part0013

At this point, you’ve learned all the fundamentals of setting up a grow space. You should have a solid plan for which type of enclosure you’ll use to house your plants and what lighting, ventilation, and accessories will make up the basic infrastructure of your indoor grow. In this section, we’ll talk about constructing and outfitting your grow space. If you feel uncomfortable with any of the tasks described here or if permitting is required, consult a licensed contractor.

Construction/Framing: If you want your grow space to last for several years, consider spending a little more for quality materials and craftsmanship. Because the grow space is part of your home, you’ll most likely want to continue with the same basic level of construction and aesthetics, which for many homes means wooden wall frames covered with drywall and painted or otherwise sealed. Setting walls properly requires experience, so lean on a qualified friend or utilize a contractor if this is new to you. The last thing you want is a wall to fall in on your plants. You’ll need to put a cap on your grow space to seal it from the outside. Think about using an appropriate surface for the ceiling, such as fiber reinforced plastic (FRP), that can seal and will be easy to maintain and keep clean. You’ll want to seal around the area between the floor and wall with silicone or caulk as well so there are no gaps. If money is limited, many growers have had success with reflective plastic sheeting for walls. Although plastic walls are not the best looking and are prone to cleaning and maintenance issues, they can be effective and are cheap to repair and replace.

Circulation/Ventilation: Lay out exactly where your air movers will go and determine the specific path for the ducting. As discussed in Step 4: The Environment under Using Ductwork , you’ll want to have calculated the length of ductwork and rating of air mover required. This is the stage where holes may need to be cut out of walls for the airflow system. Measure twice and cut once, making sure to create holes prior to installing wall coverings. As a general rule, make your runs as short and straight as possible. Ensure ductwork installation features lightproof collars and accessories, and tape over any holes with Mylar or black electrical tape.

Lighting: Lighting needs to be vertically adjustable so you can tweak the distance as the plants grow. For this reason, most lighting systems put lights on some type of assembly that can be raised and lowered via a pulley system. Your lighting apparatus could be of considerable weight, so make sure you anchor it appropriately to the rafters or another integral supporting structure. If your lighting system doesn’t come equipped with a pulley system, you may have to get creative in designing one for your space. A variety of after-market solutions exist to help novice growers suspend their grow lights.

Construction/Framing: Closets will usually be ready to use once you apply a suitable wall covering. Space buckets are a type of do-it-yourself mini grow space you can create from five-gallon plastic buckets, inexpensive fans, and CFLs. If you remember back to Step 3: The Light , CFLs are Compact Fluorescent Lights. They use little energy and put out little heat, so they are perfect for the small environment of a space bucket. You will typically use multiple buckets, some to create layers that handle drainage of soil, one main bucket to house the plant, and a top or lid to hold the lighting. Many open-source designs for space buckets are available on the internet.

Circulation/Ventilation: If using a closet with standard HVAC, you’ll want to remove the register or damper and seal the hole up with plastic, Mylar, or reflective tape. Your operation is sensitive to environmental changes, so you want to be able to control the temperature inside the closet independently of your home’s thermostat. You may need to cut a hole in a closet wall to effectively ventilate the grow room area. An option to consider in lieu of making holes in the walls is attaching ductwork to the access door with just enough slack to open the door as needed. This will reduce the effective air movement, so make sure your air movers are sized accordingly. For a space bucket, cutting a hole in the bucket and attaching a fan should be adequate for the small amount of space being ventilated and circulated.

Electrical: Closets often have an existing outlet inside them or one near enough to run an extension cord from. Be careful if you attempt to run an outlet from the closet light itself, as this will usually be limited in capacity. A typical device is shown above. These are often neither properly grounded nor able to accommodate grounded (three-prong) plugs, so be aware of the increased risk of electrical shock and blowing fuses.

Lighting: For a closet setup, you’ll want to arrange a pulley system to adjust the height of lights, and you’ll need to have enough power to run your lights, just as with the room within a room. Closets often have a top shelf under which you can suspend lights or an oscillating fan. Check the sturdiness of your light setup with the light in the lowest position, as this causes the most stress on the apparatus. For a space bucket, you’ll typically use four to six 23-watt CFLs with a broad spectrum for vegetative and flowering plants. Affix the appropriate number of sockets to the top of the space bucket, and attach a plug end in order to plug the lights into the electrical strip. Even though this is just a modified bucket, electricity can be hazardous, so enlist the help of a licensed contractor or an experienced friend.

THE COLLECTION RACK

BENEFITS OF A COLLECTION RACK

A collection rack can provide you with better ergonomics in your grow space, helping you avoid stooping over your plants on the floor for long periods of time. It can also allow you to separate plants in different stages of growth, as seen in the illustration to the right. But its main benefit is that water runoff, leaves, and plant debris collect on the floor of the collection rack instead of the floor of your grow space, keeping the space clean and sanitary.

HOW TO BUILD A COLLECTION RACK

Growers use a rule of thumb that a collection rack should take up no more than 75 percent of the horizontal growing area in a grow room so that there is space to move around. For example, if your grow space is 20 square feet large, then, according to this rule of thumb, your collection rack should take up no more than 75 percent of 20 square feet, or 15 square feet of horizontal growing area. For that size, a collection rack that is 3½ feet by 4¼ feet (for a total of about 15 square feet) might work nicely.

You should also allow at least six inches of vertical space between the top of the collection rack and the grow space ceiling for cords, ducting, and the pulley system. Also, set the bottom layer of your collection rack at least six inches from the ground for inspection and cleaning. If you opt for casters, make sure they can accommodate the maximum expected weight of fully grown plants and lights.

Once you’ve determined the ideal dimensions and number of layers for your collection rack, you can get to work constructing it. (A variety of manufactured carts can be easily outfitted if you’d rather not create the rack itself.) PVC pipe is an ideal material for a collection rack. It only requires a hacksaw and glue to work with, is easy to clean, and can keep electrical cords neatly contained. PVC board makes great shelving but needs to be supported by PVC pipe or a metal frame to hold weight evenly.