Why Not Mirrors?

Parallax

Member
With a grow box or small grow room, why not mirror the inside? Wouldn't that be the most light reflective surface possibe?

Plus, think about the infinity of weeeeeed...

What's the downside or possible issues with this? Why are other options better if they are? Thanks!
 

PainWrek

Active Member
supposedly mirrors trap the light and put off heat.

think about it, light passes through the glass, is diffused, reflects, and passes through the glass again, being diffused again.

mylar and flat white are def more effective.
 

racerboy71

bud bootlegger
nice answer painwreck.. i have often wondered about his myself, but since i have never heard or seen anyone using mirrors to reflect the light, i knew there had to be a good reason, and you have given it..
 

Philouza

Well-Known Member
im not sayin i know the answer but i dont think the light goin threw the glass does anything. the light first travels threw the glass of the bulb and most people have a cool tube and the light goes threw that with no problems.

the only thing ive seen mentioned that swayed me away from mirrors was price. it would be harder ta set up than ta use paint or mylar. if ya already have mirrors id so give it a try.
 

PainWrek

Active Member
im not sayin i know the answer but i dont think the light goin threw the glass does anything. the light first travels threw the glass of the bulb and most people have a cool tube and the light goes threw that with no problems.

the only thing ive seen mentioned that swayed me away from mirrors was price. it would be harder ta set up than ta use paint or mylar. if ya already have mirrors id so give it a try.
Ordinary glass DOES absorbs light, espeically in the UV range. We pay a lot of money to get quartz and fused silica to let UV light passes through. There's no material that I know off that lets light of all frequency to pass through.

The Newtonian telescope is based on the fact that glass does absorb light.

A Newtonian is different from other types of telescopes in that it uses mirrors rather than lenses. Every lens the light passes through costs you a fraction of precious, precious brightness.
 

captain chronizzle

Well-Known Member
i though semi gloss is shit for reflecting thats why i went to buy flat white paint
flat paint doesn't reflect, it absorbs. yeah i know, everyone says flat, flat, flat.

i'm just saying they are wrong.

paint one wall semi-gloss or gloss white, paint an adjoining wall flat white.

you will see the difference, or simply research paint. i paint houses in and out, the difference seems obvious.:bigjoint:
 

IAm5toned

Well-Known Member
flat paint doesn't reflect, it absorbs. yeah i know, everyone says flat, flat, flat.

i'm just saying they are wrong.

paint one wall semi-gloss or gloss white, paint an adjoining wall flat white.

you will see the difference, or simply research paint. i paint houses in and out, the difference seems obvious.:bigjoint:
i always thought it was a no brainer myself lol

the semi gloss is definitly easier to clean and wipe down as well
 

storkypig

Active Member
supposedly mirrors trap the light and put off heat.

think about it, light passes through the glass, is diffused, reflects, and passes through the glass again, being diffused again.

mylar and flat white are def more effective.
After much research I found out that Mylar is just a brand name for "aluminized polyester"...I was worried cause I noticed my coleman emergency blankets didn't say "mylar" and was pissed.. thank god it is the same thing! word
 

storkypig

Active Member
flat paint doesn't reflect, it absorbs. yeah i know, everyone says flat, flat, flat.

i'm just saying they are wrong.

paint one wall semi-gloss or gloss white, paint an adjoining wall flat white.

you will see the difference, or simply research paint. i paint houses in and out, the difference seems obvious.:bigjoint:
I'm still a rookie in the area of growing, but i think seeing the light is different than the plant absorbing the light spectrum. Not saying you are right or wrong..just saying from what I have learned, brighter doesn't always mean better...it is the type something in the light that the plants need...and the flat white paint supposedly reflects it well..not the actual "brightness" of it. Gosh, I worded this terrible..oh well
 

sherriberry

New Member
U can get Mylar for $45 4x25 I think you can prolly find it cheaper

I wish someone would decide for CERTAIN, conduct a scientific experiment if you have to!...

and find out if panda wrap or mylar is a better reflector fo the light plants use.

I prefer panda wrap
 

yblek83

Active Member
I'm still a rookie in the area of growing, but i think seeing the light is different than the plant absorbing the light spectrum. Not saying you are right or wrong..just saying from what I have learned, brighter doesn't always mean better...it is the type something in the light that the plants need...and the flat white paint supposedly reflects it well..not the actual "brightness" of it. Gosh, I worded this terrible..oh well
You worded it perfectly fine Storky! What humans see is the lumens, that's how we as people see the "brightness" of light. Plants do not give a shit about lumens as they do spectrum. The light spectrum a light is putting off and at how much power is what matters...nothing else.

I have seen the best ways to reflect your light and ensure good coverage of your plants is to line your area with Mylar or paint the walls white.

It's as simple as that, others here are trying to make something simple a lot more difficult for no reason.
 
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