Cheap Alternative To Reflective Mylar For Indoor Gardens

A better, cheaper alternative to mylar and the survival blanket mylar for indoor gardens.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Indoor Garden
• Hydroponics
• Aquaponics
• Grow Light
• HPS Grow Light
• Metal Halide Grow Light
• CFL Grow Light
• Indoor Grow
• Grow Tent
• Grow Box

[19Photographer76]

Thanks for the tip! Now, reading a comment by @simplysimpleveggies and your list, you forgot one of the best features of the C3 anti-detection film, it's 90% infrared proof. I doesn't matter if we are all growing vegies, if the feds think its something else, it will be a bad night and we won't get re-imbursed for damages.

My grow room is 8' x 12' and the celling and walls are painted with eggshell white paint. There are differing tones of 'White'.

[SleestaksRule]

@19Photographer76 Yeah, I'm surprised I haven't gotten a knock on the door yet. Especially when I have 2 400watt going at the same time. Maybe they don't scan my area.

[simplyfreshveggies]

Did you know that white paint will reflect just as much light as mylar? I saw a test where someone used a luxmeter.

[SleestaksRule]

@simplyfreshveggies I've been reading up on the different reflectors and got this:

Foylon: reflects 95% of the light

Mylar: reflects 92-97% of the light

Flat white paint: reflects 75-85% of the light

Emergency Blankets: around 70%

Aluminum Foil: no more than 55%

Panda Film: The white side is 75-90% reflective

C3 anti-detection film: 92-97% of the light

I thought the emergency blanket would have done more and same for aluminum foil which is pathetic. I'd like to test them.

[johnatncsu]

Do you have a suggestion for the search criteria at Amazon? I tried but could not find as good of a price there as you obtained. Thank you.

[SleestaksRule]

@johnatncsu I tried to find it online but no luck.

[MrTweetyhack]

nice find

[PhilLesh69]

I stumbled on this idea 10 years ago when I was not really all that knowledgable, and abandoned it after one crop of tomatos. I thought I had a bad idea, but now I'll reconsider.

It's certainly cheap, and I even had red and blue mylar wrapping paper for veg and fruit phases.

Not to mention, you could buy a lifetime supply after christmas or at a dollar store, for about what a 10x25' roll of panda film costs. And you can change it out anytime it gets a little crinkly.

[PhilLesh69]

@19Photographer76 That's why you need to invite your neighbors in to see your garden. So nobody gets any funny ideas about what you are growing.

[memberHD]

@FenderGibsonWashburn Flat white is best because it diffuses the light. Shiny surfaces and cause the light to get concentrated at certain points. This can cause less light gettting back to the plants and/or hot spots which will burn the plant (most common with crinkeled mylar)

[FenderGibsonWashburn]

I looked in a couple stores and couldn't find any Mylar wrapping paper. :( I found a couple that were shiny but were only paper on the back side. I'll keep my eyes peeled next year.

I'm really surprised by your reflective results. Flat white paint more reflective that emergency blankets? Why flat white, wouldn't gloss white paint be even more reflective?

I heard foil was bad as a reflector especially if it is not perfectly smooth but it works excellent for blocking light.

[dnatypro]

Great idea why didn't I think of that as I stood in Wal-Mart staring at rolls and rolls of aluminum foil?

[ArizonaAdventures]

now I like this :) time to grab some up at a few of these sales. Thanks for the idea!

[rotoclip]

great finish on the vid,i'm sure that was one of your kids under the plastic/mylar -right!