Foam size

[davidstcldfl]

.

so paint the top side? this system is outdoors too..

Yes...just the 'top', seems best.

what type of time frame, before it breaks down. i've never heard this before and i've never seen styrofoam break down in water, it's used in boat docks, building foundations. amazing.

It's the UV that does it. In a foundation or a boat dock it's protected from the sun.
I have a few extra rafts in a stack (stored outside), the painted tops are doing fine...I noticed the edges are showing a slight break down, after a few months.

I've been trying the expanded white styrofoam....concerned about the fire retardant in the blue stuff....the pink, I've heard, has bug poison in it too. As much stuff we are exposed to, am I being too cautious ?
I've been getting 'virgin foam' made (no fire retardant/bug poison) ...I've tried 1# , 2 # and 3# ( all 2" thick). (FL guys...it's made in Lakeland)
The 1# is too weak and it quickly gets water logged. The 2# is OK, does get 'some what' water logged. The 3# is surprisingly heavy and I think it's stronger then the blue stuff. I think I'll try 2 1/2 # on the next order.

[rfeiller]

the stuff i use has plastic and mylar films on the outside it is white

[davidstcldfl]

the stuff i use has plastic and mylar films on the outside it is white

The blue dow board has a film on it too. Rfeiller, do you know what kind/brand name ? Is the mylar wite....maybe it protects the styrofoam ?

[keith_r]

a clear film i don't think would help with avoiding uv breakdown?
maybe a "milk paint" would work?

[rfeiller]

White on one side foil on opposite side. I put foil side down to avoid damaging underside of leaves. When you folks settle on a finish let me know. The stuff in my greenhouse shows no damage. This is dense whit nonchem styrofoam. It is a structural foam.

[urbanfarmer]

White on one side foil on opposite side. I put foil side down to avoid damaging underside of leaves. When you folks settle on a finish let me know. The stuff in my greenhouse shows no damage. This is dense whit nonchem styrofoam. It is a structural foam.

Foil is a GREAT idea! Anything that stops the light will work and foil is definitely safe. The side does not matter. It looks different to the human eye, but there is no significant difference between how much it reflects on either side. According to anything I have read it is equivalent on both sides. Tons of information on this on the net and many folks have even independently run experiments and confirmed the results. The white foam actually reflects more light than the foil. Hope that helps!

[rfeiller]

If I have read that also, it depends on the glossyness of the white. One study I read actually said the less glossy the paint the more light that was reflected. I also read another study that said never have reflective foil. Reflecting on the underside of the leaves. I can look at the whit side in the sun but can't look at the foil if that amounts to anything. Thanks for the info.
Rich

[urbanfarmer]

The diffusion rate is different but the reflectivity is the same. The more polished a surface is the less diffusion of light there is, which is why you can see yourself in something that has been highly polished. This can also be correlated to the "glossiness" of a paint. It gets more complicated from there based on atomic structure and microscopic surface qualities... but anyway, as far as the aluminum foil it all reflects the same amount of light just not all in the same direction because it diffuses differently (that's why you can and cannot look at it in the sun).

Anyway, I guess the only way to find out is to try it!

[keith_r]

there was some stuff over the last couple years about using the color red around your tomatoes to make them grow "better"..
not quite sure what they've found on that, and don't feel like looking at the moment..

[urbanfarmer]

there was some stuff over the last couple years about using the color red around your tomatoes to make them grow "better"..
not quite sure what they've found on that, and don't feel like looking at the moment..

I can only guess it has something to do with the light spectrum, but otherwise I have not heard that specifically for tomatoes; so, I have no idea.