Alright, so I'm looking to finally begin assembling ideas for an indoor setup. The setup will be in my attic. The attic has blown insulation, with no insulation between the rafters and roof decking, so it gets pretty hot during the Summer and pretty chilly during the Winter.

I don't know much at all about construction, but the family member who will be helping me put this grow together has extensive knowledge in construction and related fields. I think he has a firm grasp on how to build a good box, but I'd like everyone to throw their 2 cents into the mix, so we can build the best possible box.

I'm thinking about building between a 3'x3' to a 5'x5' box to be situated atop plywood decking secured to the joists. I propose the box to have hinged front doors to allow easy access in and out of the box - will use weather stripping around the doors to prevent light leaks. The interior will be painted with a flat white paint. The box will be insulated and air conditioned to maintain temps.

The grow medium will be soil, as I'm not comfortable with running a hydro or aero setup in my attic just yet. I propose to hand water the plants as needed, but may include drip irrigation on timer depending on how comfortable I get with the idea.

Now, I've read that 5,000 lumens + per square foot is recommended on lighting, depending on ability to maintain temperatures, so I will be looking at either a 600W to 1,000W MH/HPS setup depending on my choice of box size. The light will be suspended from the ceiling of the box from adjustable hangers to hang horizontally in the middle of the box. I'd appreciate any and all input as to favored/disfavord brands of lightbulbs, reflectors, cooltubes, ballasts, etc. Based upon comments here and there, it looks like HTGSupply is a reputable store?

Given that the box will be air conditioned, does anyone feel I should also use a cooltube or ventable hood or otherwise have any inline and/or exhaust fans? I'll keep an oscillating fan of some sort in the box to keep a breeze on the plants to increase stem strength and circulate the air.

Any and all thoughts, comments, suggestions, experiences, or anything else you have to contribute to my setup will be seriously appreciated. I want to build this box right the first go 'round, so I won't have to modify it much over the years. I know there are some folks in here with serious construction and engineering know-how, so I look forward to your input!

Thanks in advance for your help!
jakezking Reviewed by jakezking on . | Need Help Building Attic Grow Box | Alright, so I'm looking to finally begin assembling ideas for an indoor setup. The setup will be in my attic. The attic has blown insulation, with no insulation between the rafters and roof decking, so it gets pretty hot during the Summer and pretty chilly during the Winter. I don't know much at all about construction, but the family member who will be helping me put this grow together has extensive knowledge in construction and related fields. I think he has a firm grasp on how to build Rating: 5