So after searching aimlessly at local hardware stores for Mylar for the inside of my PC case i completely spaced and never considered... Mylar Balloons. Inside= Buy them at a local party store deflated and just cut them open and you'll have plenty of Mylar for a box/PC case. Just thought i'd share because i know i wasn't the only one struggling to find decent light reflecting material.
a cheaper way to get mylar........ mylar blankets items - Get great deals on Sporting Goods, Home Garden items on eBay.com!
True blankets do work but i've heard they can sky rocket temps. Never used one so i'll let someone with experience make that call but it makes sense that they would. Whatever makes your baby girls happy though right?
I don't know about all balloons but the ones I've seen are see through under a bright light.... wouldn't that suggest an inefficient amount of light is being reflected?
Yes it would but not a typical Mylar balloon, they're not see through even when flipped over. I'm using a few right now and made sure to test before i used them but they're solid i assure you.
im using emergancy blankets that i got from walmart i doubled up on it cause it is some what transparent. i have 130actual watts of cfl in avery small box and my temps never get over 77 hope that helps a little
i bought the cheapest mylar of course from my local store 4mil maybe any way with a 250w mh and 2x2 8 bulb ho t5 and a 4ft 6 bulb ho t5 its like a welders mask i can see in a lil but not alot and i can actually look at the mh bulb and see the blue hue in the middle and then it fades to red around the edges. any using this isnt going to be as affective as using the thickes i can get my hands on. Or could i like ive been doing "stretch the mylar over what ever your using for walls or reflectors that way it has a solid back. idk would doubleing or triple layering help if they were presicely mated against one another? sorry not tryin to thread jack
I would think that as long as it has a solid backing you would be better off with a single layer so as to not insulate too much.
Those emergency camping blankets are not very good. They are designed to reflect heat, not light. And yes, they are semi-transparent and let light pass through (which obviously is light not reflected). Doubling won't help that, the light won't reflect off the back layer and back through the front layer with any efficiency. A flat bright white surface reflects more light than those space blankets. Either use that or actual horticulture-grade mylar, on a roll, with a mirror finish. there's a reason those rolls cost $20-25 while the space blankets are a buck or two...
well i had the lights in my box before the blankets and did a before and after test and i must say that it is a hell of a lot brighter in there now than it was before so i guess it works fine for me but i also have reflectors on my light box to aiming down at my lil lady im poor anywho and my box is small i wouldnt waste 25 bucks on that stuff
the doubled mylar hasnt had an affect on heat i was worried about that also but its not in side but in a not heated insulated area. hovers in the 82 degree realm with the t5's and the 250mh all less than a foot away from her just got my wind tunnel 250cfm pointed at her keeps the air cool ghetto setup under a table with a mylar skirt and everything underneath working better than anticipated
the emergency blankets help maintain temps on either side, keep cold air out and warm air in. its like extreme tin foil. if you're running a pretty warm system with little or no ventilation go with the balloons for your cheap alternative, because they will super heat your grow show. I included the quote above because 130 watts is not very much cfl power, so with a situation like that, it probably just helps keep it warm
yeah i hear ya and it does stay warm and cozy but i will add i only gave one plant so is working for me.