Really?

Water damage will occur on the floor if it isn't carpet, unless you are careful and don't spill water. With the frequent spilling of water and nutrients onto a carpet floor, fungal problems will probably happen too. BUT if you have no carpet in the basement then you have nothing to worry about. If you plan on humidifying the basement then you will run into the same problems with the walls and roof, if they have wallpaper on them or are made of wood.

So to make it simple:

1. If your basement has no carpet
2. As long as you don't humidify the room

Then you will have no problems with home damage. You WILL have a hell of a time bringing a reservoir of water up and down stairs though, depending on its size. Something to think about.

Pot growers are typically clandestine. The damage they do to a home is often related to the measures they take to hide everything. For example, venting moist air into an attic instead of venting it outside will over time grow mold in the attic.

If you vent enough air outside, that will reduce humidity build-up. I hope you don't have carpet or the new snap-together laminate flooring - both hate water. But it is still possible. Put your hydro system inside a kiddie pool to catch any leaks or spills. You can use a transfer pump and hose to move water around instead of carrying buckets by hand.

And don't let your grow lights shine out the basement windows where people can see them. They will think you are growing pot. It stops being funny when people break into your house to steal what they think will be pot.

"It stops being funny when people break into your house to steal what they think will be pot"

^^This.

I think that gang style pot growers are in it for the money not the labour of love...

I have carpet and I have 50 % humidity over 75 degrees for a relative reading.. But as a plumber/gas fitter I do not allow a drop of water to leak from the system.

And why can I not spell LABOUR with out a red line error...?

OH - using a real hydrometer Is so different then the one on the wall.

For those that do not know - a hydrometer has a thermometer with a wick over the bulb. It is two 8 inch rods with a swivel joint - with one of the rod containing the thermometer, with the wick over the bulb. The thermometer it spun and the evaporation of the water on the wick (latent heat of vaporization) creates a temperature and that is matched to a chart. So the temp of the room and the temp of the ability of evaporation = relative humidity.

Is science not at least a little bit fun....lol...

I see... I now understand why you call yourself cliver-mcguiver

Thanks for the replies! I had a feeling it had to do with humidity.

Also good tip about the grow lights and break ins. There are some teenage hooligans in my neighbourhood and you never know.

I keep fans on mine to continually build stem strength and this tends to keep things dry as well. Since the reservoirs are sealed, the humidity is kept low as the evaporation is curbed.

A small dehumidifier would do the trick if needed. I think Sears still has the small ones.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Hydroponic Adventure

the temperature of the wet bulb is known as . . .

wait for it. . .



the wet bulb temperature.
It is also the temperature at which water from the air will begin to condensate.(i.e. a glass of water develops 'sweat' when the temperature of the glass drops below the wet bulb temperature) when the wet bulb and dry bulb temps are the same, you have 100% hymidity.

BTW McGiver, Labor is normally spelled without the 'u' in it. That is why you're getting the red squiggly.
Also, I meant no disrespect about that wet bulb temperature comment. That's just how it was taught to me.
you can also just tie a bit of wet cotton around the bottom of a thermometer and give it a spin to get the wet bulb temperature.

Grizzman you are so right about the dew point....

I had a 10 inch and a 5 inch telescope set up and---------------------wham - water on every thing...

night was blown.......... BUT I got to see Saturn in its closest pass to earth about 15 years ago... I think...

Labour is spelled with the “U” in Canada and the UK.