Starting a grow op for the first time... We are not set up yet, just trying to get the proper materials. My question is should we use mylar or will plain(not framed) mirror sheets work just as well? (We have a TON of old mirrors from an old barber shop that went out of business.)
I have never heard that and have a hard time believing it.. The only downside of mirrors that I have heard was they cause hot spots.
All materials absorb some sort of light when light hits it. Nothing is perfect. Mirrors do not "eat light". There very very reflective. Hence mirrors are used in Fusion Laser experiments to bounce the laser to its destination. Large scale solar farms use mirrors to bounce the sun's beams into one spot to boil giant vats of silcon fluid or water. Mirrors are used in telescopes etc. What a mirror does is is bounce light at a very predictable and consistent angle. Mylar on the other hand diffuses the light in many directions. Its why you can shine a flash light at it and not have a solid beam of light bounce back at you. It takes the light beams and scatters them hence there a better substance to use in a grow operation. Mylar also reflects back infrared heat. Why alot of food packaging uses it.
Which method is better for faster growing and/or higher yields? (If there is such a thing.) EX: hydro vs soil .... any difference other than the growing medium?
there are so many factors to your grow ... from what lights u use, to the care and time u put into it... and so many more.
Sorry, I take issue with all of this. The mirrors used in telescopes and lasers are high-polished aluminum or alloy, without a layer of glass on top, which have more in common with mylar than they do with household mirrors. Especially old barbershop mirrors. Note that "shiny" is not the same thing as reflective. Everyday mirrors do "eat" light, meaning they absorb light. Sure they reflect light too, we are talking relative amounts of reflection and absorption. Fact is that a standard household mirror reflects less light then either mylar or a flat bright white painted surface. This is because a household mirror is a piece of glass with a reflective coating on the back side, so the light has to pass through the glass, reflect off the coating, and then pass back through the glass on the way out. The glass absorbs light and the reflective coating is not optimized. When talking about mylar it is important to note that we mean horticulture-grade mylar, which comes on a roll and is at least 1mm thick and is polished to maximize light reflection. Also means hung flat without wrinkles/creases. This does not include the emergency blankets you can get in the camping section of Walmart, which are designed to reflect heat not light. In fact, you can hold one of those up to the light and see through it. There is a reason those emergency blankets cost $2-$3 and a roll of mylar costs $20-$25.