Converting a shed..

Electricity costs are ridiculous. I want to (and have been meaning to) seriously upgrade my grow room to accommodate more plants. Ideally,I would like to grow enough that I am harvesting a few pounds a month, 3-5 lbs a month to be specific. At my current indoor rate of 1/4 lb per I would need to accommodate approx 20 plants (in flower) and have room to grow another 10 plants in veg at any one time to meet this quota. the shed is 10x12. The shed is wired with electrical outlets but as I stated the electric bill is fucking murder. Has anyone here tried a solar panel setup on the roof of a shed? Generators are too loud with the exception of the larger backup home generators which are out of my budget at about $28-30k uninstalled. How would I go about wiring for a solar setup? How many 1000w fixtures would I need for a 10x12 space? Do you believe a solar setup would work?

No way you're going to grow 3.5 lbs a month in a 10 x 12 shed; especially if you're concerned with electrical costs. You would have to run at least 4k of lights, plus a/c. No I don't think a solar system would work, at least not without a substantial initial investment which you obviously aren't prepared to do. There is also a big difference between growing a 1/4lb a month and 3-5lbs a month.

cindysid said:

No way you're going to grow 3.5 lbs a month in a 10 x 12 shed; especially if you're concerned with electrical costs. You would have to run at least 4k of lights, plus a/c. No I don't think a solar system would work, at least not without a substantial initial investment which you obviously aren't prepared to do. There is also a big difference between growing a 1/4lb a month and 3-5lbs a month.

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to help
Thanks for the prompt reply. What type of investment would I need to be prepared to make for everything I would need to upgrade to the point of growing 3-5 lbs in said space? I know I would need panda plastic or mylar to cover the inside surfaces of the shed 4-5 1000w mh bulbs (to start and many backups on hand) a portable,strong ac unit,the necessary pots,fans,nutes and soil. All of the aforementioned I have. I can come up with about 2k now and up to 10k over the next 3 months. If you had my resources and goals what would you buy/do to move towards that goal? Thanks again so much!

I would insulate the shed very well and then. I would use the insulated foam board with mylar on one side for the interior walls.. It is easy to install and provides ample reflectivity. I would get at least 10k btu a/c, a mini split would be nice. You will also need odor control. Get Phresh brand carbon filters. They are worth the extra money. In that space I would use 30 15 gallon pots. You will need an aisle up the middle to be able to access your plants. If you grow a high yielder like Blue Dream you can quite possibly reach your goal. Just pay for the electric. It's part of the deal.

How many square feet you got to work with 10 x 12 is not enough room so plan to expand that shed. You gotta figure out how many plants you are going to need to meet that 3-5 lb quota. Than x that bye 3 and you should be close to the amount of plants that you need flower at once to keep it on a one month rotation you got to do some more research. How do you plan to feed that crop? What do you have for electric in the shed 100 amp service? Lots of stuff you got to figure before.

Check out Crazy Dago on YouTube, dudes got a similar setup running perpetual in coco. No idea what he's harvesting per month, but my guess is much less than 3-5 pounds.

I'm in a shed myself. Insulation is key. I'm running all cobs and still went with a 12k btu Mitsubishi minisplit. With window units I had to run a 70 pint dehumidifier which ran non stop. With the mini split the dehumidifier hardly runs. Huge electricity savings and heat savings as well. I am slowing down now and not pushing plants as hard but religiously pulled 1.5 lbs from each of the 3 3x3 flood tables under 450 watts per table.

Check out this thread! It's my shed build

https://www.rollitup.org/t/8x12-shed-w-an-8x8-stealth-room-completed.923558/

Can't foresee 8lbs in a 10x10..... step away from the weeds and grow dandelions. If you veg proper and flip in the 10x12 or cut the 10x12 in half, use a flip box to control two ballasts hooked to four lights...if it were me, I'd have three 1000s over a 10x6 area... then I promise with the right genetic, at least a gram per watt. Thats pretty solid but better KNOW what you're doing. Such a bold hobby everyone thinks is so effing easy. But yea, 1.5 gram a watt is capable no issue. YOU do the math. You do the scheduling. But I like the space you have to work with. Can I come help, hahaha the potential...don't listen to these slow growers. You got this man. But expect a fat power bill...but if you can't pay the bill upfront for energy, I would wait until you can. Nothing shittier than not paying electric and getting questions asked.

TEC09 said:

to help
Thanks for the prompt reply. What type of investment would I need to be prepared to make for everything I would need to upgrade to the point of growing 3-5 lbs in said space? I know I would need panda plastic or mylar to cover the inside surfaces of the shed 4-5 1000w mh bulbs (to start and many backups on hand) a portable,strong ac unit,the necessary pots,fans,nutes and soil. All of the aforementioned I have. I can come up with about 2k now and up to 10k over the next 3 months. If you had my resources and goals what would you buy/do to move towards that goal? Thanks again so much!

Click to expand...

I've used just about every bit of space available to me. There are tables all the way around the room that I flood and drain in. The reservoirs sit underneath..

I work on a 3 week system..
Every 3 weeks you cut down 6 plants,
move 6 from veg to flower,
Move 6 from cups to bags (veg)
Cut 6-10 new clones.

It took me about 4 months to get the cycle working and the room full but now that I have I'm working on picking best strain to keep around and dialing in everything else..

Sheds for the win!

Sent from my SM-N920V using Rollitup mobile app

Shroominnm said:

I've used just about every bit of space available to me. There are tables all the way around the room that I flood and drain in. The reservoirs sit underneath..

I work on a 3 week system..
Every 3 weeks you cut down 6 plants,
move 6 from veg to flower,
Move 6 from cups to bags (veg)
Cut 6-10 new clones.

It took me about 4 months to get the cycle working and the room full but now that I have I'm working on picking best strain to keep around and dialing in everything else..

Sheds for the win!

Sent from my SM-N920V using Rollitup mobile app

Click to expand...

Bravo! Sounds like you are where I need to be. I want to get that organized I do. I'm spending money like crazy and haven't made a cent yet! I'm investing in a bigger tent payday. need a 10x10x6.5'. I intend to veg in the small 2x5 I have now and flower in the larger. May just use the small tent for clones and buy a veg tent as well. Wanna get a nice hydro system set up but I need more space for that. Redoing the siding on the shed now so it's light proof then I'm in there. Just found out the electrical doesn't work so got an electrician coming out for $140 an hour to evaluate and fix that. It never ends..

Big smo said:

I'm in a shed myself. Insulation is key. I'm running all cobs and still went with a 12k btu Mitsubishi minisplit. With window units I had to run a 70 pint dehumidifier which ran non stop. With the mini split the dehumidifier hardly runs. Huge electricity savings and heat savings as well. I am slowing down now and not pushing plants as hard but religiously pulled 1.5 lbs from each of the 3 3x3 flood tables under 450 watts per table.

Click to expand...

Where did you purchase your Mitsubishi unit? Can you link it? It's going to be a big investment for me so I want to buy the right one the first time. Also, is a shed a shed when it comes to growing or is a metal shed any better/worse than a shed made mostly of wood?

Grow some gold leaf in your closet youll get 3lbs... A shed of 10/12 is not doable for three pounds. Electricity is what it is... Solar power needed to produce this would be at least 6000-10000 KWatts draw... Its really not feasible. Sheds are really good for one thing... Veg rooms because the heat is not as big of a factor

TEC09 said:

Where did you purchase your Mitsubishi unit? Can you link it? It's going to be a big investment for me so I want to buy the right one the first time. Also, is a shed a shed when it comes to growing or is a metal shed any better/worse than a shed made mostly of wood?

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They have cheaper versions available but the seer/seasonal energy efficiency ratio is lower. Mitsubishi is the best all around unit I feel. Some brands may have certain features better but not in a whole. I bought my first Mitsubishi from the installer who purchased it through a supply warehouse. The second one came from a grow room that was undersized. Mitsubishi doesn't sell online as far as I know. I think it's dealer only. As for the shed a wood shed is a million times better. Mine is fairly big 20x20. On the plywooded floor I added 2 inches of ridgid foam and another layer of 3/4 plywood for insulation then tiled it. Walls and ceilings are insulated as well. It's fully done up, lots of copper, automated, dream room 35k total invested

TEC09 said:

Bravo! Sounds like you are where I need to be. I want to get that organized I do. I'm spending money like crazy and haven't made a cent yet! I'm investing in a bigger tent payday. need a 10x10x6.5'. I intend to veg in the small 2x5 I have now and flower in the larger. May just use the small tent for clones and buy a veg tent as well. Wanna get a nice hydro system set up but I need more space for that. Redoing the siding on the shed now so it's light proof then I'm in there. Just found out the electrical doesn't work so got an electrician coming out for $140 an hour to evaluate and fix that. It never ends..

Click to expand...

Thanks!!
Total ive got about 5k in the room from start to finish.

I built a false wall to divide the tool room (with entrance doorl) from the grow room. I put my window air conditioner (biggest one lowes sells) to the left of the door.
Then I put a cabinet with doors on the false wall directly across from the ac so the ac blows directly into it.
I framed a box fan in the wall behind (inside) the cabinet and now I have the first room that stays at a precise 72 degrees, and I use my first room as a cold air source.
The box fan (inlet) is on a temperature control box that is set to pull cold air in (turn fan on) at 78 and turn fan off at 74.
Anyone looking for efficient cooling, this way seems to work great.
Then I put a midget size door framed into the false wall covered by pegboard.. STEALTH!

My shed is metal. All walls are framed with 2x4s and insulated.
Roof is framed with 2x6s and insulated. False wall is framed with 2x4s and insulated.

I ran my own electricity, 2 legs off of the main breaker box.. I ran conduit, wired all the plugs recessed into the wall and everything. 6 plug receptacles on the ceiling in each room the whole shabang.

Don't let anyone tell you this is unmanageable cost-wise.

Your talking about tents.. I divided my room with a tarp.. Pretty much just used some 2x4s skinny side flat to give me a wall frame and then a big tarp as my wall, and mylar didn't hurt. Cheap alternative to a tent!

My shed was a metal skirt when I started, about 5000$ later I have everything I need in there. This is everything from electrical, cooling, insulation, building materials, flood and drain tables, pumps, lights.. Etc.

I literally can't think of anything else I need, besides more space. Lol

I'm still dialing mine in and getting my cycle figured out, but right now I'm getting about a half a p every 3 weeks. I'm hoping in the next month it will be up to 1 lb every 3 weeks, with the right strain and training techniques it should be easily attainable.

Shroominnm said:

Thanks!!
Total ive got about 5k in the room from start to finish.

I built a false wall to divide the tool room (with entrance doorl) from the grow room. I put my window air conditioner (biggest one lowes sells) to the left of the door.
Then I put a cabinet with doors on the false wall directly across from the ac so the ac blows directly into it.
I framed a box fan in the wall behind (inside) the cabinet and now I have the first room that stays at a precise 72 degrees, and I use my first room as a cold air source.
The box fan (inlet) is on a temperature control box that is set to pull cold air in (turn fan on) at 78 and turn fan off at 74.
Anyone looking for efficient cooling, this way seems to work great.
Then I put a midget size door framed into the false wall covered by pegboard.. STEALTH!

My shed is metal. All walls are framed with 2x4s and insulated.
Roof is framed with 2x6s and insulated. False wall is framed with 2x4s and insulated.

I ran my own electricity, 2 legs off of the main breaker box.. I ran conduit, wired all the plugs recessed into the wall and everything. 6 plug receptacles on the ceiling in each room the whole shabang.

Don't let anyone tell you this is unmanageable cost-wise.

Your talking about tents.. I divided my room with a tarp.. Pretty much just used some 2x4s skinny side flat to give me a wall frame and then a big tarp as my wall, and mylar didn't hurt. Cheap alternative to a tent!

My shed was a metal skirt when I started, about 5000$ later I have everything I need in there. This is everything from electrical, cooling, insulation, building materials, flood and drain tables, pumps, lights.. Etc.

I literally can't think of anything else I need, besides more space. Lol

I'm still dialing mine in and getting my cycle figured out, but right now I'm getting about a half a p every 3 weeks. I'm hoping in the next month it will be up to 1 lb every 3 weeks, with the right strain and training techniques it should be easily attainable.

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You guys make a girl like me feel like the peon of all growers LOL!!! I would love to have the expertise to do a lot myself but all I'm good at it is gardening. No woodworking (although very interested in dabbling w/making cabinets/furniture),construction or electrical in my blood. Even worse (as timing is concerned anyways) while I was so preoccupied worrying about males in my grow room I should have been more cautious about human males in my own tent after lights out because according to doc I was "pollinated" by a male about 4 weeks ago and am expecting. In my current state there's no building in my immediate future. The plants I have and the tending to them is very nice though despite everything I have going on. Therapeutic and I love it. I think every grower wishes they had more space even outdoor guys fortunate enough to have acres. That's my dream right there! Own a big,country house atleast a mile from any neighbors with a shit-ton of land where I can just focus on the most enjoyable aspect of this process which for me is gardening and let God pay for the lights and nutes- no building required.

TEC09 said:

You guys make a girl like me feel like the peon of all growers LOL!!! I would love to have the expertise to do a lot myself but all I'm good at it is gardening. No woodworking (although very interested in dabbling w/making cabinets/furniture),construction or electrical in my blood. Even worse (as timing is concerned anyways) while I was so preoccupied worrying about males in my grow room I should have been more cautious about human males in my own tent after lights out because according to doc I was "pollinated" by a male about 4 weeks ago and am expecting. In my current state there's no building in my immediate future. The plants I have and the tending to them is very nice though despite everything I have going on. Therapeutic and I love it. I think every grower wishes they had more space even outdoor guys fortunate enough to have acres. That's my dream right there! Own a big,country house atleast a mile from any neighbors with a shit-ton of land where I can just focus on the most enjoyable aspect of this process which for me is gardening and let God pay for the lights and nutes- no building required.

Click to expand...

Congratulations!!!!

Wanted to post some pics of the cooling setup here

Shroominnm said:

Congratulations!!!!

Wanted to post some pics of the cooling setup here

Click to expand...

Thanks That setup is genius-ly sexy!

I have a plastic shed in the back, 6x4x6H. I converted it to a sealed grow room as best I could (and its florida, so HOT). I ran the wiring from my panel to the shed myself via conduit underground, new 30amp breaker. I insulated the whole thing with foam board with the foil backing to block radiant heat. also sealed all gaps to make it as air tight as possible. 6" carbon filter and 440cfm fan with speed control, 2 x 1000w LED lights (370w total at wall), dehumidifier, and for cooling, you wont believe me, but a coleman cooler that i rigged with copper rods running horizontal and it houses 8 frozen liter bottles which I am swapping every morning and evening, cooler stays inside shed. The carbon filter fan cleans the air and blows the air through the cooler, cools down the air and back into the room, no exhaust or AC. going to add a small co2 source. I should say, I am still building it. Not completed yet. Oh and I painted all the wall insulation a flat white no mylar. its not the prettiest looking grow room, but should work. I have 10 fem strawberry kush seeds on the way. gonna plant in cup>1gallon bags than finish in 3gal bags. Right now working a grow platform and drainage system, planning on SCROG method.

ok so this is great, however I am now fucked. Here i thought these amazon LED lights were great and affordable. After reading the LED light section I feel so embarrassed and deflated. Gonna have to abort mission. No way I can run hps with electricity costs and heat. FUCK. I feel so stupid. Here I thought the reviews were great on all these amazon lights. They are all fake reviews. Oh well, will have to return all my stuff. Luckily I haven't set anything up yet and everything is still in boxes. Dam. Oh well. live and learn. Looks like the shed is going back to a shed this weekend. Thanks for ruining my fun guys lol.

peace