New Space, DOING IT RIGHT! HELP WANTED

a dog named chico · Oct 7, 2010

Having a few hobbyist grow under my belt i decided it's time to expand. i was able to find a little area to construct a built in grow cab. I am in the concept and framing stage and would like advice as i have not invested in much and would like to ensure optimal growth.

the over all area is 80" X 20" X 80"
I will be installing a 8" sub floor for ventilation so it leaves me with a 80" X 20" X 6' grow area that will be partitioned off into separate rooms here is my original concept please let me know what you would change or move.

Veg room lighting: HTG Supply 4' 4 bulb T5
Clone Room lighting: TBD (probably a floro or CFL)
Flower room lighting: TBD (leaning towards a 400W HPS but would like a 1000W)

bohicular · Oct 7, 2010

so your box is a total of 80"x72"x20"... I'm wondering if you really want the flower room to be 6' high - do you really want plants that big with low lying buds that get little light? (obviously a personal preference issue)
I would think about the ventilation strategy - - have you sourced or bought any fans?
Right now, i'm working on a design for a cabinet too, like yours, only on a smaller scale (and no cloning room). I bought a 530cfm inline fan, although i'd probably go "squirrel cage" style if i could do it again (based on reviews). Take a look at the link in my signature - I'm trying to vent my veg and flower room with one fan. I'm in the middle of flowering on my first grow ever, so i'm going off little experience. Let me know what you think about my setup.
What I would change:
I don't know how many plants your'e wanting to do, but it seems like your cabinet is very large. Also, your depth seems thin for the width and height - is that a space issue? It looks like you could veg a lot of plants, but only flower 2. Remember, a light spreads evenly in all directions, so a square shaped area is ideal (or circle) and you have very rectangular spaces. I would maybe rethink the proportions of room sizes as well (veg:flower:clone). maybe it makes sense to have larger veg area if you are growing all from seed, as you will murk half your plants.

a dog named chico · Oct 13, 2010

88 views and 1 reply??? well thanks bohicular. I will start with seed and move to clones. the veg are will hold 4-6 plants and 2-4 in flower. the clone room will hold alot because i am using party cups and transplanting to two gallon bags at he transition from clone to veg.

for ventilation i was going to construct a box in between the veg and flower room with a carbon scruber inside this will duct to the rooms and suck the air out and vent throught the top (blue prints coming) i was thinking anything over 300CFM will due.

The flower room will have a 1000W HPS and this is why i went with a 6' flower room height. this light will have its own air cooled hood seperate from the vent system.

i will get up a new paint blue print with what i changed along with soem construction pics.

a dog named chico · Oct 13, 2010

VERY NICE VENT SYSTEM BTW!! i like what your ideas

a dog named chico · Oct 13, 2010

Here is the basic idea

bigsourD · Oct 13, 2010

a dog named chico said:
Veg room lighting: HTG Supply 4' 4 bulb T5
Clone Room lighting: TBD (probably a floro or CFL)
Flower room lighting: TBD (leaning towards a 400W HPS but would like a 1000W)

First, how many plants are you planning on having? Filling up a 30x20ft is way too much for a 400w HPS. About 8-10 1000watt systems over about 40-60 plants would be sufficient in that size of space, You realize this right? 4x4x6 is recommended for 400 watts.

legallyflying · Oct 13, 2010

A few points..

Where is the fresh air coming from? The floor? How are you going to control temps? I don't see any hood ducting? It seems to me that "mac daddy" grow set ups are sealed. No bugs, minimal mold spores, low odors and efficient co2 usage. By having a sealed setup with active circulation, you could have a single aircon, dehumidifier, and carbon scrubber to treat all the rooms.

If your not going to use vented hoods you are going to need aircon, you may need it regardless. Your going to insulate right..... If this is in a basement you are going to want to insulate or be prepared to run a heater when the lights are off.

a dog named chico · Oct 14, 2010

let me elaberate:
1) the box will be in a closet area (inside a house)
2) The air will be pulled from below the sub floor
3)(@bigsourD) i think you miss read the room size
4) the veg room will use CFL or T-5 so no heat issues, the flower room will use a 1000w HPS on a separate ducting and cool tube system.

a dog named chico · Oct 16, 2010

anyone else got any tips or suggestions? i am deciding on lighting for the veg room.
Either (2) 250w CFL w/ hood or (3) 2' t-5 (2 bulbs, 54w HO) also i was thinking about mounting some t-5's on the walls of the veg room for supplimental lighting.

a dog named chico · Oct 16, 2010

MMMM K, so here is yet another revised grow room plan. I am now looking at fans for my cool tube and exhaust. what CFM would i need for the 1000W to keep it cool? for the exhaust fan i am think anything over 300CFM should work but could use advice. Oh yeah the demensions are the same as the above floorplan.

bohicular · Oct 17, 2010

I like how we are both trying to exhaust 3 spaces with one fan, and taking different approaches.

Some thoughts on your shared exhaust box
- First, having the exhaust down low in the clone room is not the best place for it - why not just use 1 or 2 pc fans up high and use more fan power for veg/flower rooms? you don't need to filter the smell, and don't need much power to handle the heat.
- I don't have a lot of fan experience, but I'm doubting the ability of the fan w/ carbon scrubber being able to create enough suction to exhaust 2 or 3 rooms from a separate room. If its all sealed very well, maybe its possible. The drying room exhaust will definitely want some kind of buffer/filter to slow it down, and maybe the veg room too.
- At least the flower exhaust going into the shared exhaust box will have to be light proof, slowing it down relative to the other air lines going in there

Concentration
It seems to me that both of our systems will require a balance of concentrating the exhaust force in a certain way - in my case, its the flower room - - I am using the largest filter in my flower room, which is on a main branch going directly to the fan, and the other 2 exhausts I'm doing (cool tube and veg room) are branches off of that main line, trying to make those more "secondary" lines.

a dog named chico · Oct 18, 2010

bohicular said:
I like how we are both trying to exhaust 3 spaces with one fan, and taking different approaches.

Some thoughts on your shared exhaust box
- First, having the exhaust down low in the clone room is not the best place for it - why not just use 1 or 2 pc fans up high and use more fan power for veg/flower rooms? you don't need to filter the smell, and don't need much power to handle the heat.
- I don't have a lot of fan experience, but I'm doubting the ability of the fan w/ carbon scrubber being able to create enough suction to exhaust 2 or 3 rooms from a separate room. If its all sealed very well, maybe its possible. The drying room exhaust will definitely want some kind of buffer/filter to slow it down, and maybe the veg room too.
- At least the flower exhaust going into the shared exhaust box will have to be light proof, slowing it down relative to the other air lines going in there

Concentration
It seems to me that both of our systems will require a balance of concentrating the exhaust force in a certain way - in my case, its the flower room - - I am using the largest filter in my flower room, which is on a main branch going directly to the fan, and the other 2 exhausts I'm doing (cool tube and veg room) are branches off of that main line, trying to make those more "secondary" lines.

Balance is key, my system was designed more as a passive exhaust. the ducts going into the carbon scrubber will have dampers to adjust the flow for each space. i was thinking the same thing about the clone room how ever i am trying to keep it as simple as possible.

bohicular · Oct 19, 2010

a dog named chico said:
Balance is key, my system was designed more as a passive exhaust. the ducts going into the carbon scrubber will have dampers to adjust the flow for each space. i was thinking the same thing about the clone room how ever i am trying to keep it as simple as possible.

nice man. Well, i'm always scheming on high optimization, performance, etc, haahh - - sometimes simplicity is the key. Well, I'm looking forward to see how our 2 systems work - it would be cool to see 2 different working ways of multi-space exhausting. If you know of any other threads that try and do this, please post them up.

a dog named chico · Oct 20, 2010

YOU GOT IT!! collective growing coast to coast

a dog named chico · Nov 11, 2010

I got my lights, 400W HPS and a compact t-5 from HTG, sorry no pics but the room is comming along

legallyflying · Nov 11, 2010

Word to the wise. I was running 6 t5's in a clone tent of similar size. Surrounding air was 76 temp in the tent 94!

People think that cfl's and florous don't give off any heat but they give off exactly the same heat as a similar wattage hid. Six 50 watt t5 = slightly more heat that a 250 wt hid.

I would go with a 600 wt in your flower room you don't really need a 1000 in that space. I would also just eliminate your clone room. A clone bucket takes up 1 sq ft of space for 20 clones. Just set it in your veg room. Lastly, your plants will grow more roots in veg if you give them some rest time e.g. Don't veg on a 24hr cycle. Or at least ween them off 24hrs to 18/6 after a week or two.

a dog named chico · Dec 18, 2010

Room constructed, 400w running at 81 Degrees, 110W T-5 running 77 degrees. Have 8 bag seed going just sprouted...have one DNA Sharksbreath fem germing but its only been a day...i will be starting my grow journal soon, but will finish this thread with pics of the room...soon.

a dog named chico · Jan 11, 2011

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Here are some bagseed 4 weeks into veg

And here is my sharksbreath mother about one week into veg
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WvMade · Jan 12, 2011

I would do exaust up high intake down low I've got a Heavy duty bathroom exhaust fan (its loud as FUCK) when i made intake holes i turned it on and theres alot of air that gets pulled in with just haveing a Good exaust i could stand on the other side of the room lite a smoke and it would pull all the smoke into my intake holes even if i blew it away from it i think thats a good way of testing how much air is being pulled/pushed