PVC Film vs. Painted Walls in Grow Room?

I hired a designer to help me design an afforable grow room with about 20 lights. He recommends covering the walls with PVC film instead of just painting.

This is, to avoid porous material where dust and mold might hide. Is this a good thinking? Any links to suitable products from Aliexpress or etc?

I would just paint. If you're worried about mold/mildew get an AiRros for about 4 grand and never have to worry again..

Especially if I am on a budget and want to avoid extra steps/material, I def see the value in simply using paint. However does anyone beg to differ about this? Does Poly PVC Film really make so much of a difference that it be considered somewhat essential or important??

If i remember mylar reflects 95% and paint reflect 85-90%
Allsoo paint absorbs ir and mylar reflects

But yea paint is faster and easier to work with

amneziaHaze said:

If i remember mylar reflects 95% and paint reflect 85-90%
Allsoo paint absorbs ir and mylar reflects

But yea paint is faster and easier to work with

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Thanks but nobody mentioned mylar. We were suggested to use Poly PVC Film. I'm not sure about the reflection qualities of it. Any thoughts on that material as opposed to mylar?

Plastex poly wall panels. A poor mans version of FRP, with an embossed\cracked ice like texture that looks like FRP. Around $25 a sheet now days at the home improvement stores.

Real nice stuff if you can afford it! You can spray around plants or even scrub down the walls NP, and make them 100% waterproof, with the PVC panel moulding strips for all the seams & some silicone. They still do tub/shower walls in mobile homes with it.

No worries about scratching holes or anything.. Should last a lifetime. Go's up quick too. Faster and probably cheaper than any decent paint job, that would need multiple coats of quality primer & paint that resist fungus and moisture, etc. I'm pretty OCD about finish work though $$$.. and rather slap the panels up as opposed to spending (or paying for) days sanding and painting.

I would avoid the film. Just paint the walls with a super bright white washable paint. After each grow scrub it down and you should be fine. I even think they make paints and primers that are anti fungal/bacterial you could look into, I also think they make paint that is more reflective (dont hold me to that).

But yeah if you're on a budget just keep it simple and paint, and spend the extra money you saved on other mitigation against the molds and contaminants, thats what I would do. If your environment is just right then mold wont grow. Whether you put a film on the wall or paint it it wont matter, cause the mold can hide on the sides of your pots, your fan blades, literally anywhere, and its everywhere no matter what you do you'll never get rid of it all. Keeping your environment unsuitable for it is the only real way to prevent it. Either way whatever you end up doing keep us updated.

I used Kilz primer and paint.

Overgrowtho said:

Thanks but nobody mentioned mylar. We were suggested to use Poly PVC Film. I'm not sure about the reflection qualities of it. Any thoughts on that material as opposed to mylar?

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I've use what's called Panda Film, IT's black on one 1 side and brilliant white on the other. It is great for making any size room you wish. I'd use it when I build a new room!

I dont know the english term but farmers use this white/black plastic to cover crops (black up to heat, white up to cool), cover silage heaps etc. It's affordable and has white colour so reflects alot of light.
The plastic has the advantage that it's easier to clean than paint.

Lou66 said:

I dont know the english term but farmers use this white/black plastic to cover crops (black up to heat, white up to cool), cover silage heaps etc. It's affordable and has white colour so reflects alot of light.
The plastic has the advantage that it's easier to clean than paint.

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Panda film?

The film repels moisture moreso where your walls usually won't. However, a couple nice coats of satin white & you should be fine.

Keep in mind. . .. when you have a layer of film on your walls, ANYTHING can get behind it and fester without you knowing. Moisture/mold, possibly bugs, etc. Just paint the walls

100% paint

But what kind of paint? Special ones???

Overgrowtho said:

But what kind of paint? Special ones???

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Ask for Mold-resistant paint. Full gloss paints are easier to clean. Many different brands at your hardware store/Home Depot etc... Some manufacturers make specific Mold and Dust resistant paint. A lot of 'bathroom' or 'kitchen' paints are made mold-resistant.

You have to paint the walls either way imo. Panda film isn't gonna keep all the humidity and water out of the walls from a grow room. Ive used in quick built temporary rooms in houses that already had painted walls. It worked.

I prefer paint and lots of it, imo paint is prob more expensive than panda film for a decent size room.

Now if you wanna be super fancy you could go with trusscore. Which is what they use in a lot of commercial grows. It makes for a really nice wall.

Instead of using paint, I am considering to use a form of insulation for the walls. Would this be a smart idea? I live in the tropics where it is very hot and keeping the room well insulated will be key.

We have inexpensive access to "pe foam" type of insulation with R-11. Does this seem like a good idea? Will this type of aluminum reflective material be okay? It is engineered to reflect light and heat highly, as I understand.

Here is the type of product I have in mind:



An example looks like:

I’ve built ALLOT of growrooms. I’m also a builder of walls by trade. A drywall/lather. Union lather.
White black poly all day.
Insulated walls>shitrock>firetaped>Panda film.
If you are doing something where you are getting mold behind the poly film you are doing something wrong and need to address that humidity problem period.
We all have to spray or foliar feed stuff once in a while. The old flat white paint ends up dirty as fuck.

100% white black poly here.

How does that roll of PE insulation provide R-11 is what I wanna know. Thats equivalent to like 2" thick rigid foam boards. More than fiberglass batting inside a 2x4 wall, lol.

Most of those radiant type insulation rolls, especially the mylar bubble wrap kind like reflectix don't provide any R-value at all, unless you fir the walls out and put in air gaps..