Start With the End in Mind When Laying Out Your Mobile Racks
When planning your vertical grow room layout, it’s essential to start with the end in mind. The foundation of a successful grow operation begins with choosing the right racking system, one that accommodates your current needs and anticipates future growth.
Growers must account for several critical factors beforehand, including available space, compliance regulations, and long-term cultivation plans. Overlooking these elements can lead to significant challenges down the road, potentially disrupting your operations and impacting your bottom line.
Working with an experienced team of designers, technicians, and support professionals can help ensure that you make informed decisions and integrate your racking system seamlessly.
As you develop your plans, room by room, you’ll encounter an array of variables that will help or hinder your aspirations. Understanding the best practices of grow room design and mobile racking capabilities will get you moving in the right direction.
Mobile Racking Decisions
The first step in designing a vertical grow room layout is choosing a racking system. Growers must account for various factors beforehand, including available space, compliance regulations, and future cultivation plans.
Forgetting about these critical considerations can ultimately lead to problems down the road. Our best advice is to always work alongside an experienced team of designers, techs, and support professionals to ensure proper decision-making and seamless integration.
Pipp Vertical Racking Systems are tailored to fit each unique facility. You can use our Room Generator Tool to create an interactive 3D floor plan based on your available canopy space.
Here are just a few things to consider when integrating a vertical racking system:
Room Dimensions & Obstructions
The size of your grow room (e.g., length, width, and ceiling height) dictates much of the racking system setup. By calculating the area of your space, your design team can recommend the ideal amount of aisles necessary for your production needs.
Equipment Width & Material
Racks and grow trays house the heart of your business–your plants. Naturally, you want to ensure these structures are made with top-quality materials to protect your crops from pathogens, pests, and disease.
Pipp’s Vertical Grow Racking Sytems fitted with Mobile Carriages are crafted with cultivators in mind. Each stainless steel, UV-stable rack is covered with an antibacterial and antifungal coating to prevent the spread of plant-killers like mold and mildew.
Another key consideration is aisle width. Growers should leave ample space for multiple teams to interact with plants simultaneously. Keeping aisles between 36 and 54 inches wide allows for tandem work while helping prevent accidents due to tight quarters.
Compliance
Compliance laws can vary depending on the location of a facility. For example, some states like California must meet specific seismic regulations in preparation for unexpected earthquakes. In these cases, Pipp’s low-profile racking systems with optional anti-tip features offer an all-in-one solution.
Regardless, any cultivator can benefit from implementing an anti-tip system. This simple addition can protect plants and employees from harm. In the words of Michael Williamson, Director of Cultivation at Pipp Horticulture, “I can always grow more plants, but I can’t grow more people. So, keeping your employees safe is priority number one.”
Space for Growth
Whether you have current expansion plans or simply exploring the idea, chalking out canopy space for increased yield capacities is a great investment. Doing so doesn’t need to be difficult, either!
Leaving room for growth can be as easy as adding another tier to your vertical racking system. If you need one level at the moment, implementing a second with wiring and HVAC in place means you can add the second level to your current rack setup whenever ready.
Williamson explains, “When planned appropriately, you know if your electrical distribution is in place from the beginning, you may want to consider building a curb for future [equipment]… having all that prep means phase 2 is as simple as adding a second tier, installing lights and plugging it in.”
Now, a best practice when sizing a veg canopy is to allocate between 20 and 30% of your total flowering footprint to vegetative growth. Square footage may vary if facilities have a combined veg, mother, and clone room as opposed to separate spaces.
Regardless, the ideal size for a racking system is 32-40 ft. in length and 10-15 ft. in height. Triple-tiered racks are typical, but facilities with smaller inventories may consider double-tiered solutions instead. Regardless, these dimensions set you up for success as you create a functional veg room layout (and they apply to flower rooms, as well).
Safety Measures
When designing a vertical racking system, always assess your space for existing and planned safety measures. Fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, sprinkler systems, fire escapes, and sanitation stations are just a few examples of necessary obstructions that can influence the layout of your grow room.
Cultivators should also train employees on properly using these safety precautions and operating racking systems. Education is key to protecting the well-being of your employees and crops. Pipp’s field experts are available to guide both you and your team as you adapt to new equipment.
In the words of Michael Williamson, Director of Cultivation at Pipp Horticulture, “I can always grow more plants, but I can’t grow more people. So, keeping your employees safe is priority number one.”
