What reflects better?

[fatbuds420]

White walls, or materials like mylar? If mylar is better, by how much?

 

[Gazoo]

White walls, or materials like mylar? If mylar is better, by how much?

MY opinion, White paint is better and cheaper, Notice how hospital operating rooms are painted white.
Plus if covering with Mylar there is the possibility of mold behind it

 

[fatbuds420]

MY opinion, White paint is better and cheaper, Notice how hospital operating rooms are painted white.
Plus if covering with Mylar there is the possibility of mold behind it

Thank you, I'll be switching from a tent grow to a closet grow, way better in my situation.

 

[Bush Doctor 77]

High gloss enamel is a good reflector.

 

[fatbuds420]

MY opinion, White paint is better and cheaper, Notice how hospital operating rooms are painted white.
Plus if covering with Mylar there is the possibility of mold behind it

I have a big 200w cfl, do you think i is a use a reflector, or can i just out it in the corner with the plant right next to it and i will be good?

 

[Gazoo]

I have a big 200w cfl, do you think i is a use a reflector, or can i just out it in the corner with the plant right next to it and i will be good?

Not sure, never ran CFL only HID and T5s. I am sure someone with CFL experience will
be along shortly

 

[Jackopotomus]

I remember reading the actual stats somewhere probably Cervantes' bible. Cant remember the exact numbers but basically mylar is a better reflective material but it needs to be real mylar, it needs to be hung without any folds or wrinkles as those can create hot spots. So yes technically mylar will reflect more light but is far more expensive and difficult to use. Something like a flat white killz paint is easy to apply easy to clean and reflects more than enough light for what you will need.

A 200 w CFL will be able to grow a plant but it probably wont produce much. A light reflector would make it better but only minisculy as CFL light isnt very intense and your plants need to stay close to it to use any of the light like 4-5 cm.

I would say you're better off spending money on a real grow light rather than mylar and a reflector but like I said the 200 w CFL will produce a small amount of flower.

What are your expectations for the grow? If you're just looking to grow a plant for the experience of it and want to do it on a budget use what you have. If you're intending to keep yourself stocked with bud you're 200w probably won't cut it.

 

[labexperiment]

MIGRO did a video on this on a popular video site. You can watch the video for the actual numbers as I do not remember them, but mylar won by quite a bit.

 

[Bigjake8]

Somewhere on here I read white paint is 70% and mylar is 90% but mylar around here is 4x the price

I wouldn't take you plants out of your tent for White Walls just get a better light with money you would spend on mylar

 

[HugePeckerhead]

I use Mylar sheeting. Works great for me and haven't had any problems with it. 4th grow using it. It was under $25 USD for an entire roll. Also the reflective cardboard material they sell at Lowe's or Home Depot works great too. Their sheets like drywall but Styrofoam. Not sure of exact name.

 

[Farnheit]

I bought 10x0.5m of mylar for 20usd aint that expensive

And I think mylar have best reflectivness

 

[flashmp3]

I ve been using mylar since my second grow. I think it s the best for the bang in terms of how well it reflects. Bought It on amazon

 

[PE636]

I'd be very interested to see an actual measurement of mylar compared to a flat brilliant white.. I suspect white is better, but there's more money to be made selling mylar.

 

[flashmp3]

I'd be very interested to see an actual measurement of mylar compared to a flat brilliant white.. I suspect white is better, but there's more money to be made selling mylar.

If I had patience I would do the test for you. Trust me white isn't better I tried it before buying the Mylar otherwise I would have saved my money. But I think those info can be found on internet

 

[flashmp3]

Forgot to say I m the kind of person measuring every other day to ensure I m giving 70k lux at canopy and this even when stretch is over

 

[Jackopotomus]

Dont get me wrong Mylar is a better reflective material I just think in this particular growers garden its putting the horse before the cart. Plants dont grow because of the reflective materials on the wall but rather the light hanging from the ceiling. And real mylar reflects 95% of light but those emergency blankets sold at the dollar store aren't real Mylar and wont give you that level of reflection. Neither is the stuff on the back of the insulation panels. They're not bad just certainly not necessary. And even if you pick up mylar for 20 bucks not to expensive it's still 15 bucks more than paint and that's an 15 dollars towards getting what you are really going to need a grow light. Dont forget 20 bucks just gets you the mylar, your going to need to tack it or tape it or otherwise hang it on the wall if you've got stuff hanging around the house then you're golden but otherwise that's another couple bucks for thumb racks not a big expense but all that little stuff adds up.

 

[Bud basher]

As labexperiment said check out the migro fella on you tube he done a experiment with all the different types of reflective sheeting and paint and his favourite was diamond Mylar as the diamond scores in the sheeting defuses the light not to reflect a hot spot on your girls in one place with 20% or more par than plain white paint, so if it was me buy some diamond Mylar sheeting you are not going to need much so won’t kill your pocket, 20% more par = more bud and save yourself a messy paint job that will always be left in the unit and buy a couple of quantum boards and you’ll be golden, plus keep the cfl for starting seeds and clones, that’s my two bobs worth, cheers.

 

[Nunyabiz]

Mylar is best reflection wise but it has to have something to reflect.
CFL ain't it.
I'd get good lights first and worry about reflection later.