Top 3 Best Reflective Material for Grow Rooms (2021 Reviews)
When growing marijuana indoors, the best reflective material for light will prove to be essential. This is going to increase the intensity of the light that is produced in an enclosed space, which is important given the fact that there is no sunlight that encourages photosynthetic activity and improves the overall growth of the plant.
Choosing a reflective material can be a challenging task, especially for the uninitiated. If you are just starting to discover the wonderful world of marijuana cultivation, we are here to extend a helping hand. In the rest of this post, we will quickly discuss some of the best products that should be under your radar, as well as the reasons why they are amongst the most exceptional picks.
WHY PREPARING YOUR GROW AREA IS IMPORTANT?
Knowing where you will be growing and how that translates to an adequate setup is vital before embarking on your cultivation journey. It will save precious man-hours, not to mention a lot of money by making adequate preparations.
When it comes to considering the reflective nature of your growing area, a grow tent offers a viable solution to any difficulties you may come across. A good quality grow tent has already the right correct reflective material on the inside.
However, if you are looking to grow in any other room, preparing the walls are vitally important. Here below we discuss the three best options you have when it comes to using reflective material in your marijuana grow tent.
What to consider when buying the best reflective material for grow room?
We have highlighted some of the best reflective materials in the market today but there are hundreds of other options in the market. Before you go looking for the best reflective material to use in your grow room, you need to know exactly what you are looking for. Below are some of the most important things to consider.
Reflective Material Options
Choosing the right material may seem overwhelming especially if you do not know which reflective material is better than the other and which one suits your grow room best. Below are the most popular reflective material options in the market to make it easier to understand what you are looking for in a reflective material.
Mylar Reflective Material
This is by far the most popular reflective material used in indoor farming. One of the reasons for its popularity is the ability to reflect more than 95% of light. Sometimes the reflection is close to 100%. Mylar is made of a polyesters film that measures anything from one millimetre to two millimetres. Besides being, the most popular and most affordable, Mylar material has some setbacks.
For starters when you have Mylar reflective material in the grow room, you need to have ventilation too because the material produces radiant heat. Too much of this heat may be damaging to the weed and you therefore need to let in some cool air to neutralise the heat.
Another disadvantage is some of the Mylar materials may be prone to tear and puncture so there will be need for frequent replacements. These however are minimal problems compared to the benefits.
Paint Reflective Material
Paint is readily available and the other best alternative to polyester reflective materials. Some people use cabinets as their grow rooms while others wooden cubicles. These setups do not get enough light into the crops and in order to capture light, you can use flat white paint to reflect light back to the crops the budget friendly alternative can reflect anything between 85% and 95% of light.
One of the major benefits of using paint over other options is that it is easier to clean and maintain. The latex material that makes the paint is smooth and easily dusts off after just a wipe. Paint unlike Mylar reflective material does not produce too much heat which makes the interior of the grow room remain cool at all times. If you apply the paint correctly, you will have even distribution of light without any air pockets or hotspots and red spots.
Foylon Reflective Material
Not many people can tell the difference between the Foylon reflective material and the Mylar reflective material. The two look similar and come with many other similarities besides the look. However, there is one distinctive feature that sets the two apart. Foylon is a more expensive reflective material and the reason is that it is much more durable than Mylar. Foylon is not made from just polyester but from spun polyester. A foil laminator is used as reinforcement on the material to make it stronger. The reinforcements also ensure that the reflective material does not fade and it allows over 95% percent of light to bounce back to the grow room.
Grow Tent Reflector Material
This is also another very popular alternative with many marijuana growers. The option of a grow tent that comes with its own fitted reflective material is a stress free option too. The material on the grow tent can be anything from Mylar to Foylon. The built in materials do not require any fixing or stapling.
Plastic Reflective Material
Though not as popular as the above-mentioned options, plastic, also referred to as black or white polymer is another option that grow room farmers use as reflective materials. The plastic, which is white on one side and black on the other, has the ability to reflect up to 95% of light back to the crops. The thicker the plastic the more durable it is so if to ever decide to go for this option, do not go for thin sheets of plastic. One of the main disdvantages why this option is not very popular with marijuana growers is that plastic produces too much heat, which can stress the crop. In order to avoid the plastic from getting too hot you have to keep it far from the grow light, which could be difficult in some situations especially in small, grow rooms.
Temperature
Before you go buying the reflective material for your grow room, you should also take into consideration the temperature of the space. If the room is cold, go with Foylon, or Mylar reflective materials. If the temperatures into room are high, go with the paint reflective option.
Pros:
- Highly durable
- Comfortable price
- Excellent consumer reviews
- Excellent reflection percentage
- Maintains right room temperature
Cons:
- Not that easily cleanable.
- A few units were delivered with manufacturing faults.
Pros:
- Low price
- Spreads light evenly
- Reflective is 92%-97%, which is considered very good.
- Reduces the indoor heat
- Easily cleanable
- Highly durable
Cons:
- Smells bad even after two weeks of unwrapping.
- Not heavy duty and tears easily.
VIVOSUN 6 Mil Mylar Film Roll
Pros
- Reflects up to 100% grow light
- Inexpensive option
- Easy to fix
- Resistant to tear and puncture
Cons
- Water reduces reflectivity
Conclusion
Gone are those days when you are only restricted to outdoor farming, innovation has now turned things around. You now have the luxury of growing plants indoor with tools that can aid their growth and survival. You would have noticed all the four products we reviewed are of mylar material. This is because of the high reflectivity it provides for the good of plants.
Your plants require plenty light and normal temperature to ensure effective growth. In searching for the best reflective material for grow room, you should go for a product that promises you high reflectivity, super durability, and proper temperature. You also have a consider with ECO Farm grow tent kit.
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