Designing a New Grow Area

Next year I'm building a new grow area in a basement. I have a clean slate and can do whatever.

I'll be MMJ card carrying by then.

Some initial thoughts:

One flower and one veg room. Total size combined, maybe 10x15. Flower = 6x10 and veg = 8x10. 9' tall ceilings.

All Soil Grow so I will be running well water to room
Flower with two 1000w unsealed wings
Clones with T5's,
Moms with a 400-600w
Vegging plants under a 600-1000w.

Cooling: I would install mini-split system. Might do CO2, not sure on that one yet.

Veg room / workspace 8x10

Utility sink with hot and cold water

Workbench with wall of tools

Garbage can

Dehumidifier somewhere in air exchange system.

Flower room 6 x 10

Dual 1000W would take a 5 x 10 footprint.

This will be a stealth operation, even with MMJ card, so hidden door and sound proof with carbon filters.

I'm not at all sure how these designs go, and would be willing to hire a designer if that's better.

How do you plan on cooling 2k of bare bulbs? your going to need A/C for sure in the warmer months. just spend the money now and get a decent mini split you will thank me later.

I hear the mini-split systems don't live up to the hype! Anyone have 1 that can say good about it??

I have a mini-split system of SOME sort on the list. Maybe 36k with four 9k heads. Higher Seer with inverter. Hi Heat Shutoff

That would be awesome you could cool your veg room and flower room completely separate and still have some ooomph to cool a few rooms in your house if you want to.

bmf, that's too large a unit? I would not be using extra capacity to cool anything other than the two grow rooms.

Have you thought about ceiling out take? Like what is used in bathrooms? You would also need intake. I use a dryer vent. The fan sucks the air in. Good for spring winter fall. Summer AC it.

I have a few questions because you are new to me..1 how old are you "helps me see the big picture" I am 32. 2 How many grows you got under your belt? This info is meaningless to some but I would like to know for the present and future. 3 are you going to be doing it mostly by yourself? the grow facility building.

View attachment 2407462View attachment 2407464 See the dryer vent in front? That is all I use. Cheap and simple just how I like it. I have a 110cfm in the ceiling that's sucks up the air. Now I am home all the time you may want to if you did something like that is get a humidy / temperature thermostat.12x 12 this winter, last year it was 9 x 16, next year a new one and perhaps the final draft.

all you would need is a 18k or 24k unit

Other than the cooling (I used window ac's stacked on top of each other in my third car garage 'cause I'm gangster like that.. If you're gonna run co2 you don't need intake/exhaust. I figure about 3-4k btu per 1000w. But I also run the cold ac air through my lights intake/exhaust.

My big question is how will you get the plants from veg to flower room? They will be big by the time flower is done. Do you train them? If I train under a screen in a 2'x2' area I get 20 oz. Without training I get less than 16. Once trained I can't move them though because they're tangled. Maybe make both rooms veg and flower? Unless you don't train or train with a tomato cage.

bmf, thanks for the re-sizing of the cooler.

Hic, I'm 50 and have been growing underground for 5 years. I'll be doing the construction and growing. Just have to detail the AC requirements, cooling and verifying the room sizes and lights. Really a plain piece of paper with no plan, so not held to anything.

I won't be making holes in the drywall, as the room will be soundproofed and sealed for possible CO2

Rob- I planned for a 36" wide door between veg area and flower room. Each plant would be in a separate fabric pot. Does this seem reasonable?

Cool! Well I cant wait to see the finished product. If you need help with the roofing I will come help just pay for the gas.

Yeah smart pots work great. How are you going to veg them? When I had garages I used a whole 3rd car for flowering.. Had 6 1000's though and I used 1 1000 to veg about 80 plants in 4 inch cubes right next to each other for 3 weeks then put in flower room. Are you using tomato cages, screens or anything to tie them or just let 'em go?

Was going to veg under MH. Would look to Mainline them, so each pot would have a tomato cage or such.

Would this be easier if I hired a designer to work out all the calcs? The electrical load, the cooling, the airflow, the CO2 all could bite me in the ass.

Could hire someone if it is money you don't need. Maybe figure out what you need with our help then hire someone if you need electrical or something. Simple as looking at your electrical box, the size of the fuses for each set of wires. I made my own box of fuses for my garage. Maybe for co2 instead of multiple sensors and units just get a co2 generator since heat won't be an issue. run booster fans to and from each room so it circulates the all the rooms air together. Could make cooling easier too. Just keep the covers on your cloning trays.

Rob0769 said:

Could hire someone if it is money you don't need. Maybe figure out what you need with our help then hire someone if you need electrical or something. Simple as looking at your electrical box, the size of the fuses for each set of wires. I made my own box of fuses for my garage. Maybe for co2 instead of multiple sensors and units just get a co2 generator since heat won't be an issue. run booster fans to and from each room so it circulates the all the rooms air together. Could make cooling easier too. Just keep the covers on your cloning trays.

Click to expand...

Rrog - Sounds like this cat knows his shit! You may wanna give his words a good look!

Good looking out Rob0769... I'll stay in back and let you boys talk.

CO2 generator sounds good. I'm thinking a 8x10 veg / work room and 6x10 flower room would work. I could adjust those figures, though.

Nice project. I'd consider keeping the flower as large as you are comfortable with... walking room and pedestal fans.

ok. veg room 7x10, flower room 8x10, you will appreciate the extra flower footage more than you know. you will need the dehumidifier(65ppd or larger) a co 2 gen(minigen will be perfect, can be water cooled if needed) and a controller(cap ppm 3). with the lights go with good digital ballasts(i love the phantoms) and plan on running them on 240v, and if not air cooling you can try parabolics(your 9' ceiling should be good,8'is not enough imo) or get ac reflectors and just remove the glass(my reccomendation) i have had better results with the reflectors. for air conditioning i would do a lg inverter minisplit(absolutely the best equipment an indoor grower could have) and a 24k will do fine to cool both rooms and have room to expand(you will want another 1k in flower im sure) and by using passive vents in wall between rooms and a centrifical fan and temp controller it will keep veg room perfect and supply co2 to veg(added benefit). i prefer osb for interior walls instead of drywall(absorbs odors) and silicon anywhere wood meets wood, and there is a rubber paint(for mobile home roofs) that is white and makes for a very sealed room, plus it reflects. in veg, forget the big lights(save that for flower) and go to t5s, they do great and very little heat. and dont even get me started on keeping mothers.

So... Larger flower room than 7x10? And add a third 1000w?

Dehum and minigen OK

Was planing open batwing reflectors

Run ballasts on 220v. No prob

24K LG inverter minisplit

Supply cool air to flower room and have passive light-tite vents between the rooms.
Had already planned OSB on walls as part of soundproofing measures.

I have a 600W MicroMole ballast. I believe able to handle MH or HPS, and able to do 220v. Was thinking of using that with MH lamp for vegging.

You're no fan of mothers. I see...

Great list! Thank you!