Help! REALLY high ceilings

[nopifarms]

Hello All - currently planning an indoor grow but I'm realizing all the warehouses around me have minimum 20 foot high ceilings - 30 ft.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to best "fix" this problem or perhaps take advantage of this variable? I'm still in the decision making process of using LED's or HPS considering I have all 4 seasons being on the east coast. So I'm open to suggestions as high ceilings may/may not benefit a particular fixture.

 

[PadawanWarrior]

Hello All - currently planning an indoor grow but I'm realizing all the warehouses around me have minimum 20 foot high ceilings - 30 ft.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to best "fix" this problem or perhaps take advantage of this variable? I'm still in the decision making process of using LED's or HPS considering I have all 4 seasons being on the east coast. So I'm open to suggestions as high ceilings may/may not benefit a particular fixture.

I don't see that as a problem at all. You can grow some trees in there and not have to worry about them getting too tall. Gonna need a tall ladder though, lol.

 

[OldMedUser]

Build a 2nd floor maybe and double your grow space.

I'd go with HPS to supply free heating for a space that big.

 

[nopifarms]

Well my issue is hanging the lights. I don’t see myself hanging lights from 25 feet. I’d be hanging about 160-200 fixtures (if LED).

So when you say build a 2nd floor are you suggesting racks?

 

[OldMedUser]

Well my issue is hanging the lights. I don’t see myself hanging lights from 25 feet. I’d be hanging about 160-200 fixtures (if LED).

So when you say build a 2nd floor are you suggesting racks?

I mean build a 2nd floor above. Frame it up with 2x4s like building a 2nd floor in a house. Give yourself 10ft ceilings for both.

How much square footage we talking about?

If you hung the lights with chains like I do in my little room with a 6'6" ceiling you'll have them swinging around like pendulums gone wild! So some sort of sturdy structure is needed to anchor hooks or other fittings to hold the lights/ballasts.

Sounds like you're planning to sink some money into this venture and a few more grand for lumber might be worth it. At least in Canada here I wouldn't be investing in pot. Not legal pot anyways. Hemp is where it's at now. Or seeds. Good breeders make way more money selling seeds than they would ever make selling pot.

Once I get my paperwork in and get approved for a medical grow the wife and I will be legal for 92 plants. I'm getting into breeding more and making fem seeds.

Good luck!

 

[nopifarms]

It’s actually for hemp . PM if you get some good genetics in the future.

 

[OldMedUser]

I have some high CBD strains I'm getting into growing and crossing with some of my fave regular strains to see if I can get good CBD versions of them but this is a work in progress that has barely begun. I've been pollen chucking for the last 20 years but not seriously.

Dana Larsen may still be giving away hemp seeds at the overgrowcanada site but I haven't checked lately. Standard hemp farmer seed so not particularly high levels of CBD. 6 - 8% max I believe.

Indoor hemp? Lots being grown outdoors here in Canukistan with much more in the works since the rule changes allowing farmers to sell the bud left over after seed harvest to licensed oil producers. And lots more going to be happening stateside now with the new farm bill. Within a few years there is bound to be a glut in both markets and prices should begin reflecting reality.

What part of the planet are you on? I'm way up in northern Alberta about 80 miles west of Ft. MacMoney.

 

[redi jedi]

Its much easier to control the environment in smaller areas. Building rooms within the room is a good idea.

 

[mxer_kx]

If you have the funding Build a second floor segregated rooms with 10 ft ceilings with de 1000s would work nicely and youve now doubled your grow area and can stagger your harvest and reduce trimming time/expenses

 

[kmog33]

Extension cords if you’re using hoods or panels, light socket extension cords with e39 base/adapter if you’re using something like high bay leds or anything else with a built in ballast.

 

[OldMedUser]

Extension cords if you’re using hoods or panels, light socket extension cords with e39 base/adapter if you’re using something like high bay leds or anything else with a built in ballast.

OMG! We're not talking extension cords here. This is a Class A electrician setup.

I'm good with wiring in new lines off my breaker box to get more juice to my grow but I'm talking a couple of 15 amp breakers for a couple extra plugs. This dude's setup is going to need serious wiring to pull it off.

Here in Alberta and in most other places too I think you're allowed to install your own wiring but it has to be inspected and permitted to be legal.

I've ran wires to set up plugs and a light out in my 20x37' carport 15 years ago. Another line down to the grow room for 2 - duplex plugs each with a 15 amp breaker. All done to CSA spec but never inspected. It's not rocket science. lol

We're legal soon for 92 plants and I'm thinking of tossing all the crap out of the shop and going for the big grow. 17x35x10'h. Has 5 240v plugs ready to rock and a dozen 120v duplex plugs in the same state.

Gonna need some more lights! hahahaha

Got 3x400W HPS, 1x400W MH, 1x1000W MH/HPS, 3x600W digi and 5 bulbs for same. Hmmmmm . . .



What to do, what to do . . .

 

[kmog33]

OMG! We're not talking extension cords here. This is a Class A electrician setup.

I'm good with wiring in new lines off my breaker box to get more juice to my grow but I'm talking a couple of 15 amp breakers for a couple extra plugs. This dude's setup is going to need serious wiring to pull it off.

Here in Alberta and in most other places too I think you're allowed to install your own wiring but it has to be inspected and permitted to be legal.

I've ran wires to set up plugs and a light out in my 20x37' carport 15 years ago. Another line down to the grow room for 2 - duplex plugs each with a 15 amp breaker. All done to CSA spec but never inspected. It's not rocket science. lol

We're legal soon for 92 plants and I'm thinking of tossing all the crap out of the shop and going for the big grow. 17x35x10'h. Has 5 240v plugs ready to rock and a dozen 120v duplex plugs in the same state.

Gonna need some more lights! hahahaha

Got 3x400W HPS, 1x400W MH, 1x1000W MH/HPS, 3x600W digi and 5 bulbs for same. Hmmmmm . . .

View attachment 4447325

What to do, what to do . . .

Makes sense. I guess I didn’t understand the situation and was thinking quick fix, my bad. But I would definitely suggest all 1ks with ceilings that high

 

[Aeroknow]

Is this permitted?
Have you looked into unistrut?

Google “unistrut ceiling grid”

 

[OldMedUser]

Makes sense. I guess I didn’t understand the situation and was thinking quick fix, my bad. But I would definitely suggest all 1ks with ceilings that high

That's a whole new ballpark for lighting up warehouse space. I can run in a few new plugs off my box but dozens of fixtures is way beyond my pay grade! Half the wiring around my place is mine and the previous owner's work. All done to code etc but nobody's signed off on it. This place is worth 3X if lost in a fire. Hmmmm . . .

I've seen more than a few warehouse grows using LED tech but that's way out of my league. Lovin' my HIDs!

 

[OldMedUser]

Unistrut?

Google “unistrut ceiling grid”

Sure that stuff is great when you want wide open spaces but this dude needs to close up spaces to make everything more efficient and probably triple his potential grow space.

Bioware loved that grid thing for their main op places. I think they are still cranking out games.

 

[Aeroknow]

Sure that stuff is great when you want wide open spaces but this dude needs to close up spaces to make everything more efficient and probably triple his potential grow space.

Bioware loved that grid thing for their main op places. I think they are still cranking out games.

I’m a metal stud framer by trade, union lather. I would have zero problems building the walls and suspended ceilings

 

[OldMedUser]

If all you had the cash for was the basic square footage then something like the Unistrut system could work for hanging lights etc and a simple poly shield could close off the upper areas to save heat/cooling.

 

[OldMedUser]

I’m a metal stud framer by trade

Wood stud framer myself. 20oz Craftsman was my nailer of choice. Right hand Popeye big as my thigh!

 

[Aeroknow]

Wood stud framer myself. 20oz Craftsman was my nailer of choice. Right hand Popeye big as my thigh! View attachment 4447343

Right on. I’ve been known to dabble pounding nails too. I got in in ‘92. We are fully merged with the UBC now, been for a few years. This is in the bay area: If you are a sheetrocker or metalstud framer out of a carpenters local you get dispatched through my Lathers Local. We are collectively called “drywall-lathers” But i’d say more than 75% of us framers are lathers.

 

[kmog33]

That's a whole new ballpark for lighting up warehouse space. I can run in a few new plugs off my box but dozens of fixtures is way beyond my pay grade! Half the wiring around my place is mine and the previous owner's work. All done to code etc but nobody's signed off on it. This place is worth 3X if lost in a fire. Hmmmm . . .

I've seen more than a few warehouse grows using LED tech but that's way out of my league. Lovin' my HIDs!

So get what you can and rock whatever space that adequately covers. If I had 30’ ceilings and mostly 400-600 hps. I’d probably grab tents and throw them against the wall or wherever is close to power, or I’d put the lights on some sort of racks(stands?) the Quantity of lights needed to actually light a warehouse with ceilings that high, probably any space with ceilings that high(don’t think you could fit enough lights in a 5x10 space to cut it), and grow good dense buds is sort of(really) a lot. Otherwise you’re going to need 25-27’ light hangers and cords. Which would look sort of silly and I don’t know that hangers that long,,,,so rope or chains you cut yourself in would think.