Are reflective walls really worth the hassle?

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Faustin024

Well-Known Member
Been going through some physics of light and the square inverse law that applies to the strength and distance of a light. Is it really worth all the materials and time to waste on making your walls reflective? Trying to calculate if there’s any actual power left in the light after it refracts and also increases the distance to travel back. Been a long standing debate that I really haven’t had a chance to test theories and park meters are expensive lol Lmk your thoughts

faustin
 
Coldnasty

Coldnasty

Well-Known Member
Faustin024 said:
Been going through some physics of light and the square inverse law that applies to the strength and distance of a light. Is it really worth all the materials and time to waste on making your walls reflective? Trying to calculate if there’s any actual power left in the light after it refracts and also increases the distance to travel back. Been a long standing debate that I really haven’t had a chance to test theories and park meters are expensive lol Lmk your thoughts

faustin
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White paint. Done and cheap
 
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Gro-n-again

Well-Known Member
I did mylar once over a whole room ceiling and all. Had white paint before that. Moved and painted the new space bright white.

Can't say I notice much difference between the two. But the mylar wasn't cheap
 
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Faustin024

Well-Known Member
DoubleAtotheRON said:
I've tested the difference at the same distances between flat white, and mylar. Mylar gave me about 70 more PAR readings, but that was about it. Prob not worth it, unless you're doing a smaller closet grow or something.
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Yea my room is like 20x10 why I was asking lol I just added another HLG
 
Horselover fat

Horselover fat

Well-Known Member
Faustin024 said:
Trying to calculate if there’s any actual power left in the light after it refracts and also increases the distance to travel back.
Click to expand...

The inverse square thing is because the light spreads to a larger area thinning out the photon density. Photons exist as long as they are not absorbed... They will literally travel forever in space if they don't hit anything. In a grow tent the walls and plants are only things absorbing photons. How many photons you save by using reflective material depends on how much of your light hits the walls.

Edit: and you don't need a par meter for testing. Lux measurement is just fine for testing this effect.
 
Hiphophippo

Hiphophippo

Well-Known Member
My room is brick and I wrapped large window screens in Mylar and have them up against my wall I grew before without them results where the same but you mite as well get the money out of your light and put some up just do t but the real cheap kinds there basically see thru
 
Rurumo

Rurumo

Well-Known Member
Having some kind of reflective surface does make a huge difference, as others have already shown. Now that lux meters are so cheap, a lot more people stumble onto this fact on their own. I'm amazed at the difference in test results in my tent from leaving the door wide open vs, zipping it mostly up and testing that way. Definitely worth the effort to maximize your grow, one of the cheapest things you can do that makes a difference.
 
calvin.m16

calvin.m16

Well-Known Member
I personally had 2 rooms and painted one white using Drylok Bright White and it did nothing to yields, same genetics yielded the same under 1000w HPS DE Gavita fixtures distanced @ 3 feet from the bulbs to the tops of the buds..

Didn't notice any improvement but also concrete in itself I think is pretty reflective if not black/dark?

Trial & Error my friend.
 
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