The Padawan Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 Evening all. I started growing round this time last year. I convinced the wife into putting a small tent in the loft so we could be self sustained. Sweet jesus the first grow was insane. Steep learning curve. Battling heat/height/humidity and in the end mold on some of many fat ass buds. I got plenty of good smoke from it though. The tents 120x60x160 an I have 5 inch extraction. 4 inch cheapo intake. 600watt hps and an air cooled hood I ran through the summer. I do 2 plants a time and we are running out in between grows now. I've been squeezing an dabbing more so now. We love it. Real clean hit and an amazing high. Anyhow here's how the setup was last year The missus agreed a while back into building an insulated groom and ditching the tent. I told her you fellas said it's the only way to do it so she gave me the Don nod an that was that. Something around 1.2ms so I could do 4 plants instead of 2. I've around 1.7m in height, and the roof will be angled to suit the rafters. Maybe even squeeze in a veg room. There's def space for a small one. I can also keep the tent running while I'm building it. It's the opposite half of the loft so I'm in no panic. It's not large by any means but it's big enough for us. It took me ages to empty it. Years of old shit. Plenty of laughs an memories rummaging though it all. There was a raised floor so the first job was to remove it. I laid down a walk way to make moving about a bit safer. It may become the floor also. I'm no DIY expert by any means but I do like a bit of building. I've a close family member who's a spark an my best mates an ex joiner. But both live a good bit away and have other commitments so can't always rely on them. All the electrical work will be done by my cousin as I've no experience and no intention of messing with it. No matter how long ive to wait for him. Plan is to build my room at the furthest part of the house. In between the 2 upright support beams. It's just under 1.2m between them Something like this if it makes sense? Ive been trying to work out what materials I'll need to get the shell built. I'm looking at 100mm jablite insulation board and 2x2 for building the frame. Would that be OK? Also a box of mixed screws. My mates off tomorrow so if we can get a floor down and stud frame up. Maybe some insulation board. I'll be well happy. I'll keep updating the build as I go. Please feel free to jump in with suggestions/advice. I'd like to try and get it as perfect and safe as I can. 17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 (edited) a cpuple of old pics of mine I am a messy twat as ya can tell also if ya can drill out through the either side of the loft this will help your air flow massivly but by god if the air flow isincorrect your bedroom will be like a sauna. Misses Padawan will be that dripping you'd be able slip it analy without lube . But if the house is yours its the best way to go just make sure you have a fire extingishure to hand (just in case) good luck with it @The Padawan Edited June 24, 2019 by bubbleguppie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Padawan Posted June 24, 2019 Author Share Posted June 24, 2019 @bubbleguppie Should be OK for the air. I can always draw in from under the roof. I can vent into the chimney if needed also. I'll hopefully be going led in here. New extraction (not sure yet) and use my 5inch for intake all run off a controller. That's how my tent looks around the outside now. Buckets and bottles everywhere. Just nice an tidy inside for the pics lol. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 @The Padawan id be going led if money and health wasnt a option but for this year im in the greenhouse got my de humidifer and fan to hand so hopeing the mold will stay away but we will see good luck with the outcome like to see the finished results Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Padawan Posted June 24, 2019 Author Share Posted June 24, 2019 Good luck in the greenhouse @bubbleguppie and hope the mold stays away. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green demon Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 Freaking awesome congrats getting the nod off the boss, you're gonna love that new space. Self sufficiency kicks serious ass, I just get so carried away when I crop a couple of oz is gone in the blink of an eye Good luck with it mate, look forward to watching your progress 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROCKSTEADY6 Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 This is going to be good. Looking forward to the updates. What kind of LEDs you going to run? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Padawan Posted June 24, 2019 Author Share Posted June 24, 2019 @Green demon I'm so excited lol. Have a vision in my head of what I want but it'll prob look nothing like it. Screws and wires hanging out everywhere lol. I'll hopefully get a run at the disco biscuits when she's built. @ROCKSTEADY6 cheers for looking in. It'll be from diyleduk. I had been chatting to him about a 315watt quantum board for the tent. But ive decided to get stuck into the groom so it'll have to be bigger now. Maybe the 550watt quantum board. I'll be picking his brains again. I don't know much about them but I like what I'm seeing in the diaries. I wanted to go led when I started growing but they were all the cheap ones an getting varied results. Hps is tried and tested, also cheap to get growing. I haven't told the wife the price of the bigger unit. I got a 5 second stare when I told her how much the 315 was. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROCKSTEADY6 Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 Just now, The Padawan said: @Green demon @ROCKSTEADY6 cheers for looking in. It'll be from diyleduk. I haven't told the wife the price of the bigger unit. I got a 5 second stare when I told her how much the 315 was. Yeah he has some awesome lights on his website. Some pretty impressive led grows on here too. I was thinking of adding a few small ones to my micro grow. Just got to buy em and tell em how much as you are opening the box. Wait for that stare. Don't know how to use this quote thing sorry. Just now, The Padawan said: 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROCKSTEADY6 Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 2 minutes ago, The Padawan said: @Green demondemon @ROCKSTEADY6 Quote The temps in my loft swing massively. Hot days it's 34 degrees easy. Even though you drawing air across and out the ambient temps will effect the room. Winter is fucking freezin in my loft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green demon Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 I'm thinking my next investment will be some quantum boards to ride out summer and use alongside CMH in winter. 5 sec stare. We all know that well. Spend a few days rehearsing a speech as to why a grand on lighting would be a good investment only to receive the stare 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenVision Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 @The Padawan Hi mate, built a few loft grooms over the years. Not sure how much thought you have put into it, or if anyone else has mentioned it yet, but the biggest piece of advice I can give besides the obvious heat issues is keep an eye on humidity. This is a major contributor to bud rot. I lost more bud in one loft groom that I have combining all other tents I've grown in. The air flow your'll need in a loft groom to keep the heat down is immense compared to a bedroom etc. If you have some spare cash I would highly recommend an oversized extraction fan, get a really good quality one, and link it up with a controller. The temps in a loft are a pain and that is quite obvious, but to anyone that grows in a loft it's not just the levels of temperature, its the vast changes in temperature that can sting you. You can be 18C at 9 am and 40C at 1 pm in the general loft area. You can 100% make do without anything too fancy, I grew some really good crops without anything technical at all, but if you have the means to get something that can variate you fan to take for the changes in temperature I personally feel it would be a wise investment. It will help combat heat, humidity, save power, make things quieter and when you come to drying your buds you can spin down the fans to get that perfect drying environment. I NEVER use a controller, because I'm fortunate enough now to have a spare room. But if I went back into the loft it would be my first purchase. G.A.S do an entire system that can be linked up, it is crazy pricey, but it controls intake & extraction by measuring temp and humidity. Its a huge buy but it'll spin fans up in the heat and slow them when the cold hits you. Besides all that though, looks like the build is coming along, its great building your own environment, not sure if you see my garage build? Went no budget on it and it came out quite nice. Like yourself I built it to last. Best of luck bud, looks like you got it sorted whatever the case. GV. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidlandGrow Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 I’ve never built a loft grow room, but I am a builder so I’ll throw my 2p in. Your timber seems expensive, I pay £2.10 for 3x2 2.4m lengths. That’d be my preferred timber. Instead of of jablite I’d use the slightly wider timber to build a wall with cavity and use a fibreglass based insulation inbetween plasterboard. This’ll have far better thermal efficiency that a layer of jablite. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Padawan Posted June 25, 2019 Author Share Posted June 25, 2019 How's it going @GreenVision I have seen your new build. I wished you all the best with it too. Lol. Its fucking awesome The loft is the only place I have to grow until one of the kids move out an that won't be for a long time so I want to make sure it's done right. I know what you mean about temp swings. I've been battling them for a year in the tent I have up there. Another reason for building the groom. Hopefully be able to control them better in there. I'll be hitting up people for advice on extraction when it's built but had in mind maybe an 8 or 10inch extract(maybe ec fan) The 5inch intake I already have and a sms com Pro twin fan controller. They're a bit cheaper than the gas and seem highly rated on here. Thanks for the advise. I'll gladly suck it all up. You've done it before so you know what your talking about 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenVision Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 (edited) 49 minutes ago, The Padawan said: I have seen your new build Yh that's the new tent mate, but about 3 years back I fitted out a 4 x 3 meter garage with a custom extraction and intake system. Insulation, stud walls, separate water mixing area with onboard tap, was the best one I have done to date. Built it to be 3.6m x 2.4m, whole thing was designed to fit my RDWC and scrog net The one mistake I did make is not having any control over my fans. As I said I could keep it cool in the summer, but the fluctuations in temps were a nightmare. But if you have the SMS then your good to go mate, they do exactly the same just not automated, they are indeed a solid piece of kit. Again best of luck with it mate, I does likes a good groom build.. Edited June 25, 2019 by GreenVision 24 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now