Building in the Attic, any suggestions?

P

paramountads

Active Member
So I am currently on my 3rd grow in my 3x3 tent and all is well. Except, my wife liked to talk in the beginning and currently my Father in law, mother in law, brother in law, my 3 year old son, brother in law's boyfriend, and mother in law's friend all know. The only people I trust 100% not to say anything would be my wife and father in law. So because of that I am going to move everything to the attic so that only my wife and I know about it. I live in the north east so I figure I can only grow from like October through April. I will not be using a heater or a ac unit.

Grow room: I can make this as big or small as needed but going to have a veg space and a flower space (which I only have a veg space at this point). Im limited by the rafters but the height is 6.5' tall at the peak and 7' wide at the base. At 4' high it will be around 3' wide and at 5' high it will be about 2.5' wide. So I will utilize the middle for the larger plants and the sides for clones and smaller plants. Going to use the "grow a lb every 3 weeks" system modified for my space constraints. Going to use 4mil plastic sheeting to enclose the area. Also going to use mylar on the inside to keep some of the heat in.

Lights: 400watt (180 actual) Mars led and another led that uses 80 watts. Also may use 1 or 2 cfls just to generate a little more heat as needed. I will probably add one more the Mars lights for the flower area when I get to that.

CO2: Have a small 5lb tank that will run 15 minutes every 3 hours. I will adjust the output to get me to the 1500 ppm mark.

Media: Again, using the "grow a lb every 3 weeks" method. Will only be using tubs and not the fence posts. My main concern now is figuring out how to move the water. May just run a hose from the pump into the tub the is in the next room over.

Am I missing anything?
 
Diabolical666

Diabolical666

Well-Known Member
I kinda went cross eyed on your dimension of space. You really just have to jump in the alligator pit and see what works for you. I have rearranged my grow space so many times i.e. utilizing space, upgrades etc. Set everything up and give it a dry run (without plants) to see how the environment will be 1st
 
abe supercro

abe supercro

Well-Known Member
paramountads said:
So I am currently on my 3rd grow in my 3x3 tent and all is well. Except, my wife liked to talk in the beginning and currently my Father in law, mother in law, brother in law, my 3 year old son, brother in law's boyfriend, and mother in law's friend all know. The only people I trust 100% not to say anything would be my wife and father in law. So because of that I am going to move everything to the attic so that only my wife and I know about it. I live in the north east so I figure I can only grow from like October through April. I will not be using a heater or a ac unit.

Grow room: I can make this as big or small as needed but going to have a veg space and a flower space (which I only have a veg space at this point). Im limited by the rafters but the height is 6.5' tall at the peak and 7' wide at the base. At 4' high it will be around 3' wide and at 5' high it will be about 2.5' wide. So I will utilize the middle for the larger plants and the sides for clones and smaller plants. Going to use the "grow a lb every 3 weeks" system modified for my space constraints. Going to use 4mil plastic sheeting to enclose the area. Also going to use mylar on the inside to keep some of the heat in.

Lights: 400watt (180 actual) Mars led and another led that uses 80 watts. Also may use 1 or 2 cfls just to generate a little more heat as needed. I will probably add one more the Mars lights for the flower area when I get to that.

CO2: Have a small 5lb tank that will run 15 minutes every 3 hours. I will adjust the output to get me to the 1500 ppm mark.

Media: Again, using the "grow a lb every 3 weeks" method. Will only be using tubs and not the fence posts. My main concern now is figuring out how to move the water. May just run a hose from the pump into the tub the is in the next room over.
Am I missing anything?
Click to expand...
have no idea what your ambient climate is like, consider adding heat when your lights are off. you'll know soon enuf how cold the temps drop to. Also make the room small if you're using such low wattage. Come back here w more specific questions once u get cannabis underway.

carbon filter?
 
P

paramountads

Active Member
@Diabolical666 thanks, I know I'll have to rearrange everything a few times til I get what I want. The space sucks in some ways but I have a lot more versatility since I 50' of length to work with. Do you grow in an attic as well? It really sucks that I have to move from my basement temperature wise. It is 68-72 all year long. But in the attic I should be able to grow 4x as much with little effort. Im just started smoking and an ounce will last me and my wife about 6 weeks.

@PorterRockwell thanks

@abe supercro yes, I I'm throwing a themometer up there to monitor everything until I get the structure up. after that I will do a dry run with thermometers inside and out to find out the swings. I and yes, that have a carbon filter and will vent out the exhaust to outside or may not to heat up the space a little more.
 
vostok

vostok

Well-Known Member
I would advise against using the atticas a grow space,
temps move to far, and water only goes one way ...lol
good luck either way​
 
justugh

justugh

Well-Known Member
attic ok man listen or do not but i done alot of the work in my head and for other ppl on stuff like this

a attic set up is one of the most complex and costly set up .......the temp is not the only factor to do this and get what u need ......this is going to be fun

1 does the attic have a floor sealed walls or is it just beams and open insulation...........if it is open u need to make a sturdy floor and seal the whole place off in polywrap (leaving that open insulation will be horrible for u and the plants )

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-20-ft-x-100-ft-Clear-6-mil-Polyethylene-Sheeting-CFHK0620C/100651802?N=5yc1vZc5iu
that stuff the clear allows u to look in so if every have a issues before u tare into it and break the seals u can see where to do it

that stuff will also help u control the Co2 unless u are using a pro tent like a jardin or gorilla ..........with it being 20 feet wide if u think about it u can seal the whole area walls ceiling and floor all in one piece then u can seal it all down (this will control heat and Co2) ...u can use a zipper door
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Homax-7-ft-Tarp-Zipper-Door-2618/100371851

the other thing u will need to do is build a filtered power intake for the room (this will supply the fresh air for u and plants) ..........before u turn it on make sure u set up the exhaust path with out it will pop seams in your seal with it will bulge up until u match with exhaust fan or stronger for concave and more temp control

water removal up there is tricky ...........my best answer is to get some 4x4 and set them in the room so the tubs/buckets are sitting on 2 of them leaving u a place to add a drain to the bottom of them ( use a valve with a hose hook on )
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Homewerks-Worldwide-3-4-in-x-1-2-in-Brass-MPT-x-MHT-Boiler-Drain-Contractor-VBDCONG4B/202369998
something like this u can use one of those flexie hoses attach to that take the hose to toilet turn it on turn the hose one on and let all the water drain out ......to get water up u will need to have something like that on a sink that the hose can reach your the house pressure to move the water in (if u want can have a water barrel up there to fill then transfer once at the temp u want into the system

they sell black polywrap u can use that if u want to be a light blocker for it but it will absorb a lot more heat from the lights..............as for using Mylar to be safe u really should think about using IR blocker
http://www.amazon.com/100-ft-Roll-Reflector-Technology/dp/B00HYURFTS/
that will reflect the light and the heat ...............u will not be seen by anyone with IR tech alone with light blocker/reflector for plants and this will increase the heat

since u are not going with any AC or heating unit u are relying on the light and the fact heat comes up ...........your only control will be your exhaust fan (go 8 inches fan and ducking out)............attics most of them have open side vents to allow the heat to escape so u will have cross wind days and direct days so the air in the attic will be changed out but also will have pollens molds and other things ..........u need to have a filtered air intake with a 8 inch fan too this will allow u to match speeds more evenly

the box is simple to make go to the home depot and get a lvl 10 filter
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Honeywell-20-in-x-25-in-x-4-in-FPR-10-Air-Cleaner-Filter-CF200D2025/203781265
something like that it is ment for central air system ...........u can pick anyone u want just make sure it is large like this (at least 16 x16) and a lvl 10 filter that is hospital grade cleans out everything possible (your plants will love u for this )
to make the box u get the filter and some plywood 90degree brass elbows (12 pack) some spray rubber
build a box to fit the filter 5 sides use the u want to have at least 12 inches in depth ........ use 2 of the elbows inside the box...this is going to stop the filter from getting pulled in u want to set them in the walls so the filter is flush with it (likes the filter was the 6 wall of the box)..........from there u want a 8 inch hole directly in the center of the box on the back side of the where the filter is going that is where the fan will go too ..........once that is done u use the spray rubber and coat the inside of the box sealing the wood and the cracks making it air tight (u can hit the outside too if u want or use duct alone the seams on the outside)........hook the fan in the back put the filter in and use some duct tape on the seams to seal it off when it is time to replace cut it off

replace the filter every 90 days your plants are getting fresh clean air with no mold virus bugs smoke anything that could mess it up

last step is to do a complete bug bomb of the area and lay down some poisons outside your grow area ...........then u are good to grow u sound like u know what are doing

the fans have variable speed controllers
http://www.amazon.com/VenTech-VTSPEED-Variable-Router-Controller/dp/B00EVYGPJQ
this will lower or raise your temps by turning it higher or lower they will allow u to match so u have positive pressure or negative


oh your Co2 .........make it easier on u get a Co2 controller and hang it where the buds are
http://www.amazon.com/C-A-P-CAPPM4-Co2-Detection-Sensor/dp/B00480H93O
u will need to change your tank out from a 5 to a 20 lb otherwise u will be replacing it every week or 2.......... 20lbs should get u a month
the monitor goes inside the plug remote goes to tank ...........drill a hole in the intake box and that is where the Co2 line goes (if u go flower and veggie inside this way they both get it ....the whole sealed room gets it ) down side this is one of the less exp models so it does not have photo senor or timer so .........i do autos so they like 24/0 time

do that stuff and u will have your room the best u said u wanted to do it ...........finish it off u would need a ac unit with built in heater ...........your big worry is going to be the temp variable between time lights are on and off ...........when the lights are off u are not making any heat and the attic is exposed to outside air u might need a humidifier or dehumidifier too in the area
 
Last edited:
abe supercro

abe supercro

Well-Known Member
justugh said:
attic ok man listen or do not but i done alot of the work in my head and for other ppl on stuff like this

a attic set up is one of the most complex and costly set up .......the temp is not the only factor to do this and get what u need ......this is going to be fun

1 does the attic have a floor sealed walls or is it just beams and open insulation...........if it is open u need to make a sturdy floor and seal the whole place off in polywrap (leaving that open insulation will be horrible for u and the plants )

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-20-ft-x-100-ft-Clear-6-mil-Polyethylene-Sheeting-CFHK0620C/100651802?N=5yc1vZc5iu
that stuff the clear allows u to look in so if every have a issues before u tare into it and break the seals u can see where to do it

that stuff will also help u control the Co2 unless u are using a pro tent like a jardin or gorilla ..........with it being 20 feet wide if u think about it u can seal the whole area walls ceiling and floor all in one piece then u can seal it all down (this will control heat and Co2) ...u can use a zipper door
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Homax-7-ft-Tarp-Zipper-Door-2618/100371851

the other thing u will need to do is build a filtered power intake for the room (this will supply the fresh air for u and plants) ..........before u turn it on make sure u set up the exhaust path with out it will pop seams in your seal with it will bulge up until u match with exhaust fan or stronger for concave and more temp control

water removal up there is tricky ...........my best answer is to get some 4x4 and set them in the room so the tubs/buckets are sitting on 2 of them leaving u a place to add a drain to the bottom of them ( use a valve with a hose hook on )
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Homewerks-Worldwide-3-4-in-x-1-2-in-Brass-MPT-x-MHT-Boiler-Drain-Contractor-VBDCONG4B/202369998
something like this u can use one of those flexie hoses attach to that take the hose to toilet turn it on turn the hose one on and let all the water drain out ......to get water up u will need to have something like that on a sink that the hose can reach your the house pressure to move the water in (if u want can have a water barrel up there to fill then transfer once at the temp u want into the system

they sell black polywrap u can use that if u want to be a light blocker for it but it will absorb a lot more heat from the lights..............as for using Mylar to be safe u really should think about using IR blocker
http://www.amazon.com/100-ft-Roll-Reflector-Technology/dp/B00HYURFTS/
that will reflect the light and the heat ...............u will not be seen by anyone with IR tech alone with light blocker/reflector for plants and this will increase the heat

since u are not going with any AC or heating unit u are relying on the light and the fact heat comes up ...........your only control will be your exhaust fan (go 8 inches fan and ducking out)............attics most of them have open side vents to allow the heat to escape so u will have cross wind days and direct days so the air in the attic will be changed out but also will have pollens molds and other things ..........u need to have a filtered air intake with a 8 inch fan too this will allow u to match speeds more evenly

the box is simple to make go to the home depot and get a lvl 10 filter
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Honeywell-20-in-x-25-in-x-4-in-FPR-10-Air-Cleaner-Filter-CF200D2025/203781265
something like that it is ment for central air system ...........u can pick anyone u want just make sure it is large like this (at least 16 x16) and a lvl 10 filter that is hospital grade cleans out everything possible (your plants will love u for this )
to make the box u get the filter and some plywood 90degree brass elbows (12 pack) some spray rubber
build a box to fit the filter 5 sides use the u want to have at least 12 inches in depth ........ use 2 of the elbows inside the box...this is going to stop the filter from getting pulled in u want to set them in the walls so the filter is flush with it (likes the filter was the 6 wall of the box)..........from there u want a 8 inch hole directly in the center of the box on the back side of the where the filter is going that is where the fan will go too ..........once that is done u use the spray rubber and coat the inside of the box sealing the wood and the cracks making it air tight (u can hit the outside too if u want or use duct alone the seams on the outside)........hook the fan in the back put the filter in and use some duct tape on the seams to seal it off when it is time to replace cut it off

replace the filter every 90 days your plants are getting fresh clean air with no mold virus bugs smoke anything that could mess it up

last step is to do a complete bug bomb of the area and lay down some poisons outside your grow area ...........then u are good to grow u sound like u know what are doing

the fans have variable speed controllers
http://www.amazon.com/VenTech-VTSPEED-Variable-Router-Controller/dp/B00EVYGPJQ
this will lower or raise your temps by turning it higher or lower they will allow u to match so u have positive pressure or negative


oh your Co2 .........make it easier on u get a Co2 controller and hang it where the buds are
http://www.amazon.com/C-A-P-CAPPM4-Co2-Detection-Sensor/dp/B00480H93O
u will need to change your tank out from a 5 to a 20 lb otherwise u will be replacing it every week or 2.......... 20lbs should get u a month
the monitor goes inside the plug remote goes to tank ...........drill a hole in the intake box and that is where the Co2 line goes (if u go flower and veggie inside this way they both get it ....the whole sealed room gets it ) down side this is one of the less exp models so it does not have photo senor or timer so .........i do autos so they like 24/0 time

do that stuff and u will have your room the best u said u wanted to do it ...........finish it off u would need a ac unit with built in heater ...........your big worry is going to be the temp variable between time lights are on and off ...........when the lights are off u are not making any heat and the attic is exposed to outside air u might need a humidifier or dehumidifier too in the area
Click to expand...
holy shit bro, I'm afraid to even start reading all that.

hey did u get through your court shit yet? how'd it all turn out
 
PorterRockwell

PorterRockwell

Well-Known Member
Buncha negative mufuckers!!!


You listen here brother you grow whatever the fuck you want to wherever you want to do it fuck all these fools opinions bro! and if that doesn't work bro just try again! And if that doesn't work bro try it again! (But if that doesn't work Dog I'd listen)
 
rob333

rob333

Well-Known Member
PorterRockwell said:
Buncha negative mufuckers!!!


You listen here brother you grow whatever the fuck you want to wherever you want to do it fuck all these fools opinions bro! and if that doesn't work bro just try again! And if that doesn't work bro try it again! (But if that doesn't work Dog I'd listen)
Click to expand...
they are 2 weak pricks they just wiped my post lol
 
rob333

rob333

Well-Known Member
PorterRockwell said:
Buncha negative mufuckers!!!


You listen here brother you grow whatever the fuck you want to wherever you want to do it fuck all these fools opinions bro! and if that doesn't work bro just try again! And if that doesn't work bro try it again! (But if that doesn't work Dog I'd listen)
Click to expand...
when did rollitup become so weak about 2 years ago they would let u go hammer for tongs
 
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