Walls may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about producing high-quality cannabis. Yet the benefits growers get from making the right wall panel choice should not be underrated, according to David Schulhof, CMO of DuraMax PVC Panels. The company manufactures vinyl wall panels that are water- and mold-resistant and easy to install. “With so many different wall options out there, it can be overwhelming for cannabis growers to find cost-effective options that have a good return on investment,” David says. And that ROI can be quite impressive: “One of our customers saved $20,000 on labor alone.”
The differences
According to David, FRP panels (Fiber Reinforced Panels) are used in almost 90% of the installations in high moisture areas. Yet it’s an old technology, David says. “It’s a laminated product that has to be glued to a back panel because the FRP panel isn’t strong enough on its own. Our vinyl panels, on the other hand, avoid this by having a structure built into it so that it can be a wall by itself,” David explains.
On top of that, FRP panels can rot and mold because of wood moisture absorption. “This would, of course, be a major issue in a cannabis grow room; you can’t have mold on your walls,” David says. Therefore, the DuraMax panels are water- and mold-resistant. “Vinyl’s protection against bacterial growth means that threats to plant life like mold and fungal growth won’t be an issue for as long as the wall panels last.” David explains that once panels are placed, no maintenance is necessary. “There is no need to repaint, repair, or retexture. They can even be power washed, which makes disinfecting between grow sessions easy and fast.”
Compared to other types of panels, David says that the vinyl panels can make growers save up to 50% on labor and up to 40% on material costs. “This is the result of using less materials. We don’t need glue or backing boards, which also means that it doesn’t need to be installed by skilled laborers.”
A new industry
According to David, the company has seen lots of success in the cannabis industry so far. “We’ve gained many cannabis growers as our customers, which is how this industry got our attention. We get great feedback from them, and we’re happy that our panels are helping cannabis growers.”
David says that DuraMax is the largest manufacturer of these vinyl panels in the western United States. “We make them in southern California, shipping all over the U.S. directly from our warehouse in California. Selling directly to our customers means we’re very flexible. We can configure orders quickly and get them to the job site quickly,” David says.
For more information:
DuraMax
www.duramaxpvcpanels.com