Does anyone prefer one over the other? I've heard arguments that painting your grow room white is better than using mylar. Plus, paint is so much cheaper than buying a roll of mylar. Is anyone currently using either in their grow rooms?
from what I can gather of it, mylar is better at reflecting, yet it requires more maitanance and costs much more, and that's not worth the about 15% more efficiency you get out of it really in most cases, in less your really goin for the efficiency(such as a limited space/light scenario)
white paint is like $20 a gal. for large opps mylar is like really cheap at your local party store for small grows. i perfer mylar because its less messy and i grow in small areas where mylar is cheaper to buy than paint
I guess I was under the impression that unless you are buying mylar balloons, you can't get small amounts of mylar. I think the smallest I've seen (but I admit I have not checked party supply stores) is a 25ft roll of mylar and I dont need that much. I, too, have a small closet that I'd like to set up inside and I am trying to keep costs down. I had never heard of painting a grow room white until recently. I think HT published a small article about it but I honestly can't remember where i read it.
Use the glossy white paint. Mylar can actually deflect light AWAY from your plants if it gets wrinkled.
Dont use high gloss white,use plain matte white!Mylar can be purchased cheaper on ebay then any retail store period!Black and white poly works well to,also called panda plastic,alot more durable then mylar as well! http://search.ebay.com/mylar_Seed-Starting-Grow-Lights_W0QQcatrefZC3QQfposZQ5AIPQ2fPostalQQfromZR2QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ1QQftrtZ1QQftrvZ1QQsacatZ43554QQsadisZ200QQsbrftogZ1QQsocdpfcatZ43554QQsofocusZbs
Creates areas of spot reflection(hot spots)!The panda plastic is great as black on one side and white on the other,great for seperating flower rooms from veg!
here in the uk you can get mylar by the meter so i'm sure you could in the states mylar would be my first choice, its cheap and easy to put up, and doesn't require a paint brush
The reason NOT to use mylar is that it gives mites and mold spores a place to hide. With white walls you just wash them down between grows. peace, cf