Loft Build - From Start To Finish, Newbie Loft Build Diary Options

[Bobsie]

The loft as it basically stands pre-build.
7ft x 7ft x 7ft will be the cube area (although its a bit different than that due to the odd shape as you will see below in the mock up picture).


Floor panelling has been laid fully today. The old doors on the left/right hand sides are so I could get a "feel" for the space.

This is the 3d mock up so that I can get an idea of the space fully. The big thing sticking out the front (which makes it look like a tank from the old Atari arcade game - for those that can remember that far back) is the exhaust duct. The great thing about doing this in Sketchup is that as soon as I put that there I realised that I would loose about a foot off of the height. It will now be run just slighly lower to the left or right of the entrance doorway.


I am obviously constrained A LOT by the design of the roof supports which simply cannot be butchered out of the way. Think I have done alright with the space personally...

Walling it all up should be easy as pie, simply going to go to work with my power nailgun and some small thickness board sheets. Will be doubling up on both sides of the roof support beams and inbetween there will be filled with loft insulation to keep the heat in/out.

Not 100% decided on if to make the enclosed area for the plants as I am now going to complete the floor in heavy duty pond liner. Was just worried about spilling a bucket as this is going to be a hydro grow (bubbled buckets)

Tomorrow is the start of building the wall structure which will be fun to do and give me a proper "space"

Equipment to go in:
RUCK 200mm Fan with silencer and carbon filter.
Acoustic Ducting in and out
2 x 600 Watt lights, diamond grow reflectors. Will be mounted on Yo-Yo Easy Rolls and connected to a 2way Maxiswitch timer.
Wall mounted oscillating fan. I dont trust the stands on the ones from the likes of Focus, they just seem too wobbly to leave unattended.
Fan speed controller, hygrometer, thermometers
16 output Koi pond 24/7 duty airpump

Phew!
Think thats about it to start with. Mate is going to be getting me started with some clones on this initial grow. While its all going will be working on a veg/mother area.

[buddingbuddah]

nice 1 Bobsie looking good
be good to c it built from start to finnish
hopefully in afew months or so i might b able to move into loft all the best with it
yeah it does look like the old vector tank game which just adds kudos in my book
i feel like the only bloke on uk420 who cant find a clone for love nor money oh well

buddingbuddah

ps oh yeah goood luck with it

This post has been edited by buddingbuddah: Sep 6 2007, 12:47 AM

[Bobsie]

Unlucky with the clones there Buddah, sure something will work out for you. Also believe it would be more rewarding to do the whole grow from seed stage...if you can hack the waiting

Anyway. Some more progress.
Went shopping yesterday and started to get some gear together at last.
We dropped the fan size down a notch, primarily because it was quite over the top on the 200mm version for the size of room, but also because I found that 200mm trunking everywhere was going to be a pain in the ass to get to the eaves and to the great outdoors.

Black and White
Floor Secure
Ruck 150mm
Standard and acoustic ducting (acoustic for the outbound air)
Silencer
Odds and sods - jubilee clips, 90 degree bends and the like
1 x 600w Diamond - mate is giving me a 400 as my second to tide me over as he found plants where far more responsive stepping up to a 400w from a 250w CFL veg cycle, then hitting them with the 600w when established fully in the DWC tanks.
2-way Maxiswitch.
Bunch of nutes, syringes, EC pen.
Also got the carbon filter which was a steal and possibly a mistake by the sales guy. They where out of the budget filters at £80 so he gave me the uprated CAN filter instead plus knocked a tenner off the price, then 5% off the total, then rounded it to the lowest tenner Good deal IMO!
Just as well really when I consider the other bits that I had never even thought of which are going to add to the overall costs - thermostat, hydrostat, airpump, containers for the bubblers.
Never ending, certainly not a cheap "hobby" to get into, but I am sure that its more of an investment than anything else

Some pictures of how it looks today.
Floorsecure is in place this afternoon. Also underneath that is two layers of carpet from spare bits we had laying about up in the loft. This should I hope help reduce some of the noise coming from the pumps and other stuff on the floor.



Tomorrow on with the rest of the insulation inbetween the wall structures and up with the black and white. I am deliberately leaving the front/door area until I have to do it as it gives me a lot more freedom to move about at present.

[newbudda]

hi m8 just make sure your loft floor is well supported. proper loft conversions require new stronger/thicker floor beams to support the extra weight, normal beams just arnt strong enough.

you dont want your new set up to come crashing through the ceiling all the gear plus water/res is quite heavy.

all the best ,
newbudda

[StonedSkunk]

Coming together nicely dude...

keep us informed.

SS

[Bobsie]

hi m8 just make sure your loft floor is well supported. proper loft conversions require new stronger/thicker floor beams to support the extra weight, normal beams just arnt strong enough.

you dont want your new set up to come crashing through the ceiling all the gear plus water/res is quite heavy.

all the best ,
newbudda

Didn't realise that, but I think it should be ok as the boards have been holding up several tubs of similar size stuffed to the brim with books and the like for a number of years. Will keep an eye on it though

[nobby123]

This looks real interesting, I have a similar size loft and will be good to see what can be done with the space, using a bud box atm.

[FARMER 5m0k3s]

can't wait to see more dude keep up the good work.






smokes

[buddingbuddah]

hi Bobsie

owch dont forget to save some for xmas .

no worries i've got some seeds on the go m8

and as for the clone u were right i found a friend with a nice little female

not the uk cheese but still very nice

probably best to walk before i can run

good luck with the build m8

buddingbuddah

peace

[EasyRider]

Hi Bobsie - Good luck with the build. I'm having to go up to the loft and i believe my dimensions are going to be similar so I'm pulling up a comfy chair for this one.

All the best mate!

[Bobsie]

hi mate thats the same size as mine just finishing it now will post pics tomoror to show u mine how many u think u can fit in i was planning on a 16 pot hydro on 2 400 watt lights my self

Only going to be 4 plants but will be using a SCROG method that my mate has been showing me. He's been getting some good results up to around 19oz a plant using a very similar setup to my own. Using a homemade DWC which consists of 60 litre storage boxes (with lids), basket pots, airstones and a proper heavy duty pond airpump. Its not exactly a cheap way of doing it but is a good way. It weighs in around £150 to £160 total for the four plant grow for the hydro stuff, you can get a similar purpose made system for that such as a rainforest or autopots. Bonus is though that my mate has found they last for years and just looking at a new set of airstones maybe once a year while growing 24/7. The pump alone puts to shame those in most of the pre-built systems, when you look at something like these - [LINK REMOVED] in comparison to this [LINK REMOVED] which will happily drive four pots with scope to upgrade too.

Not made much progress this week as have been back at work but should be some more pictures and stuff up next week as I am on call from home I got most of the black+white up then found that I didnt have enough to finish the job so another trip to the friendly grow shop was required. I think I have bought way more than I needed, but hey its only a couple quid a metre.

buddingbuddah - should be plenty cash left over for Christmas, all being well, this should be paying for itself plus a quite bit to spare

This post has been edited by StonedBrittania: Oct 18 2007, 02:14 PM

[EasyRider]

19oz per plant?! That's the most I've ever heard of - where do I sign?

[Bobsie]

19oz per plant?! That's the most I've ever heard of - where do I sign?

1 of them was that IIRC unless I have got my wires crossed somewhere?

[Bobsie]

Been a bit caught up in getting the thing going and forgot about posting an update .

Anyways, the girls have been in their new home for about a week or so now and doing great (bar a slight bit of nute burn on one of them which was my own stupid fault - but hey, its a learning process right??!)

So here's all the airflow side of things utilising the "dead space" in the side of the odd shaped area I have. All nicely suspended by bungy cords and using insulated duct work.
Seriously quiet and no vibrations going through all the wood work
The worst noise is that I can actually hear the bubbles in the pots though the ceiling above our bed, its actually quite soothing and helps me sleep well...that and the thought of some nice big buds
Airpump is also suspended in much the same way off the floor on the other side of the room via similar bungy cords.



And here are the ladies. I cannot believe how well they are going already, 1 week and they are nicely settled and getting visibly bigger each day. Roots on the "burnt" plant where a little slow to develop but now they are well away.
Just moved the light a little closer today as I dont want them too leggy, its all about the SCROG



Thoughts:

1. 600w is too big to settle in new plants so have switched to a borrowed 400w job, will change to 600w + the 400w when we go flowering time I think. Will be buying my own 400w with some of the proceeds of this grow to save me mate transporting it around. Its a little inconspicuous carrying a bloody great reflector about
2. Will be insulating the actual containers with some sound deadening as that is the only bit of noise I can hear outside of the room at the end of this grow
3. Fan speed controller needs to be put in too. Got it here in front of me but I am lacking motivation to disturb the room too much now that its running.

Also for investment will be a bud box or similar to grow out my own mothers and clones. It will be nice to give back some plants that my mate has not tried yet to add to his collection. I am going to give that a go on my own and surprise him with some "gifts"
With a little help from Jorge Cervantes and Greg Greens books I got hold of I will give it a try.

[dingo bingo]

Looking nice bobsie, I like the look of how youve hung the fan. How are the strings attached to the fan?