i personally am not saying OP should use a mirror...i AM saying that what mylar and mirror do are EXACTLY the same thing. they function they same way. mirror's are just way better at it and therefore are a danger to plants.
Pretty much, and thats all i was trying to say. For this purpose it would be better to go with mylar.
is what you said. it made no sence and I just called you on it. Then you do like all dumb people do when you couldn't think of anything that you thought would sound smart. you attacked and started insulting.
This is pathetic. The image you see in the mirror is because the mirror has absorbed the light. The image is not being reflected back. The colors we see are because of an object absorbing a certain wavelength and reflecting back the others. Mirrors absorb light, which is why they are bad for growing. This is also why you want flat white paint. The glossiness is from the paint absorbing more light.
sorry but you're wrong. the mirror reflects the light. the objects have origionally absorbed the light. ex. you hold a banana up to the mirror. The light hits the banana. the banana absorbs the light and reflects the yellow wavelength back. the yellow light hits the mirror and the mirror reflects the yellow light to your eye.
I dont think you get it. You are right about what a mirror does, but it wont work in the same concept as mylar. Now take your banana and and eat it somewhere else.
Dude, what? Did you drop out during jr. high or some shit? The mirror reflects images because of it's optical properties, images are simply patterns of light. THe mylar diffuses the light more, and I personally would EXPECT to absorb more light than a mirror, but I could be wrong. In short: Images in a mirror are composed of light. You're full of it.
aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh...seriously banging my head against the wall now. they are the exact same concept. just different strengths. like if one meathead just eats right and lifts weights he'll get big and strong. but if another meathead takes steroids on top of exercise and diet he'll get superhuge but his balls'll shrink. the mirror is like the roids. too much of a good thing (reflected light) can be a bad thing (burnt leaves).
Ok i understand that all im trying to say is from what i am seeing and what i have read it seems that mylar or white paint is choice for most growers. The OP asked what would be better and I told him mylar. Im not trying to argue how and image is passed back through a mirror. Would you use a mirror in your grow or mylar?
I did not read every post as I lost my glasses.....but, a mirror has metal content which acts as an absorbant...although it reflects it also absorbs...Mylar is much more reflective and only 1% absorbent.
Wow, why is it so hard to get this straight? The idea of reflecting vs. asborbing light is not an on/off switch, in other words it is not a matter of something either reflecting or absorbing and never the twain shall meet. Mirrors and mylar do both -- reflect light and absorb light. The question is how much do they reflect vs. absorb. Mylar is more effective at reflecting light than mirrors. It has nothing to do with light vs. images, it has to do with the physical nature of each material. When I say "mylar" I'm talking about horticulture-grade mylar that comes on rolls of at least 2 mil thick, not the cheapo space blankets in the camping section of Walmart. And when I say "mirror" I'm talking about your standard household mirror, not something made for a telescope or anything like that. Mylar is reflective on its front surface, mirrors are not. Mirrors are a piece of glass coated with a reflective material on one side (they used to use silver, now there are a variety of coatings). So, the light has to enter the uncoated side, pass through the glass, strike the reflective material, and then pass back through the glass. All that glass and the reflective material itself absorb some light. Just look at the back of a mirror and see the coating from the other side -- it's dark so yes it's going to absorb some light. Just look end-on at a piece of glass (mirror or not), suddenly it's not so clear (often appears green). So yes even the glass itself absorbs light. There's nothing wrong with mirrors per se, it's just that there are more reflective choices available. Mylar reflects 90-95%, a plain flat surface painted flat bright white reflects about 85%, and mirrors vary depending on the quality but typical household mirrors are 60-75% reflective I believe.
I utilize both in my system. My closet happens to be flat white. I have mylar and a shiney bubble wrap type material AND a few mirrors. Reading these responses has made me laugh. No one appears to be wrong. What we have a simple failure to properly communicate how light interacts with the various surfaces. in question. These aforementioned "Hot Spots" are created because MIRRORS DO NOT SCATTER LIGHT. THEY REFLECT IT. A lightray would travel from the bulb, to the mirror, and directly onto another surface. Be that a plant, the wall, the plantpots, or whatever. Mylar is not totally unsimilar. The big difference being MYLAR IS NOT PERFECTLY FLAT OR PERFECTLY POLISHED/REFLECTIVE. Wrinkles and curves in the sheet create some light scattering, but also absorb some light. Mylar scatters better, and absorbs worse. This brings us to white! WHITE IS THE MOST LIGHT REFRACTIVE AND MOST LIGHT ABSORBANT OF THESE CHOICES How do you know? No grow room glows like a white grow room. And if you shoot a laser pointer at a white wall you can be sure it won't bounce off as a crisp reflection on an opposite wall. BOTTOM LINE: Mylar is the best all-around. But any of these options is better than not having any light conservation strategy. Hope this helps.
Mylar can be purchased from your local Hydroponics store or on the internet. I paid $14.99 for a roll that is 50" wide x 25 feet long. Easy to work with...razor blade works the best. It can be wrapped around cardboard to build light reflectors above your lights.... So you now know that: 1). A white wall will work for sure, but not as good as a mirror or mylar 2). Mirrors will work as they are reflective, but the reflect directly back and not all around They do absorb more light them Mylar, but nothing that we would ever notice They are big, heavy and bulky, must be anchored, hung or secured. Mylar, being very reflective and in all directions as stated above due to the wrinkles and your fan blowing on it, it's easy to work with, can use tape, staples or push pins....anything really. I have my entire tub/shower wall (all 3 sides) wrapped with Mylar, as well as a sheet across the top to reflect light back down....and then I took the remaining role, put it on a shower curtain rod and I can roll it up and let it down in front of the plants like a window blind. So this gives my babies a full surround of Mylar on all 4 side and the top.... .....Mylar is the way to go simply because the reflection and ease of working with it.
There still is a lot of mis-information here. The biggest difference between using mylar vs. a mirror is that with a mirror the light has to pass through and then back out a piece of glass. Period. The mirror backing alone is almost as reflective as mylar, but you can't have just a mirror backing because it's a coating on the glass. The difference is not about scattering light, it's mostly about the fact that glass absorbs some light and mylar doesn't have a piece of glass in front of it. Flat bright white reflects more than household mirrors.
yOU ARE ALL WRONG. Mirrors do not reflect anything. It is merely showing you a parrallel reality of the 3 dimensional world we know. There is a danger of trolls crossing through the mirror also when you are'nt home and steal your Kush. I personally trap the souls of midgets in my custom mirrors and laugh at their screams when I break the glass.
Finally, somebody with some sense. I personally use the mirrors to collect the souls as well. But if you take the souls and combine them with ph neutral water and worm castings, you can make "soul tea", which is high in nitrogen and beneficial bacteria. My plants really thrive using it.
Soul tea should only be used in case of extreme emergency because it could make your plants evil and they can posses whoever smokes of thier evil buds.