You can’t miss the smell.
It’s pungent and very distinct – it’s the smell of marijuana.
Your grow room, whether it’s a free-standing building or in your basement, is pumping out that smell whether you want it to or not.
Recreational marijuana is legal in 10 states, including Michigan, which means there are a lot of people now growing cannabis for recreational use. While it’s legal, you might not want your home to smell like weed and don’t want people you don’t know to smell your crops in your outbuilding.
With all of this being said, you also want to avoid things that will absorb that smell.
Are there insulation and building materials that will hold that smell? Yes, there is, but some materials like open cell spray foam in grow rooms are getting a bad rap because of its composition.
Here’s the quick answer – open cell spray foam has never been shown to retain any kind of odor.
Here’s the thing. Open cell spray foam is porous, which means it allows water to move through it. There are those who think this means it will hold onto the smell of marijuana in those pores, but that’s not the case.
Foam insulation is basically a plastic insulation material that creates an air seal. These two facts together are what keeps the odor from getting into the foam.
Fibrous materials, like fiberglass or certain drywall materials, are much more likely to have smells get absorbed in them. Drywall is also very porous and has more pathways for the smell to get through. That’s why the odor of marijuana can cling to it.
It all circles back to that air seal, because that is also going to keep some of that smell from escaping.
Now that you know that open cell spray foam isn’t going to contribute to the smell of your grow room lingering, we’ve got some tips to combat that odor.
Creating an air seal in your grow room is essential to maintaining the temperature and humidity you need to cultivate cannabis.
There are a lot of factors that determine which spray foam you should add to your grow room. If your walls are exposed, then you will want closed cell spray foam because of its durability. If you plan on finishing the walls, then open cell can be installed.
The key is creating an environment that will be easy to control and maintain so you’re left with a large, healthy crop.
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