4 Ways a Mezzanine Can Help Your Marijuana Grow Facility

It’s no secret that marijuana’s hot right now. Most states allow the use of medical marijuana (including here in New Jersey) and several states have even legalized marijuana for recreational use. A lot of this has occurred in the past few years, creating a huge demand. Marijuana grow facilities seem to be popping up everywhere.

Many cannabis companies are looking to build or expand their grow operation.

This guide was created to show why a mezzanine should be considered throughout the process.

Mezzanines Make the Most Use of Your Space

Mezzanines allow you to make the most use of your square footage by allowing you to grow “up” rather than “out”. Lots of times this open space is wasted and it doesn’t have to be. Having a mezzanine can give you extra levels of usable space in your existing facility. Mezzanines allow you to do more with a smaller footprint. Even if you’re not yet at the point of having to expand, who couldn’t use more space?

Flowering marijuana plant closeup
A mezzanine in your grow facility can allow for multi-tiered grow platforms, taking advantage of vertical space.

Make Your Life Easier When Looking for Real Estate

Looking for real estate to expand your grow operation (or for even a start-up) can be a painful experience. Buying or leasing real estate has its challenges that can slow you down.

Some of these potential problems are:

  • Zoning Laws and Restrictions
  • Cost and Availability of Real Estate
  • Finding a Suitable Location
  • Finding a Landlord Willing to Lease to a Grow Operation

Many grow operations use pre-existing warehouses which waste a ton of space if not set up correctly. According to GrowWeedEasy the final height of a plant should generally be about twice the height of your longest main cola. In a warehouse setting your lighting could be set too high above the plant which is extremely inefficient. The higher you set the lighting, the taller the plant will grow which can cause it to take longer in the vegetative stage, delaying flowering and ultimately budding.

Some grow houses stack plants in an attempt to help utilize the vertical “dead” space. Your plants do not get the proper lighting by doing this and are thus not as efficient. It will stunt the plants’ growth. Others use mezzanines to create multiple tiers that each have enough room for ventilation and their own lighting. This is a much more efficient way to utilize the space.

Most warehouse ceilings are high enough to accommodate multiple tiers. Through the use of mezzanines and proper storage, you can get by with a much smaller footprint which can really help you do more with less and can save you a boatload of cash in the process.

Prevent Additional Cost of Expensive Equipment

Climate control and lighting are very important to marijuana grow buildings. If expanding to a new facility, you will need to purchase more lighting and HVAC equipment. Most facilities don’t come equipped with the type of lighting and HVAC needed for grow houses. HVAC specialists, The Cooling Company states that marijuana plants require a steady growing temperature of 70°F to 75°F and 50-60% humidity. This can be a challenge with the heat generated from the lighting. Also, if you let the humidity get too high you risk losing the crop to mold.

If you are not a licensed HVAC or electrical professional you will need to contract this work out as well. While expansion with mezzanines will not necessarily prevent adding more lighting, it will certainly reduce the amount needed. There is also a good chance you can use the same HVAC equipment you have in place if it was sized correctly in the first place.

Whether adding a mezzanine for an office or additional grow space, this versatile solution can be a valuable addition to your grow facility.

Mezzanines are Versatile and Easily Customizable

There are mainly four types of mezzanines: shelving-supported mezzanines, rack-supported mezzanines, building-supported mezzanines and free-standing mezzanines. Most can be easily disassembled and reconfigured or relocated to suit your current needs. There are many things to consider when choosing the right mezzanine including mezzanine type, material, weight capacity and decking.

Here are some helpful resources to help you with your decision:

A mezzanine professional can certainly help steer you in the right direction with all of the available options.

Conclusion

Grand View Research states that the global legal marijuana market is valued at USD 17.7 billion in 2019 and is expected to expand at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 18.1% from 2020-2027. Medicinal Marijuana is a large part of this growth. Marijuana is prescribed in buds, oils, and tinctures for ailments such as cancer, arthritis, depression, anxiety, epilepsy, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and more.

Booming business and the need for expansion is not a bad problem to have but can certainly be a headache. Mezzanines can be an easy and affordable solution to help solve your problem and should be considered when leasing a grow building or expanding to a new facility for your cannabis grow operation.

Comments

Harvest Integrated
Reply
May 10, 2022

Mezzanine can gives us extra levels of usable space in your existing facility. Yes it is best for our cannabis grow. Thanks for sharing.

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