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Concrete cooling - a theory

Gingerbeard

Gingerbeard

New member
Been thinking about not being able to do a summer grow in a garage in a tent because of cooling the tent in a hot garage. Concrete stays pretty cool if it doesn't get heated by the sun. I don't know if this would be a real thing. Something to drop temperatures, some, in a small space. This isn't something I can try for my living situation.
One end of ducting and fan are attached to the tent and sucking air into the tent. Attached to the other end of the ducting is some sort of doohickey whatnot that holds the opening N inches above the concrete. I don't know the aerodynamics of it all. The doohickey whatnot allows air to be drawn over the cooler concrete.
Another idea is to create a filter, of sorts, like a carbon filter, but pack river rocks in a chamber and draw the air through that. Gravel size concrete? Some other sort of cool stone?
 
I’ve been considering using a garage as I could really gain a lot more space. Could even eliminate tents but knowing the space as I do, the thermal mass of the concrete floor area ( 28x34) rarely exceeds 82 degrees using a non-contact thermometer. Some daytime temps for that to occur, need to be over 90 for more than 4 consecutive days. The biggest problem I have is that in an un-insulated space on those kind of days, the air temp exceeds 100 from direct overhead sun exposure under a 17’ high hip roof. In the available insulated space, air temps still exceed 90 many days from July to early September. The concrete floor still will not reach the 80’s until July in the east.

maybe you can closely monitor the temps starting now and just be ready to place seedlings or clones at a moments notice next summer. Hopefully that would work out and if you get crazy hot floors, flush them with water to cool them down and add a ton of humidity if you’d like.

i May do it now that you bring it up
 
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I didn't want to go the water route because of the humidity and the constant need to add water. Swamp cooler idea. What about putting a small fan over the area of concrete to be used?
And the river rock angle? Marble. Take a look at marble.
 
Thermal mass is still the key but you should look at the temps right now as it takes a few days to cool or to heat even at 4” minimum thickness and most are not that thin. If you have an acceptable range... i’d Shoot for a graph over the next 30 days
 
Oh, no. This is all a theory for someone else to take a stab at. I am in an apartment with go garage or space enough for some sort of setup. The maintenance guy has seen my setup and how I had to punch a small hole in my closet wall to run electric. I wonder what he would think about me ripping up some carpet.
 
Oh, my mistake... I thought you might be planning on doing it.... good theory though. The very first house I saw using thermal mass and recycled stuff was an actor known as Dennis Weaver. He had used bottles, tires, mud and solid chunks of metal to create mass and that was in the mid 1980’s. Obviously the Gunsmoke and McCloud series paid well but he must have had a pension for conservation long before it was in vogue to do so.

Dont rip up the rug, it could be glued down ... spackle for a hole....piece o’ cake
 
In my working days I did architecture. It's amazing how many people love the idea of alternate building materials bud don't love it enough to live in a house made of one.
This place isn't quite 6 years old. It was built so cheaply it's probably dust and gravity holding down the carpet.
 
I see that in so many places today...really crappy materials with big prices.... there’s a development I drove by where the long walls of the houses siding had ripples the entire length

Better get rid of that vacuum cleaner !
 
There's a house down the road that's been built into the Earth, all you really see is the walkway to the front door. Always wanted to see what it's like inside. Did he do some cool stuff or just put up normal walling. I think I would have to have a plexiglass wall somewhere so I could watch the soil life. Must be strange mowing your roof.. Lol
 
Water leaking inside walls. Green Board not installed under three bathtubs in upper units. Water coming under west facing doors in the rain. There's a half cm wide crack running across the concrete outside my wall. None of the appliances are 'Energy Star' because they were outdated when they were bought. Bathroom light fixture was discontinued. My doorbell has never worked. When I first move in, the ceiling fan worked. But when I turned on the light, it blew the circuit. The fan hadn't been wired properly. Much of what was used to outfit this place was purchased from a company that sells discontinued items. I could go on for at least another few dabs. But that would be a buzz-kill.
 
hey Gingerbeard, My tent IS in my garage(2 car,insulated,no drop ceiling) And yes, the concrete floor kept the temp at a steady low 70s, up until the dog days of summer. Once we started into 95+ temps during the day and not dropping below 75 at night. the concrete gradually started warming up. Still cool to bare feet but wasnt cool enough. So, 95 degrees+ in garage, plus two 600 LED, i had to buy a A/C for my garage dammit. and thru the summer it was working HARD some days. then you have to take into account humidity..temp fluctuations inside garage are much slower than outside, so you get rapid humidity fluctuations with a cool floor and the warm air in garage..tool and stuff were covered in moisture. A/C unit has a dehumidifier on it and i was dumping 3-4 gallons of water per day. So..to sum it up...If its a one car garage, with complete shade, and its insulated with a drop ceiling.run your lights on a schedule when its cooler...maybe...but if it gets warm for an extended period of time...its gonna be a struggle. homegrown
maybe some 6"PVC pipe buried in the ground about three feet down for 25-30 feet? fan at either end one blowing one sucking..should be cool air all summer...
 
well i think 3 feet deep, where i am is frost level..so below that it normally doesnt freeze solid. i think geothermal heating is 6 feet or deeper. If you dig a three foot deep hole that ground is pretty cool down there...
 
I have nothing more to say on the concrete idea, homegrown. You have told me what I wanted to know. Thanks.
Your buried PVC idea sounds brilliant. The soil type in southern California is sandstone mixed with concrete. Burying a pipe 3' down for 25'-30' requires heavy machinery and a crew big enough to require a Port-o-Potty and posted safety information on site.
 
Not my idea...
 

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Your signature reads. Dabs... lots and lots of dabs. Are you making these yourself or do you get them retail?
 
ahahahah...Lol..sorry Gingerbeard, i had no idea of your location. If i realized where you were i probably wouldn't have commented.(cement saws, jack hammers,backhoes dump truck..try explaining that to the neighbours) Im guessing your garage temps get WAY higher than my location. Southern Ontario. hahaha. Got fall temps out here tonight..53 degrees homegrown. i may give this some more thought to the buried pvc for next year though...
 
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