Got Mylar/Silver Diamond Sheeting, Now I Feel Ripped Off

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flexy123

Well-Known Member
Previous I had my grow space covered with those bubble car sun-shields from the dollar store, they actually work surprisingly well although I don't have numbers of their reflectivity.

So in an attempt to upgrade I spent the last few days researching reflective sheeting and so I came across those mylar/silver eco diamond stuff.

Subjectively speaking I really don't think it makes a lot of a difference (IF ANY) so I am sort-of feeling like a fool I bought it.

In the dollar store, there are not only those bubble car windshields, they also have those aluminized straw beach mats which also seem to be decent to use as reflective sheetings - MINUS the fact that this stuff of course is flammable. I would bet any money there is ultimately NO difference whatsoever whether someone spends €50 on a roll of diamond silver diffusion sheeting or gets a some €2 beach mats.
 
Final Phase

Final Phase

Well-Known Member
I'm a lumen mizer. Over the years I've gotten to the point I try and get complete coverage. The walls get cleaned every two months to clear dust. Your purchase will out perform in saving lumens and its a one time buy.
 
BobCajun

BobCajun

Well-Known Member
flexy123 said:
Previous I had my grow space covered with those bubble car sun-shields from the dollar store, they actually work surprisingly well although I don't have numbers of their reflectivity.

So in an attempt to upgrade I spent the last few days researching reflective sheeting and so I came across those mylar/silver eco diamond stuff.

Subjectively speaking I really don't think it makes a lot of a difference (IF ANY) so I am sort-of feeling like a fool I bought it.

In the dollar store, there are not only those bubble car windshields, they also have those aluminized straw beach mats which also seem to be decent to use as reflective sheetings - MINUS the fact that this stuff of course is flammable. I would bet any money there is ultimately NO difference whatsoever whether someone spends €50 on a roll of diamond silver diffusion sheeting or gets a some €2 beach mats.
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I just use mylar emergency blankets, camping section. Some light makes it through one layer so I use two. One layer is like mirrored sunglasses. You can actually look at LEDs through it.
 
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flexy123

Well-Known Member
whitebb2727 said:
Flat titanium white paint. Can't beat it.
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I would, but it's a greenhouse without actual walls that I could paint.
Another good option I think would be plain, white styrofoam sheets. Insulation, reflection, light diffusion, light blocking...all in one :)
 
whitebb2727

whitebb2727

Well-Known Member
flexy123 said:
I would, but it's a greenhouse without actual walls that I could paint.
Another good option I think would be plain, white styrofoam sheets. Insulation, reflection, light diffusion, light blocking...all in one :)
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Dollar tree has these foam boards the size of poster board. They are like a quarter inch thick. 3/8 maybe. I got some in my grow taped to my t5 reflector.
 
775toker

775toker

Active Member
I use panda film..
White on one side for great reflection, and black on the other to block light from coming in or out.
Cheaper than milyar, and in my opinion easier to put up and clean.
More durable too.
 
wietefras

wietefras

Well-Known Member
flexy123 said:
So in an attempt to upgrade I spent the last few days researching reflective sheeting and so I came across those mylar/silver eco diamond stuff.
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Actually those diamond pattern sheets tend to work rather poorly.

Not just the reflectivity is important, but also (or more so) the direction of the reflection. The trouble with diamond sheeting is that it works mostly as a retroflective material. Which means that it reflects the light back to the source.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflection_(physics)
 
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flexy123

Well-Known Member
Well now you freaked me out, because mostly retroreflection would of course be really bad.
So I made some (unscientific) tests with a piece of the mylar, seems to me that most of the light is reflected "properly" tho.
(I guess this would depend on the individual shape of the embossed pattern on such sheets)
 
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flexy123

Well-Known Member
775toker said:
I use panda film..
White on one side for great reflection, and black on the other to block light from coming in or out.
Cheaper than milyar, and in my opinion easier to put up and clean.
More durable too.
Click to expand...
I was looking into the black/white sheets too, maybe next time. One major problem with mylar/silver reflective stuff is when I foliar spray, or just from the dust outside, after a few months it gets dirty with white calcium stains from the water. I guess this wouldn't matter with white sheeting.
 
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