Loft grow insulation

SamWE19

Well-Known Member
I want some opinion on my situation to see if I have enough insulation.

I have 1 inch thick kingspan nailed onto the rafters in my loft leaving a 6 inch air gap between the tiles and the insulation.

I'm hoping if my insulation does heat up the wind coming through the tiles will cool the insulation before the tiles have a chance to heat up?

Inside I plan to run 4000-5000w and a co2 burner.

I will use portable AC units to vent hot air out the chimney possibly a 24000 btu although I might need 36000 btu.

Will this setup leave no heat signature to the pig in the sky?
 

KrazyG

Well-Known Member
Will this setup leave no heat signature to the pig in the sky?
It will give off a heat signature, I have a cab made of 70mm kingspan, it holds heat like you wouldn't believe and when you touch the outside it's warm. It's causing that many temp issues it will be getting binned after this grow. GL
 

SamWE19

Well-Known Member
It will give off a heat signature, I have a cab made of 70mm kingspan, it holds heat like you wouldn't believe and when you touch the outside it's warm. It's causing that many temp issues it will be getting binned after this grow. GL
Are you venting or cooling the inside of the cab?

I'm thinking the kingspan can be warm but hopefully it will cool before heat can transfer into the tiles?
 

SamWE19

Well-Known Member
Are you venting or cooling the inside of the cab?

I'm thinking the kingspan can be warm but hopefully it will cool before heat can transfer into the tiles?
If the kingspan gets warm the heat from the outside of the kingspan would have to then travel through 6 inches of air which is constantly getting drafts from between the tiles and then also heat the tiles by more than 1C For it to be detected.

I expect the kingspan to be warm but not sure about heating the tiles
 

KrazyG

Well-Known Member
Are you venting or cooling the inside of the cab?

I'm thinking the kingspan can be warm but hopefully it will cool before heat can transfer into the tiles?
Yeah the cabs cooled, forced fresh air in and 4" inline and filter outside, it's down to the insulation holding heat, lights off temp 21°c. You have the disadvantage of been in an attic, summertime will be a battle.
 

SamWE19

Well-Known Member
Yeah the cabs cooled, forced fresh air in and 4" inline and filter outside, it's down to the insulation holding heat, lights off temp 21°c. You have the disadvantage of been in an attic, summertime will be a battle.
Do you think if you had an air gap and then another layer of insulation such as tiles around your cab it would be warm to the touch?
 

coreywebster

Well-Known Member
Not sure what the thermal rating of normal kingspan is but I would imagine you want thicker stuff. No reason you cant insulate the shit out of that loft though. If for some reason you are using it because you have access to it free the double up and double air gaps.
I wouldn't be too worried about choppers looking for heat sigs (assuming your in the UK) they don't have the budget to look for small scale grows. More likely to get caught from a neighbour complaining about the smell.
Of course come summer that loft needs to be insulated to the highest standard or its gona be like an oven. Folks can die in lofts in summer.
 

KrazyG

Well-Known Member
Do you think if you had an air gap and then another layer of insulation such as tiles around your cab it would be warm to the touch?
I doubt it would be warm to the touch but wouldn't that mean it would retain more heat inside, no heat dispersion. Your roof tiles will absorb heat giving you a similar situation?
 

SamWE19

Well-Known Member
Not sure what the thermal rating of normal kingspan is but I would imagine you want thicker stuff. No reason you cant insulate the shit out of that loft though. If for some reason you are using it because you have access to it free the double up and double air gaps.
I wouldn't be too worried about choppers looking for heat sigs (assuming your in the UK) they don't have the budget to look for small scale grows. More likely to get caught from a neighbour complaining about the smell.
Of course come summer that loft needs to be insulated to the highest standard or its gona be like an oven. Folks can die in lofts in summer.
I've heard of several cases where pigs have raided houses in UK because of thermal images..

Some woman raided due to guinea pigs in garage

And a woman who was even a PCSO and she got raided due to bad loft insulation.

I don't think I could easily do a second air gap but I could possibly do another layer. Do you think an extra layer would help in this case without an air gap?
 

coreywebster

Well-Known Member
I've heard of several cases where pigs have raided houses in UK because of thermal images..

Some woman raided due to guinea pigs in garage

And a woman who was even a PCSO and she got raided due to bad loft insulation.

I don't think I could easily do a second air gap but I could possibly do another layer. Do you think an extra layer would help in this case without an air gap?
Yeah a second layer would no doubt be better than one layer. As well as insulating if you can fit it in is a loft tent. Cops can only see the surface temps, with a tent or a structure within your loft that doesn't touch the roof it wont heat up. That doesn't help much in summer though when loft gets over 100degrees.

How will you extract your heat? Do you have a chimney you can tap into up there?
 

SamWE19

Well-Known Member
Yeah I was planning on using dual hose portable AC and ducting the exhaust directly out the chimney.

Even an extra layer of insulation though.. surely after 12 hours of lights the outer layer is still gonna end up being warm?

I'm gonna need a shit ton of kingspan to do another layer that stuff is expensive
 

SamWE19

Well-Known Member
Due to the shape I won't be able to use a tent unfortunately just a sealed loft as a whole

I'm gonna drill a tiny hole through the insulation at the very peak of the roof and push a temp prope through there so I can see what the temps are getting to when I start using it. Hopefully it will show the temp matching outdoor temps
 
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