very cheap. Third, latex paint absorbs some heat, so you don’t have to worry about your grow room temperature as much.
Finally, latex paint wipes down easily and shows potential problems like mold or mildew clearly. It’s a great material for easy cleaning. When it comes to reflective materials, white latex paint is definitely the simplest and easiest to use.
Mylar
Mylar is only slightly more expensive than paint and can provide up to 95% light reflectivity. The downside is that it is not very durable, and it’s hard to clean. Keeping mylar perfectly flat and clean helps maintain that level of light reflectivity, so you may find that you need to replace your mylar two or three times a year.
Grow Room Tents
If you want to invest, a grow room tent is usually designed specifically to reflect light on the inside. These tents are pre-made with reflective, easy to clean materials as the inner walls. They also come with a variety of options for venting heat and maintaining humidity. If you want something low maintenance, grow tents are a perfect choice.
Do NOT Use Mirrors
Just because a mirror shows you your reflections doesn’t mean it’s a good option. If you’ve ever been blinded by glare off a mirror, you’ve seen how they create bright spots. Mirrors can burn your plants without ever helping growth.
Reflective surfaces in your grow room can increase cannabis grow yields. They’re a simple and effective way to get more out of the lights you already have. If you want to boost production with a single purchase, getting reflective walls for your weed grow room is a great choice.