Insulating A Tent?

[Drabenger]

" Kingspan ". That's an Irish trade name. Try as I might, I can't find a generic, or even scientific name for it. But, you'll all know the stuff I mean. Comes in big sheets. Silver foil on either side. Layer of foam inside. Bit like what's used for Florists Blocks? Different thicknesses and colours. But, That gear. Insulation. Cut it with a Stanley knife.

I'll be calling it Kingspan. KS. K. What ever, just so we know what I'm on about. If we can stick with that format, it'll save us all using vernacular names and going off on tangents. That okay? Lovely

So: I have a nominally " 2x2' " tent. (Five foot high) Not a great deal of space available around it. I'm guestimating the room the tent must live in will average around the 65F point. Light's a SF 1000 Dimmable LED.

What in hell do I do, please? I'll be using a Bubbleponics box. Got all the usual, normal kit, obviously. Now, should I encase the entire tent? I can very easily make holes for the extraction fan. And to access any side vents. What ever. The door, I can 'hinge'. All good?

Now; What's to know, please? I know we have to balance things like temperature and RH. Fine. But, I'll need to do that, insulated or not. I think the first 'Big Question' bouncing around the back of my mind is this:

Do I encase the tent, like a second skin? KS touching the outside fabric of the tents walls? Or should I leave a space. An 'Air Pocket ' around the tent?

I'm out of my depth on this point. Wrangling thoughts of things like a tiny heater, in the bottom of the air pocket. My thinking being that the extractor fan, at the Top of the tent, might suck that warm air in, through a bottom side vent. And it would then rise, around the plant. Then get blown out, thus sucking in more warm from the bottom of the pocket.

How's that sound, to anyone, please? I'm imagining we'd need to factor in the humidity caused by a bucket of water, in there. ' Vs. ' the power of the extractor fan?

Just trying to get some sort of bench mark we can, hopefully, base a discussion around

Obviously; If anyone wants any precise input ~ eg. The power of that extractor fan, what ever? I can certainly dig that out. I'm kinda likening this to the, seemingly common enough, 'Tent in a Cellar' situation. So, the experience should be out there?

Anyone?

Thanks

[3Berries]

My tent is in a room now that's usually low to mid 60Fs. Rh 50-60%. I have it covered in the reflective bubble wrap. Using 150 w of light, it gets to about 77F with no control. I run it today at 75F and it is keeping the RH at lower 60s. I have an automated start up and shut down routine to build up heat at the start and preserve it at the end of lights. Lights out I keep it under 70% but the temp drops to room temp.

[Drabenger]

Oooh! That sounds bloody promising then, doesn't it?! Wow!

I mean, you're so close to my situation, it's virtually like you're Doing what I'm 'planning'

I guess the finer point, now, then is this whole insulation idea: Like; Can I insulate and shave a bit off my waiting time? Be lovely to kick off in, say, March. Rather than waiting for like June!

Come to that? Sort of raises the question: How long can we Stretch this piece of string? Like; I don't Need to be growing, like a man possessed, all year round. I might squeeze enough yield, out of two grows / single plants to pretty much see me through till next year. But, being able to get away with a Third, by starting sooner and pushing it into the " - 65F " period? Wouldn't say No to that! Would you?!

I guess what I'm saying is: Use the KS to create a " Warm Room " for the tent to sit in. The only danger I see might be opening the door(s) when the Actual (Tool) room is sitting at 48F.

Getting interesting, damn fast, eh?

Thanks!

[3Berries]

65F ambient is no problem. As long as you can build up the heat. Then that makes the RH control easier.

I ran as many grows as I could last year out of two tents. Got two autos and 8 photos. Out of 6 grows. I use one tent for veg and the other for Flower. But the flower one is in a really cold room. I use constant ventilation to keep it above 60F when the lights were out in the dead of winter. Also some big oil change containers filled with water and heaters for the floor during the coldest times. Plus heaters on the buckets set at 71F.

I didn't grow in there this winter but plant to in a couple weeks.

[bdeegan]

I insulated my lung and rely on lights and a dehumidifier to produce heat. Depending on the temps I adjust the dehu to run more or less. I’ll sometimes also use a warming humidifier to add a bit of heat but also keep the dehu running (on cold dry nights it will pull the lung low enough on rh that the dehu will shut off and stop producing heat-talk about an oh shit moment). I use a window unit ac if temps get too warm later in the season. I cannot grow during the dead of winter or heat of summer but spring and fall game on!

hope I gave you some inspiration. Good luck!

bd

[Drabenger]

Thanks, guys!

Listen; It's 01:00 here now. And due to 'things', my whole sleep pattern / Ability is shot to shit. I'm starting to fade fast here. Yawning. (Iron is; I'll be awake by 04:00, watching the fucking hours tick by!) I gotta go horizontal.

But, hell yeah! I'll be smiling! This is all sounding So positively Possible now!

Later!

[3Berries]

I was not sleeping well. Figured i needed a new mattress. When I took the old one out the gel layer had leaked out. I was sinking into the abyss towards the end.

[LemonBud]

Hi Bud Try using a heating blanket may keep the girls warm. I just pulled 6 plants in the past week. Good Luck.

[changeofpace2014]

LB has a point - Keep the roots warm..but every thing will change as your plants start to grow...

[Bluey]

Drabenger Foilboard..works great when you create an air gap with it..no leaks. On its own it's a poor performer.
I lined my ceiling and walls with it, taped most joints and behind it in the walls I just used R2.0 batts and ceiling R4.0...that gives it its air gap and can now grow all year round with a little AC and a little heater, that is yet to turn on. The dehumidifier adds enough heat.

[golfnrl]

If you need a door on your insulation box make the hinge out of tape...not a permanent fix but it does work.

[Drabenger]

3Berries; That's Exactly what happened here! My mattress was getting just plain Old. Nothing overtly wrong with it. I mean; Ye wouldn't find it in a Good hotel ...!

Mooching through a neighbours shed, one day? Perfectly pristine mattress! Obviously, one of his girls had gone all teenager on him and, what ever. That was coming home with me! (The mattress, you understand!)

Soon found why they'd slung it! The same, broken, spring was digging into My hip! Poor girl! No wonder!

Tried to put up with it. It defeated even My legendary will power. Burned that sucker and spent €100's on getting a good Futon shipped over. And it hurt?!? But; There are no springs in a god damn futon!!!

Rest, as they say, is history. A history of agony. Pain killers. Doctors appointments. Xrays. And, finally, in desperation, pulling the local 'Man' and buying a 50.

Now, here I am!

[Drabenger]

LemonBud; I Have an electric blanket here! Would ye believe that? Never opened the packaging.

And why does this guy have a random, unopened blanket? Same reason he has a sheet of KS in his stable that's been there for years! Great minds think alike, mate! Only, my Master Plan, back then, was to make a ks box for my fermentation vats. Electric blanket inside. Wrapped around them.

(Okay. For those who know Anything about home brew? Yes. I was a raging alcoholic. Not some fucking Hipster. I needed Quantity. Fast! A bit like now, ironically! Completely different ethos though)

I ended up using fish tank heaters, in the vats, instead. They're in with my turtle now. The heaters. Bought another sheet of ks, much more recently. And here we are.

Electric blanket though? Unless you're in Northern Europe, at least, you could have No Idea the absolute Terror we feel, at the thought of using electricity Blanket now sounds Very juicy.

[Drabenger]

Drabenger
I lined my ceiling and walls with it, taped most joints and behind it in the walls I just used R2.0 batts and ceiling R4.0...that gives it its air gap .

Bluey; Sorry, mate; What? " R " anything isn't a term I've come across before. I'm Guessing ye mean wood? 'Batons'? Though, we Do refer to those slabs on polystyrene insulation, like grave stones, as " Poly Batts ", over here. So, yeah. Sorry. Confused.

How about this (scary!) " Little AC / Dehumidifier ", please? How 'Little'? How Watty? Linky?

I Hate the thought of having to pile yet More juice sucking stuff to my, frankly, fast becoming untenable Anyway, bill. But, needs must, I guess. Offer me a clue, please, and I'll vanish from this place as I go searching across Amazon.UK.

Either way, yeah. I'd appreciate a bit more explanation, please?

Thanks.

[Bluey]

R value = the measure of insulation https://www.google.com/search?q=R+va...e-gws-wiz-serp
My heater and dehumidifier are no good for your room size, see my sig.

[Drabenger]

If you need a door on your insulation box make the hinge out of tape...not a permanent fix but it does work.

I Always keep Duct Tape handy! (Ever since that Really cute little Jehovas Witness came knocking my door, with just that skinny kid for back up! )

Seriously though; Yeppers. I was ahead of ye on That one, at least I'd considered pinning the static parts together with cocktail sticks, actually. But, naah. Got rolls of the 2" stuff in that very room At least That stuff's relatively cheap!

I'm starting to feel like Willy Nelson here, guys. " Trying to fill this shopping list, so that I can get high! "

[Drabenger]

Bluey Jesus christ! I hadn't seen that! So, your space is actually pretty much ~ without going in there and measuring it ~ Exactly the same size as my entire room!!! WOW!!! That's just mind bending!

I'm gonna be walking round for the rest of the day now, periodically shaking my head, as I try to take on board the sheer magnitude of what I've just learned!

I mean I 'know' a bloke who's a self made millionaire, from the weed. He shows us commercial set ups from all over the world. Ridiculously big places. But, assuming you're just another bloke who grows his own? The thought of opening my door and entering a well lit jungle, like that? WOW!

[Bluey]

I am on my second indoor grow. The first grow I only got 2 to flower and ran out of light and therefore room. Each had a canopy of about 4'x4'...I got 16 to 18oz from that and had to throw most away as all the big buds died from mould infestation. I went for a sea of green type grow without a net (haven't worked out how to set one up in my space and still work/inspect the plants). That grow took almost 6 months with a lot of problems, mostly caused by a power failure of a week.
I don't sell the stuff but it will all be gone by the time this second grow is ready. Hopefully I get a good 24 month supply from this grow. Fingers x'ed

[Drabenger]

Wow! Just fucking Wow!!!

Some scary shit though. Like, fails, on That epic scale (of production, I mean) is scary. I'll be trying to grow One single plant! If That goes tits up ....?

Power cuts are a way of life here too! Urgh! We have the scheduled ones. For work to be done. (Nebula's covered my arse on That bit. I was eyeballing battery lights just the other day) Then, in winter? Just no telling! I'm Extremely rural. Trees everywhere. And it gets stormy as shit here. I don't need to spell it out