Most reflective surface for grow box?

You are looking for a product called mylar. It has a mirror like finish that reflects light and not so much the heat site of things. Next up would be simple flat white paint.
Never use tin foil, it doesnt actually reflect light, just heat and causes hot spots which will in turn leave you wondering whats wrong with your plants later down the road.
Good luck on your grow!

 

your best bet for mylar is to order it online from someplace like htg supply, they carry 2mil... places like target will have emergency blankets in the camping section... but its realthin stuff

or you could paint the cab flat white

 

Since you guys are talking about it i seen this tip on here and it is the shit so i thought i would pass it along. When you hang your mylar use self-adhesive velcro squares. You can get them in the arts and crafts section at walmart. They are like 2"x2" and unlike tape you can stick one half of the square to the wall and the other half on one of the 4 corners on the back of the mylar. That way when you get it on the wall you can constantly adjust it without ripping anything. Gets it super tight and smooth. Like i said, i think its the shit.

 

true mylar is the best but the 2nd best isnt white paint its styrofoam at a 85-90% reflective % and its much cheaper than mylar if your in a pinch

 

I would not recommend using strofoam as it is known to offgass and can effect the air quality in your grow room. Many grow tents have had this same effect and killed many a plant.

 

Mylar is without a doubt the best way to go. If u don't have a hydro store in your area you'll have to get it online. U can get a 30' roll that's 4' wide for like $20. Well worth it

 

Wait what? Your saying you have had stryofoam kill plants???? How is this possible??? Im not saying it isnt but ive used it for awhile and never had problems, but then again I have a 12'x10' room just curious.

 

Heat near the styrofoam will cause it to degrade and release toxic gases.

Even if your plant survives, you're probably smoking plastic later on.

I'd go with mylar, and if not available, flat white paint.

 

panda film. alittle less reflective then mylar but way more durable High Tech Garden Supply

 

well iv been using an Emergency Blanket its like 5 bucks at wall-mart it came in a 84"x52" sheet and i thought it was mylar but apparently its aluminized polyethylene (hope it doesn't have the same property as aluminum foil) . Its been working white well for me and iv been growing with it for over a year but now im going to think about upgrading to lol real mylar. Good luck with your set up man

 

Ive done some research about styrofoam releasing gas when heated, to an extent your right but your very wrong at the same time. Styrofoam will release gas if heated to a point where it melts. If you were right about this many people would be sick by drinking from styro cups etc. If it were to release toxins from heat around 80 dgrees it would eventually break down and crumble or atleast not be in the same form you bought it at. I would really like to see an article which proves styro releases gas at room temp or even 100 degrees, you have to be wrong sorry.

 

What is the source of the claimed reflectivity of styrofoam?

Emergency blankets are so thin you can see through them if you hold them up to the light. And light passing through is light not reflected.

Foylon probably is the most reflective material you can get, but it costs $$$. Horticulture-grade mylar is at least 1 ml thick, comes on a roll, and has a mirror finish, and it is equal or only very slightly less reflective compared to Foylon. After that, panda film and flat bright white paint are your best choices. Aluminum foil is less reflective of light than any of these.

 

ive found 85-90% reflective for styrofoam, i just found it on a few google sites

 

This stuff is the bomb i love it is easy to clean and be kept clean and does not tare as easily as mylar or wrinkle.

 

Well I just hit up google and could find no info on how much styrofoam reflects. Without a reference source this claim stands unsubstantiated.

If you like it, fine. Keep in mind, though, that you are the only person I have ever seen/heard say that styrofoam is highly reflective of light, and I can't find any source on the internet to corroborate. In any event, styrofoam is highly flammable and I wouldn't want it in my grow space.

 

"Polystyrene Foam Sheeting (more commonly known as Styrofoam):

This is excellent for harsh environment growrooms (your attic for example), provided you have a good ventilation system and a way to keep the temperatures from rising too high (an a/c unit or similar) as it is an excellent insulator.

It is also a great material for use in a temporary setup or for use as a "travelling reflector" on a light mover, where weight is a concern. It is approximately 75-85% light reflective so it is comparable to using a flat white paint. Foam will not create hot spots. Rigid foam can be purchased in sheets, and can be used as a free standing wall or can be taped, glued or nailed to the wall, the last generally being the most successful method. "

I've also heard the reflection can be higher if the sty is more compact.

Also styrofoam has a flash point of 75 degrees celcius so i wouldn't worry there unless u plan to grow next to a fire, i wouldnt have any electrical wires running over it, like anything you have to use your head if your gonna use it.

 

if i could use anything, i'd want to use this stuff

Ecopurer

apparently, acts to neutralize odours when exposed to UV light when it has good air-flow. (amongst other things like nasty chemicals and airborne pollutants.)

still trying to do research on this stuff (and other things that use the same tech) to see if it's safe in the long term and if it really is as effective as is claimed, but hey... assuming it is, a paint that is brilliantly white to reflect light and absorbs the smell of the buds?

 

I'd use flat white indoor latex paint. if you google reflectivity you'll see that Mylar and flat white paint have the most refelective surfaces. They are both like over 90% reflective. Paint is a little less reflective, but there's no tearing or dust buildup or falling down etc. You can just wipe out the interior using diluted bleach or oxyclean. That'll clean and disinfect between grows. I also do it during the grow cycle, keep everything spotless.
Thats just my opinion and maybe worthless, cause so many people use mylar, so I guess you couldn't go wrong with that. Just consider the cleaning part!