GrizzlyAdams
Well-Known Member
Hello again RIU! I have been reading here and on other sites about closet growers mentioning a good amount of problems with their space. Here is some of the ways I've found to get around these things while on a budget.
Some common problems I've read:
-Doors
-Air Intake/Exhaust
-Light Containment
-Space Concerns
Here are some ideas I had and have implemented successfully to minimize the amount of modification you have to make to an actual closet.
#1. Your door. Hacking a hole in a perfectly good door or closet wall is a waste of money in my opinion. Most growers who start in a small closet either go pro or give up the hobby, no reason to permanently modify something thats labor intensive to repair or expensive to replace. Additionally, using a closet to flower can be problematic due to light leaks. Just take the door off and read the following.
A door solution is a fabric store. You're looking for something called "Blackout Fabric". It is a type of rubberized canvas that shuts out 100% of light and comes in flat white for reflection. When I say 100% I mean 100%. For fun I placed a 600W MH directly behind this fabric to see about light leaks. Not so much as a faint glow. A properly sized piece of cloth will do very nicely and is about $4 per yard. If you need to patch together some pieces to cover, duct tape or glue works fine. Affixing it to a doorframe is simple, grab some velcro from said fabric store, both sides have a sturdy adhesive already on them, slap one side to your doorframe, the other to the fabric and you have an easy access door.
Air Intake/Exhaust. There is no need to slice a hole in the wall or door to do this. Small closet grows can be vented easily with a bathroom fan thats $15 at your local hardware store. Bathroom fans in this price range come rated from 80CFM to 250CFM. A few more dollars will get you up to higher CFMs but the standard bathroom size will likely be sufficient. These bathroom fans are designed to work in very hot and humid environments and will not break down when placed inside a grow space. Aluminum ducting for said fan is approximately $6. Mount the fan in the rear of the closet, size and cut a hole in your fabric, push the ducting through and wallah! As far as intake is concerned, buy a dryer vent cap that has baffles (flippy things that fall downwards). Usually $2. Size and cut another hole in the fabric, place it baffles facing inward, duct tape to fix to the fabric. The principal we are operating on here is not the power of the fan to cycle the air in your closet, rather the physical law of atmospheric pressure. Your fan moves air through the ducting and out of the closet which creates a low pressure system in the closet, the higher atmospheric pressure outside the closet will force air through this dryer baffle to equalize pressure. Placing the fan in the back corner will ensure total circulation in your closet especially if you utilize supplemental air circulation to build stronger branches.
Light containment. This was solved with the door. If you purchase a thick strip of velcro and a dark colored dryer baffle there will be zero light escape while your fan is not running. During venting cycles a slight glow will probably escape from the baffles opening but the light level is truly negligible.
As far as space is concerned, bathroom fans are small and come in a standard 4" ducting. Fans come with ceiling mounting brackets and you can tape ducting up. If you are looking to aircool your hood with this, all you need to grab is an adaptor from the hardware store thats around a buck fifty. Get the one that has a square on one side then expands to the 4", 6", or 8" you need. The square section fits over the fan, hook up the ducting and you're good to roll.
Here are some pictures of this sort of setup I have for a veg room. This could be upgraded easily I'm fully aware, but it works and I got a busy schedule ya hear? Gives you a good idea anyway. Hope this submission helps someone and keep on growin!
-Grizz
Some common problems I've read:
-Doors
-Air Intake/Exhaust
-Light Containment
-Space Concerns
Here are some ideas I had and have implemented successfully to minimize the amount of modification you have to make to an actual closet.
#1. Your door. Hacking a hole in a perfectly good door or closet wall is a waste of money in my opinion. Most growers who start in a small closet either go pro or give up the hobby, no reason to permanently modify something thats labor intensive to repair or expensive to replace. Additionally, using a closet to flower can be problematic due to light leaks. Just take the door off and read the following.
A door solution is a fabric store. You're looking for something called "Blackout Fabric". It is a type of rubberized canvas that shuts out 100% of light and comes in flat white for reflection. When I say 100% I mean 100%. For fun I placed a 600W MH directly behind this fabric to see about light leaks. Not so much as a faint glow. A properly sized piece of cloth will do very nicely and is about $4 per yard. If you need to patch together some pieces to cover, duct tape or glue works fine. Affixing it to a doorframe is simple, grab some velcro from said fabric store, both sides have a sturdy adhesive already on them, slap one side to your doorframe, the other to the fabric and you have an easy access door.
Air Intake/Exhaust. There is no need to slice a hole in the wall or door to do this. Small closet grows can be vented easily with a bathroom fan thats $15 at your local hardware store. Bathroom fans in this price range come rated from 80CFM to 250CFM. A few more dollars will get you up to higher CFMs but the standard bathroom size will likely be sufficient. These bathroom fans are designed to work in very hot and humid environments and will not break down when placed inside a grow space. Aluminum ducting for said fan is approximately $6. Mount the fan in the rear of the closet, size and cut a hole in your fabric, push the ducting through and wallah! As far as intake is concerned, buy a dryer vent cap that has baffles (flippy things that fall downwards). Usually $2. Size and cut another hole in the fabric, place it baffles facing inward, duct tape to fix to the fabric. The principal we are operating on here is not the power of the fan to cycle the air in your closet, rather the physical law of atmospheric pressure. Your fan moves air through the ducting and out of the closet which creates a low pressure system in the closet, the higher atmospheric pressure outside the closet will force air through this dryer baffle to equalize pressure. Placing the fan in the back corner will ensure total circulation in your closet especially if you utilize supplemental air circulation to build stronger branches.
Light containment. This was solved with the door. If you purchase a thick strip of velcro and a dark colored dryer baffle there will be zero light escape while your fan is not running. During venting cycles a slight glow will probably escape from the baffles opening but the light level is truly negligible.
As far as space is concerned, bathroom fans are small and come in a standard 4" ducting. Fans come with ceiling mounting brackets and you can tape ducting up. If you are looking to aircool your hood with this, all you need to grab is an adaptor from the hardware store thats around a buck fifty. Get the one that has a square on one side then expands to the 4", 6", or 8" you need. The square section fits over the fan, hook up the ducting and you're good to roll.
Here are some pictures of this sort of setup I have for a veg room. This could be upgraded easily I'm fully aware, but it works and I got a busy schedule ya hear? Gives you a good idea anyway. Hope this submission helps someone and keep on growin!
-Grizz