BC Grow Room Plans

Hi all, I have been lurking on this site for a while doing some research to set up my first indoor grow. I am looking for advice on everything. With this being my first grow I have no practical experience and was hoping to get some advice from some knowledgeable growers here. I plan on setting this up in my garage by framing in an insulated room. I live in Canada so the winter can get a bit chilly. This is only for personal use so I am looking for quality over quantity.

Structure:
I am going to set up a 6’x5’x8’ room, this will be standard wood stud framing. I plan on insulating the walls with fiberglass insulation and the floor with GPS foam insulation. I am also planning on installing an exterior door to help with insulation. I will be using mold resistant drywall (greenboard). I will tape and mud the drywall with standard drywall mud. Then I will prime the walls and roof with Kilz premium primer and finish with a flat bathroom or exterior paint. I was going to try to find some white epoxy for the floor.

Lights:
I plan on using the back 4’x5’ area as my main grow space. I am also planning on setting up a 2x2x8 cabinet or tent at the front of the room to veg a couple plants in. I would like to start with LEDs if they won’t compromise the quality. The leds I am thinking of are Kingbrite, not sure what ones I should get though.
  • Latest kingbrite 120W x 6 (lm301h mix Cree xpe2 660nm/730nm/LG UV separate switch waterproof quantum led grow light) - I am not sure about the mixed 3500 and 3000k spectrum, any thoughts? I like that they are waterproof, and have a switch to turn on UV/IR.
  • Latest kingbrite v3 120W x6 (3500k lm301h mix red CREE 660nm UV IR diodes QB V3 grow light) - No switch for UV/IR
I realize 6 might be too much for the 5x4 space. I was hoping to get a good spread by getting separate 120w QBs and spacing them out better. If I find that is just too much light I could use the extra two 120w QBs for the veg tent. Otherwise I will get a couple more QBs for the veg tent.


Venting:
This is one I wasn’t sure about. I was thinking of a 6” fan with a carbon filter pulling from in the grow room. Then I was going to duct into the ceiling and exhaust out a roof vent pipe I plan on installing for this purpose. For air intake I was going to start with passive air intake. If I find that I can’t maintain temps in the winter I will start pushing air from my house.

Question on the passive air intake: Should I create an air intake opening in my wall that I can put a furnace filter in? Or will it just pull from the space around the door anyways negating the purpose of the filter?

Does anyone have any suggestions on a quiet fan and good carbon filter? Also any suggestions on a day and night time controller for the fan?

Grow Method:
I plan on trying a SCROG style grow to start with as I can only grow 4 plants at a time. I was thinking I would have two flowering and two vegging at any given time. I am going to start by using soil, I am not interested in hydro at the moment but maybe after I get some experience growing I will think about it again. I have no intention of using C02 yet either.

Other Stuff:
  • A couple small oscillating fans for air movement.
  • Lux meter to dial in lights.
  • Drip trays for water run off. Any suggestions where to find a good price on these? They seem overly pricey for a plastic tray.
  • SCROG Net for the 4x5 area.
  • Dehumidifier: Small dehumidifier for a space about three times the size.
  • Nutrients: Remo Nutrients. I am currently using the full line on an outdoor grow and getting great results. I was going to keep using the stuff as that is all I know at the moment but happy to take any suggestions on nutrients.
  • Heat Mats: 2 - 48” x 20” waterproof heat mats with thermostat to warm the soil in winter.

Please let me know if I am forgetting anything. Thanks for reading.
 

spek9

Well-Known Member
Welcome to RIU, from a local resident BC grower!

You did forget one thing. A budget.

Please realize a lot of people come here with high hopes and dreams with a list of items they desire for a super-duper grow area. Experienced growers on the site then take the time to plot out everything (sometimes even floor and electrical plans), only to realize that the person doesn't have a dime and it was all theoretical.

That's a huge time waste for people.

Let us know your budget up front, be prepared to post pictures as you make progress, and people will be more inclined to help you with research and recommendations.
 
Hi Spek9

Thanks for reply! Good points..

I am hoping that I can keep the cost under or around $3k, for now anyways. I have already purchased most of the building supplies and am going to start framing things tonight or tomorrow. This project is moving forward unless I have missed something huge that makes it some how infeasible.

I would be happy to post pics as I make progress.

Lets start with the blank canvas in that case. This is the corner area of the garage I am going to frame in. The plug on the back wall is just about five feet out from the corner, I am going to move that inside the grow room and switch it to a GFCI.

IMG_20200624_155707.jpg
 

spek9

Well-Known Member
Hi Spek9

Thanks for reply! Good points..

I am hoping that I can keep the cost under or around $3k, for now anyways. I have already purchased most of the building supplies and am going to start framing things tonight or tomorrow. This project is moving forward unless I have missed something huge that makes it some how infeasible.

I would be happy to post pics as I make progress.

Lets start with the blank canvas in that case. This is the corner area of the garage I am going to frame in. The plug on the back wall is just about five feet out from the corner, I am going to move that inside the grow room and switch it to a GFCI.

View attachment 4605152
Thank you. That's great that you've got things all together here. I've subscribed to the post here and will definitely put some thought into it after I re-read the details more thoroughly a bit later. I've got promised projects for others here on RIU I have to complete that'll take the rest of the day so I might not get back until tomorrow, but considering you've shown that you really do mean business, that'll go over well.

Be in touch tomorrow, unless everything is resolved by then ;)
 

Apalchen

Well-Known Member
One thing I'd think about is how your going to keep your veg area lights from leaking into your flower area, I know two exterior doors could add up but if you were to divide your space up into two areas with seperate door you wouldn't have to worry about light leaks.

The prices of dehumidifiers don't vary that much from one size to another. If you buy a 30 pint to later find out you needed a 50 pint then that would be kinda expensive. Where as if you just buy a 70 pint right up front it might cost your 50 more dollars up front but you will be sure it will work and won't need to buy another bigger unit at full cost. Most of them have a built in humidistat and will kick on and off to suit your needs anyways. Make sure to get one with auto restart after lower outage.

Also have you considered running HID lighting such as hps. Since your in a cold climate you'd most likely be able to run your lights at night year around and they would provide you with some needed heat in the winter. Not to mention they are cheaper up front cost and you'd only need one 1000 watt light to run your whole flower area, and I've yet to see anything match the power of a 1000 watt hps except maybe the most expensive LEDs on the market and even then they usually don't yield more per sq ft, maybe more per watt but when working with limited sq ft, your gonna want the most you can get per sq ft.

If it's quality your going for a good compromise between hps and led is CMH.

Also if you run your exhaust fan on a circuit that gcfi outlet make sure you have a high heat shut off on your lights. As those outlets seem to randomly trip for no reason and that can be disastrous if your exhaust fan shuts off while the lights are on.

You can build a tray out of wood covered in pond liner but if your only running two plants just buy some cement mixing tubs from Lowe's or home depot.

If your not going full organic then I'd invest in a nice Hanna or blue lab combo meter.

I have an autopilot day and night temp controller it's nice an easy to use. My only complaint is how bright the green leds are on the display, I know green is supposed to be okay but it literally makes it so I can see the full length of my room which is like 24 ft. Easy fix is to cover it with foil tape for HVAC duct work. It peels off easy to make changes then sticks right back on.

Your exhaust plan sounds good I like the can 66 filter for a 6 inch fan. Intake filter is a good idea. Remember a passive intake needs a lil more then double the size of the exhaust hole.
 
Thanks Spek9, I look forward to any feedback.

Apalchen: Thanks for reading and taking the time to give me some feedback and info. You got some great stuff here.

One thing I'd think about is how your going to keep your veg area lights from leaking into your flower area, I know two exterior doors could add up but if you were to divide your space up into two areas with seperate door you wouldn't have to worry about light leaks.
Good point, I hadn't thought about light spill from the veg tent. I was going to build a plywood cabinet for them but will have to think more about how I can make it totally light proof. Maybe I buy a tent and put the plywood cabinet around it. I unfortunately don't have the space to put another wall in with a door.


The prices of dehumidifiers don't vary that much from one size to another. If you buy a 30 pint to later find out you needed a 50 pint then that would be kinda expensive. Where as if you just buy a 70 pint right up front it might cost your 50 more dollars up front but you will be sure it will work and won't need to buy another bigger unit at full cost. Most of them have a built in humidistat and will kick on and off to suit your needs anyways. Make sure to get one with auto restart after lower outage.
For a dehumidifier I already have one of these. It is a small 30 pint one. It does have a humidistat, but I am not sure if it will keep running after a power outage. I will probably start with the one I have but will keep any eye out for a larger one that will start back up after a poweroutage.

Also have you considered running HID lighting such as hps. Since your in a cold climate you'd most likely be able to run your lights at night year around and they would provide you with some needed heat in the winter. Not to mention they are cheaper up front cost and you'd only need one 1000 watt light to run your whole flower area, and I've yet to see anything match the power of a 1000 watt hps except maybe the most expensive LEDs on the market and even then they usually don't yield more per sq ft, maybe more per watt but when working with limited sq ft, your gonna want the most you can get per sq ft.
I have considered the HID lights, but was concerned about the additional fire hazard of the extra heat. I have my family in this house and was thinking LED would be a bit safer in that regard. I was also thinking LED would save some cash on electricity in the long run. Finally I only have one 15A breaker hooked up to this area at the moment and figured I would need multiple to run a HID light and everything else.


Also if you run your exhaust fan on a circuit that gcfi outlet make sure you have a high heat shut off on your lights. As those outlets seem to randomly trip for no reason and that can be disastrous if your exhaust fan shuts off while the lights are on.
Yes that would be very bad. I will make sure I get a controller with a high heat shut off.

You can build a tray out of wood covered in pond liner but if your only running two plants just buy some cement mixing tubs from Lowe's or home depot.
Thanks, I will check out the pond liners and cement mixing tubs!

If your not going full organic then I'd invest in a nice Hanna or blue lab combo meter.
I currently have a drop test kits for ph and a cheap ph meter that I used for saltwater and planted aquariums, I also have a TDS meter. Do you test ph daily? If so I could see it being work the investment in a Hanna or Blue lab meter.

I have an autopilot day and night temp controller it's nice an easy to use. My only complaint is how bright the green leds are on the display, I know green is supposed to be okay but it literally makes it so I can see the full length of my room which is like 24 ft. Easy fix is to cover it with foil tape for HVAC duct work. It peels off easy to make changes then sticks right back on.
Good to know on the green leds. Does your autopilot have a high heat shutoff in it? I saw some light controllers did have high heat shutoffs and figured it might be worth killing two birds with one stone so to speak.

Your exhaust plan sounds good I like the can 66 filter for a 6 inch fan. Intake filter is a good idea. Remember a passive intake needs a lil more then double the size of the exhaust hole.
I will check out the those filters. Great to know on the passive intake size, I will make sure to make an intake with more than double the size of the exhaust and I will use a filter on it.

Thanks again Apalchen
 

sf_frankie

Well-Known Member
For DIY tables/trays you can look into elastomeric roof coating. It’s made to protect rooftops in areas with severe weather like hurricanes. I built my tables out of 2x4/4x4s and plywood and coated them with that stuff. Super durable and waterproof. And at $20/can it’s way cheaper and easier than pond liner. I even got a formula that’s designed to reflect light off a rooftop to keep the building cooler so it has the added benefit of reflecting the light back up under the canopy. I built my tables at an angle so all of the water flows to one end into a catch tray. Water runs straight to the front corner.

B836C097-F756-48EA-9DB9-E0D3C404A876.jpeg

For lights you could run led strip lights and come damn close to covering a 4x5 area for flower with just one fixture. Most are rated for a 4x4 but you can diy them to cover 4x5. Lots of awesome info on diy builds on this forum. It’s a lot simpler than it looks at first glance and you save tons of cash by DIYing. My original plan was to only flower 4x4 but I’m gonna build some additional strips so I can fill both 5x5 tables in my room. Although you may be best suited to run HPS if you live in a cold climate Like @Apalchen said. Even with 1440w of LED in my room I struggled to keep my small grow room warm enough on cold nights.

Also agree with @Apalchen on the de-hu. Always buy oversized for your space if it’s something that can be dimmed or turned down. Not only is it more efficient to run things that way, it also allows for flexibility and expansion. If you think you need an 8000btu AC now, buy a 12,000. Need a 30 pint? Buy 70, etc. Once you’re up and running you’ll be glad you did.
 
Hi sf_frankie

Thanks for the reply!

For DIY tables/trays you can look into elastomeric roof coating. It’s made to protect rooftops in areas with severe weather like hurricanes. I built my tables out of 2x4/4x4s and plywood and coated them with that stuff. Super durable and waterproof. And at $20/can it’s way cheaper and easier than pond liner. I even got a formula that’s designed to reflect light off a rooftop to keep the building cooler so it has the added benefit of reflecting the light back up under the canopy. I built my tables at an angle so all of the water flows to one end into a catch tray. Water runs straight to the front corner.
The elastomeric roof coating sounds cool I will have to check that out. I like the look of your table, raising it up like that and allowing runoff to be drained is a great idea, I will add that to my plans. I suppose I could also use the space under the table for extra storage.

For lights you could run led strip lights and come damn close to covering a 4x5 area for flower with just one fixture. Most are rated for a 4x4 but you can diy them to cover 4x5. Lots of awesome info on diy builds on this forum. It’s a lot simpler than it looks at first glance and you save tons of cash by DIYing. My original plan was to only flower 4x4 but I’m gonna build some additional strips so I can fill both 5x5 tables in my room. Although you may be best suited to run HPS if you live in a cold climate Like @Apalchen said. Even with 1440w of LED in my room I struggled to keep my small grow room warm enough on cold nights.
Yah lighting is still a big question mark. I would like to get the spread even as possible, and was hoping to get a corner to corner ppfd of 1000-1500 for flower. If using DIY LED strips will get me that then I will certainly do some more research on those. I am still thinking I am going to avoid the HID to start with, I will battle the temp issues this winter and then re asses for next winter. I have easy access to pull air from my house so if I needed I can switch to that in the winter and it should take care of any temperature issues as my room will be well insulated.

For the strips I see kingbrite and Meijiu both do pre build strip light packages. Would any of those cover my space with the desired ppfd or am I best to do a DIY setup to get exactly what i need?

Also agree with @Apalchen on the de-hu. Always buy oversized for your space if it’s something that can be dimmed or turned down. Not only is it more efficient to run things that way, it also allows for flexibility and expansion. If you think you need an 8000btu AC now, buy a 12,000. Need a 30 pint? Buy 70, etc. Once you’re up and running you’ll be glad you did.
Noted on the dehumidifier size and power. Because I have one already, I will probably run it until it dies then upgrade.

Although because my house has AC and keeps the relative humidity and temperature much more stable. Maybe I should just pull the air from my house? That seems like it will help with both temperature and RH all year around. Then I won't have to worry about running a dehumidifier in my room and my temps should be more stable.

Hopefully I will have time this weekend to get started on building the room. I hope to get the floor in and walls framed. If I can get it insulated and drywall hung that would be icing on the cake.
 

sf_frankie

Well-Known Member
Hi sf_frankie

Thanks for the reply!



The elastomeric roof coating sounds cool I will have to check that out. I like the look of your table, raising it up like that and allowing runoff to be drained is a great idea, I will add that to my plans. I suppose I could also use the space under the table for extra storage.



Yah lighting is still a big question mark. I would like to get the spread even as possible, and was hoping to get a corner to corner ppfd of 1000-1500 for flower. If using DIY LED strips will get me that then I will certainly do some more research on those. I am still thinking I am going to avoid the HID to start with, I will battle the temp issues this winter and then re asses for next winter. I have easy access to pull air from my house so if I needed I can switch to that in the winter and it should take care of any temperature issues as my room will be well insulated.

For the strips I see kingbrite and Meijiu both do pre build strip light packages. Would any of those cover my space with the desired ppfd or am I best to do a DIY setup to get exactly what i need?



Noted on the dehumidifier size and power. Because I have one already, I will probably run it until it dies then upgrade.

Although because my house has AC and keeps the relative humidity and temperature much more stable. Maybe I should just pull the air from my house? That seems like it will help with both temperature and RH all year around. Then I won't have to worry about running a dehumidifier in my room and my temps should be more stable.

Hopefully I will have time this weekend to get started on building the room. I hope to get the floor in and walls framed. If I can get it insulated and drywall hung that would be icing on the cake.
definitely check it out. Was a pretty easy and cheap idea I had. It’s been durable so far and I don’t see any reason why it’ll breakdown. I made the tables too tall and had to chop the legs but still have room to store underneath which is nice! You can even add wheels to them for mobility. As soon as I saw how overpriced flood/drip tables are I decided to build my own.

1000ppfd at the corners is nice although not totally necessary. 600+ should be good. That’s about what the 640w strip light setups put out. A lot of the alibaba manufacturers will put more powerful drivers in the same strip lights if you ask them. My 720w fixtures hit around 750 at the corners of a 4x4 IIRC. At least that’s what the manufacturers claim. I’m gonna try and flower around 4.5x4.5. We’ll see what happens. There is a user in the LED forums that has the Meijiu lights. If I were to do it again I would have ordered from them.They’ve got a solid reputation.

I would definitely try to use your home AC if you can. My grow room is a separate structure from my house so I didn’t have that luxury. You can install dampers in the duct work of your house to focus all or none of your central air and heating to just the one room if needed. Central air is gonna be a lot more efficient than portable options.
 
Hi all

Things are progressing, just much slower then I had hoped for. Totally expected though with two young boys running around ;)

I have the floor and walls framed in now, so it is starting to look like something. Today I will try to finish the electrical, board up the exterior walls and, start on the insulation. I will also be picking the door up from a friend tomorrow, got to love free stuff!

On Monday I have a roofer coming to put in the roof vent. I have been trying to finalize my exhaust plans so I know what size roof vent to put in, either 6" or 8". After doing the CFM calculations again I think I still should probably get an 6 inch fan. I was of thinking of getting two of the Cloudline S6 fans, one for exhaust and one for intake. The intake will be drawing through about 15 - 20ft of ducting to get from the house to the grow room. Does this sound right? I would hate to install a 6 in vent only to find out I wanted a 8". I guess I could get the 8" vent and put a reducer on it to attach the 6" duct for now, then if I ever wanted to upgrade I could.

Exhust calculation:
6x5x8 = 240 sqft
Minimum CFM = 240 sqft / 3 min = 80 cfm
Carbon Filter + 25%
Insulation + 15%
Ducting @ 10 ft + 5%
Ducting bends x 2 + 50%
LED lights +10%

80*1.25*1.15*1.05*1.50*1.10 = 299 cfm


Still out to lunch on the lighting I am going to get. Would love a good set of strips, was thinking of the 1000W Chilledled but they will end up costing about 2k for the DIY pair and you still only get a three year warranty. DIY strips would probably be cheaper but if I factor in my time that might not be the case. Any thoughts on the ChillLeds guys? Have a tough time spending just over 1k on the meijiu 1000w Octupus China strips, but that might be the way to start out. Anyone have experience with either of these light, would they be good for a 5x4 footprint?

Some pics of the progress:
Floor.jpgFrame 1.jpgFram 2.jpg
 
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Things still moving along. Walls are all up and plugs are all wired in, I also have the sheeting up on the outside of the walls now. Next up I needs to insulate and start on the dry walling. Will add some pics later.

I finally pulled the pin on a light. I ended up going with a 10 bar Maijiu 1000W in 3500k.

I still am not sure what size exhaust fans I need or should have. I have been going back and forth on the either two Cloudline 6" (402 CFM) or 8" (807 cfm). The only downside I see to getting 8" is that everything costs more, carbon filter, insulated ducting, flanges... I have seen multiple ways to calculate CFM and they are giving me drastically different values. Also various methods have different values. IE: For a carbon filter, one place says 20% another says 50%. Can anyone tell me what method I should use to calculate the CFM? I am leaning towards the 8" just to be safe, but don't want to waste the extra money if it is not going to be needed.

6x5x8 = 240 sqft

CFM calculation with full air exchange every 3 minutes:
Minimum CFM = 240 sqft / 3 min = 80 cfm
Carbon Filter + 25%
Insulation + 15%
Ducting @ 10 ft + 5%
Ducting bends x 2 + 50%
LED lights +10%

80*1.25*1.15*1.05*1.50*1.10 = 299 cfm

CMF calculation with full air exchange every minute.
Minimum CFM = 240 sqft / 1 min = 240 cfm
Carbon Filter + 25%
Insulation + 15%
Ducting @ 10 ft + 5%
Ducting bends x 2 + 50%
LED lights +10%

240*1.25*1.15*1.05*1.50*1.10 = 597cfm
 
Hi all

I continue to make slow progress on the grow room. The room has now been fully insulated, vapor barrier has been put in and drywall has been hung. Next up is the taping and mudding the drywall, also starting to think about what I am going to put down to protect the floor. Sorry for the crappy pics it's tough to take pictures with the limited space.

insulation.jpgdrywall.jpgdoor.jpg

For the floor I am not sure yet what I am going to use, I have been thinking about using epoxy or maybe just linoleum. Anyone have any suggestions for protecting the floor?

I ended up ordering the two 8" S8 Cloudlines for intake and exhaust, I didn't get much feedback on them but they seems to get good reviews on Amazon. For a compatible filter does this right, https://indoorgrowingcanada.com/collections/carbon-filters/products/can-filters-can-lite-8-1000-cfm-carbon-filter? That says 1000 CFM max and the S8 fan is 800 CMF, but I intend on running the S8 on a slow speed. That is pricey for a filter, how long would it last me?

My lights came in and look great, they are the 1000W 10 bar meijiu strips. Meijiu's instructions show to mount the drivers to the heat syncs but I had read previously that people are mounting the drivers outside the grow rooms. Does anyone know where to get extension for the cables so I can run them outside the room? Also how hot do the drivers get and can you mount them on wood?

I am trying to get this ready before the end of the summer so I can move a couple of my outdoor plants in. I have already had to chop one plant as it got a case of rot that I couldn't get rid of and didn't want to infect the other three plants. It will be interesting to try and fit them in my room as they are staring to get quite large ;). Thoughts on fitting the two of my outdoor plants in the grow room as they getting fairly big?

The one on the left is Blue Cookies and the two on the right are White Banner. I was hoping to move the two plants on the left as the two of them will already be a tight fit. I will let the large White Banner on the right finish outdoors.
IMG_20200721_104714.jpg
 
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I have stared taping the drywall and dang am I slow at dry walling ;).

After a bit of research it looks like the Meijiu lights are using something similar to https://www.jniconconnector.com/sale-11584045-ip68-2-pin-waterproof-connector-led-m15-connector-male-female-csa-standard.html. I can hopefully order a couple of those to create extension chords for my drivers.

For flooring I am now thinking of using Liquid Rubber. This stuff can be used to line a pond or swimming pool liner and gets great reviews. I am also going to get enough of it to cover my table as well. This table will similar to the one posted above from @sf_frankie, thanks again for that!

I am still not sure if this Can Filter (1000 CFM) is the correct one to go with my S8 cloudline (800cfm) fan though. Can anyone help on this front or suggest something they know will be good?

Thanks in advance for the help!
 
@BCGreenGuy I’m going to running a very similar setup. I have a t6 and t8, I went with a terra bloom and phat filter. I did go with a Meijiu light. A qb 480w.

I don’t think I would bring those plants inside. Your going to have a nice clean build. Keep it clean. I’m only taking them outside.

Those plants look great. Just start fresh inside. Build looks great too.
 
Hi all

Thought I would post an update as it has been a while. I have been away on holidays for most of the last month so progress has been slow.

I was able to finish up the mudding and taping of the walls, I took my time and it turned out nice in the end. I have also put on four coats of primer as a base. I will finish with a couple more coats of paint once the rest of the work is done.

I have also installed the intake and exhaust ducting. What a pain in the ass this was as I couldn't find any pre made take off start collars, so I had to make them my self. I was able to make them out of a length of rigid duct by cutting it with shears, making tabs for mounting and crimping the female ends. I attached these to plywood so I could mount them solidly between the trusses in the ceiling. Finally I made a plywood box at the Intake so I can put an air filter in. Then connected it all up with insulated ducting.

Final steps:
Touch up ceiling around vents attachments.
Install LiquidRubber waterproof flooring, this will wrap up the walls a couple inches. Should get these supplies in next week.
Do Final painting.
Seal door.
Hang lights, fans and filter.

My outdoor grow won't be done until close to September and I have a 4 plant limit so I will have lots of time to dial things in before I get growing. Although my outdoor plants will probably get rot and die before then so maybe sooner ;)

@OnefootintheGrave’ sorry I didn't reply sooner. Read your post quickly while on vacation and forgot to reply back. I will take the advice on not bringing my outdoor plant inside. The more I read about it the more it seems I need to keep that room as clean and pest free as possible. So no bringing outdoor plants or equipment into my grow room.

Pics: (sorry for the bad phone pics, lighting is awful)
IMG_20200802_122202.jpgIMG_20200827_090238_BURST1.jpgIMG_20200827_090151.jpg
 

BigDawg@1964

Active Member
Hi all, I have been lurking on this site for a while doing some research to set up my first indoor grow. I am looking for advice on everything. With this being my first grow I have no practical experience and was hoping to get some advice from some knowledgeable growers here. I plan on setting this up in my garage by framing in an insulated room. I live in Canada so the winter can get a bit chilly. This is only for personal use so I am looking for quality over quantity.

Structure:
I am going to set up a 6’x5’x8’ room, this will be standard wood stud framing. I plan on insulating the walls with fiberglass insulation and the floor with GPS foam insulation. I am also planning on installing an exterior door to help with insulation. I will be using mold resistant drywall (greenboard). I will tape and mud the drywall with standard drywall mud. Then I will prime the walls and roof with Kilz premium primer and finish with a flat bathroom or exterior paint. I was going to try to find some white epoxy for the floor.

Lights:
I plan on using the back 4’x5’ area as my main grow space. I am also planning on setting up a 2x2x8 cabinet or tent at the front of the room to veg a couple plants in. I would like to start with LEDs if they won’t compromise the quality. The leds I am thinking of are Kingbrite, not sure what ones I should get though.
  • Latest kingbrite 120W x 6 (lm301h mix Cree xpe2 660nm/730nm/LG UV separate switch waterproof quantum led grow light) - I am not sure about the mixed 3500 and 3000k spectrum, any thoughts? I like that they are waterproof, and have a switch to turn on UV/IR.
  • Latest kingbrite v3 120W x6 (3500k lm301h mix red CREE 660nm UV IR diodes QB V3 grow light) - No switch for UV/IR
I realize 6 might be too much for the 5x4 space. I was hoping to get a good spread by getting separate 120w QBs and spacing them out better. If I find that is just too much light I could use the extra two 120w QBs for the veg tent. Otherwise I will get a couple more QBs for the veg tent.


Venting:
This is one I wasn’t sure about. I was thinking of a 6” fan with a carbon filter pulling from in the grow room. Then I was going to duct into the ceiling and exhaust out a roof vent pipe I plan on installing for this purpose. For air intake I was going to start with passive air intake. If I find that I can’t maintain temps in the winter I will start pushing air from my house.

Question on the passive air intake: Should I create an air intake opening in my wall that I can put a furnace filter in? Or will it just pull from the space around the door anyways negating the purpose of the filter?

Does anyone have any suggestions on a quiet fan and good carbon filter? Also any suggestions on a day and night time controller for the fan?

Grow Method:
I plan on trying a SCROG style grow to start with as I can only grow 4 plants at a time. I was thinking I would have two flowering and two vegging at any given time. I am going to start by using soil, I am not interested in hydro at the moment but maybe after I get some experience growing I will think about it again. I have no intention of using C02 yet either.

Other Stuff:
  • A couple small oscillating fans for air movement.
  • Lux meter to dial in lights.
  • Drip trays for water run off. Any suggestions where to find a good price on these? They seem overly pricey for a plastic tray.
  • SCROG Net for the 4x5 area.
  • Dehumidifier: Small dehumidifier for a space about three times the size.
  • Nutrients: Remo Nutrients. I am currently using the full line on an outdoor grow and getting great results. I was going to keep using the stuff as that is all I know at the moment but happy to take any suggestions on nutrients.
  • Heat Mats: 2 - 48” x 20” waterproof heat mats with thermostat to warm the soil in winter.

Please let me know if I am forgetting anything. Thanks for reading.
Hi all, I have been lurking on this site for a while doing some research to set up my first indoor grow. I am looking for advice on everything. With this being my first grow I have no practical experience and was hoping to get some advice from some knowledgeable growers here. I plan on setting this up in my garage by framing in an insulated room. I live in Canada so the winter can get a bit chilly. This is only for personal use so I am looking for quality over quantity.

Structure:
I am going to set up a 6’x5’x8’ room, this will be standard wood stud framing. I plan on insulating the walls with fiberglass insulation and the floor with GPS foam insulation. I am also planning on installing an exterior door to help with insulation. I will be using mold resistant drywall (greenboard). I will tape and mud the drywall with standard drywall mud. Then I will prime the walls and roof with Kilz premium primer and finish with a flat bathroom or exterior paint. I was going to try to find some white epoxy for the floor.

Lights:
I plan on using the back 4’x5’ area as my main grow space. I am also planning on setting up a 2x2x8 cabinet or tent at the front of the room to veg a couple plants in. I would like to start with LEDs if they won’t compromise the quality. The leds I am thinking of are Kingbrite, not sure what ones I should get though.
  • Latest kingbrite 120W x 6 (lm301h mix Cree xpe2 660nm/730nm/LG UV separate switch waterproof quantum led grow light) - I am not sure about the mixed 3500 and 3000k spectrum, any thoughts? I like that they are waterproof, and have a switch to turn on UV/IR.
  • Latest kingbrite v3 120W x6 (3500k lm301h mix red CREE 660nm UV IR diodes QB V3 grow light) - No switch for UV/IR
I realize 6 might be too much for the 5x4 space. I was hoping to get a good spread by getting separate 120w QBs and spacing them out better. If I find that is just too much light I could use the extra two 120w QBs for the veg tent. Otherwise I will get a couple more QBs for the veg tent.


Venting:
This is one I wasn’t sure about. I was thinking of a 6” fan with a carbon filter pulling from in the grow room. Then I was going to duct into the ceiling and exhaust out a roof vent pipe I plan on installing for this purpose. For air intake I was going to start with passive air intake. If I find that I can’t maintain temps in the winter I will start pushing air from my house.

Question on the passive air intake: Should I create an air intake opening in my wall that I can put a furnace filter in? Or will it just pull from the space around the door anyways negating the purpose of the filter?

Does anyone have any suggestions on a quiet fan and good carbon filter? Also any suggestions on a day and night time controller for the fan?

Grow Method:
I plan on trying a SCROG style grow to start with as I can only grow 4 plants at a time. I was thinking I would have two flowering and two vegging at any given time. I am going to start by using soil, I am not interested in hydro at the moment but maybe after I get some experience growing I will think about it again. I have no intention of using C02 yet either.

Other Stuff:
  • A couple small oscillating fans for air movement.
  • Lux meter to dial in lights.
  • Drip trays for water run off. Any suggestions where to find a good price on these? They seem overly pricey for a plastic tray.
  • SCROG Net for the 4x5 area.
  • Dehumidifier: Small dehumidifier for a space about three times the size.
  • Nutrients: Remo Nutrients. I am currently using the full line on an outdoor grow and getting great results. I was going to keep using the stuff as that is all I know at the moment but happy to take any suggestions on nutrients.
  • Heat Mats: 2 - 48” x 20” waterproof heat mats with thermostat to warm the soil in winter.

Please let me know if I am forgetting anything. Thanks for reading.
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BigDawg@1964

Active Member
This is my setup, I have oversized garage and boxed in 12x8 back right corner, framed it out used plywood to box it in, mainly because of mold and mildew problems with sheetrock from past grow room experience. Lol I went with quality over quantity I can grow 6 big plants on a run, I used killz primer took 3 gallons to cover good and painted it satin white used white panda film on the floor taped down with gorilla duck tape, easy to take care of wipe walls down between grows and put new plastic in floor hope this helps works good for me and good garage plan but rethink that sheetrock dawg.
 
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