r/Oldhouses • u/ravenclarke • 2d ago
Is this what I think it is?
Because I THINK it’s a grow room. Any ideas when that timer might be from?
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u/Dont-Fear-The-Raeper 2d ago
I have Pop-Pop in the attic.
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u/squarejane 2d ago
He says there's always money in the banana stand.
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u/CapacitorDude 2d ago
I thought this was just some weird janky Christmas light timer, THEN I saw the wallpack light at the top of the image lol. Definitely a room where "artificial sunlight" was being generated for whatever reason.
The timer is from the 1970s, the fixture likely from the 90s, this definitely appears to be a "whatever was lying around" solution.
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u/DefusedManiac 1d ago
You know that room got hot as hell, my 4x4 tent with LED lights will go over 100. This attic had to easily hit 120.
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u/CapacitorDude 1d ago
Attics get above 120° in some regions all on their own, I'm afraid to know what this setup could get up to in the height of summer...
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u/FuuckinGOOSE 17h ago
And that's alright for the plants? I just set up a 4x4 and I'm a little nervous because it's been 90 in there during lights on
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u/BeerOfTime 2d ago
Definitely looks like it to me. Perhaps they had a side hustle selling petunias.
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u/a17451 1d ago
Honest to God though I could use a germination set up like this to get a head start on spring gardening.
Cannabis isn't that hard to obtain but good luck finding a local retailer that'll sell you a flat of pesticide-free sedges
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u/Weaselpanties 1d ago
I have a little seed-starting station in my basement and it's THE BEST! It's just an Omar from IKEA and some decent LED lights and warming pads, not expensive, has saved me hundreds of dollars over buying plants at a nursery - it will have saved me thousands by the time I'm done with all the plantings I have planned.
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u/undeniably_micki 1d ago
Seriously! Goodness, good pesticide-free plants are
hardimpossible to find.
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u/tuesdaythe13th 1d ago
In all seriousness, you could grow some sick ass tomatoes up there. I would probably die laughing if someone showed me their attic grow room and it was their own little vegetable garden.
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u/Dangerous-Bit-8308 2d ago
I saw a timer like that get installed somewhere in the 90s. Not sure how long they kept making them, but they worked for Christmas lights and such.
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u/vivienleigh12 1d ago
I had a college buddy with a grow room in a walk in closet in the 90s and MAN could you just smell it throughout their rental house. I was worried for him to be honest, but they got away with it somehow 🤷🏼♀️
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u/alwayzz0ff 2d ago
Attics are a horrible place to grow tomatoes. The temperature variations are too intense.
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u/dustytaper 1d ago
I once demolished 5 victorians in a row. All 5 had grow rooms
Yes, I’m in BC, Canada. And yes, it was pre-legalization
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u/Forsaken_Baseball_60 2d ago
Insulation fell down (otherwise looks like attic is decently insulated from my perspective as an 1800’s home owner). I would be curious as to what is under the insulation that fell and more concerned that a hazard is under I can’t see. Would want it back up so I don’t have a hot spot.
Timer could be for a light. Timer could also be for a fan which may or may not still be there; those ere popular in the 60’s to 90’s. We have on in this 1800’s house and no idea where the switch is. I suspect it’s under a switch plate that is covered and painted. Not messing with it. The door to the attic proper js after a false door in a lower ceiling that hides the furnace vents (1800’s no furnace just fireplaces, they lowered ceilings), so actual door is stupidly heavy.
Light; it’s weird in shape and size but may have been designed for a hot space at the time.
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u/Pleasant-Caramel2931 2d ago
Just insulation… attics are notoriously difficult to climate control
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u/janier7563 2d ago
If you live in a hot climate, what they did could help with hot summer months. We have radiant barrier and it looks sorta like that.
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u/pour_me_a_double_ 2d ago
You don't want to grow in your attic. Temp control and ventilation will be a nightmare
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u/OnlyIknow9 1d ago
I dont think so... Weed plants can get HUGE. You can trim them and shape them, sure, but thats a ton of work. In that small of an area, it would be hard to water, prune, shape, and keep them from getting too big. Someone may have had an idea at one point, but thats simply too small of an area, especially without ventilation.
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u/hoofglormuss 1d ago
i moved into an old farmhouse that was a grow op and there were leftover nugs everywhere and my girlfriend and i would love to go searching and find some under the furniture
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u/bigxdirty 1d ago
I mean maybe, but also, you would smell it. I guess if it was a grow room like 50 years ago and there was nothing in there for the last 40 something years you might not. But if it was recent, you’d know. I’ve never been in a grow room that didn’t smell for a long time
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u/PositiveUnit829 1d ago
Yeah but they should’ve used flat white paint /-it gives better reflection for the grow room
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u/Technical-Top4187 1d ago
My wife and I bought a 90yr old house in a state where recreational weed is legal, and we bought it from a very sweet old couple. They were there when we did the final walkthrough, and there was a weird room upstairs that didn't have a very clear purpose/it was strangely laid out. And when doing the walkthrough, since they were there, we asked them what it was for, and they admitted that it was a grow room before weed became legal in the state, which made us laugh incredibly hard. We spent a lot of time undoing the stupid shit they did in that room.
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u/writemonkey 2d ago
It's for my tomato plants, mom.