What is polycarbonate roofing? This is a common question that we at AlphaBuilders frequently encounter. It can be confusing to someone who has never heard of polycarbonate roofing when looking for alternatives to glass panes for their conservatory or replacing existing polycarbonate sheeting that is worn, outdated, or broken. So, whether you’re choosing polycarbonate sheets for a greenhouse, carport, conservatory, or plant house, we’ve developed a helpful approach to assist you.
Let’s first define polycarbonate roofing, however. Polycarbonate is the ideal material for conservatories, patios, and decking areas since it is sturdy, lightweight plastic, can easily tolerate high temperatures and retains heat at low temperatures.
See the pictures from our collection below to get an idea of what polycarbonate roofing looks like.
1. The Benefits of Polycarbonate Roofing
This article will cover the essential benefits of polycarbonate roofing over conventional glass panes. The first is that polycarbonate panels are ideal for roofing and construction because they can bear significant force and are essentially unbreakable.
Compared to glass panes, which only block 25% of UV rays, Corotherm comes out on top for sun protection. Our Corotherm range will block 100% of dangerous UV rays while allowing 90% of all-natural light to pass through.
Polycarbonate sheeting is incredibly lightweight, making installation simpler, shipping less expensive, and an excellent replacement for any roof with weight limits, such as light timber-framed carports.
The Corotherm line has a “Class 1” fire rating, making it extremely fire resistant and limiting flame spread. Because of this, Corotherm is ideal for installation on virtually any roof that poses a fire risk or for anyone simply looking to create a secure living environment.
And the table below, which displays the Corotherm polycarbonate sheeting’s energy efficiency, will show you how much money you’ll save on heating during the colder months.
2. Relative U-Values for Energy Efficiency
*A lower U-value indicates improved thermal insulation and energy efficiency
The only major problem with using polycarbonate sheeting as a roofing material is that you wouldn’t want to use it to cover the entire house. Due to cost, many people still opt for traditional glass panes, but because we at Roofing Megastore value innovation, we have reduced the cost of all of our polycarbonate sheeting so that you, the customer, may benefit from all of the savings. Additionally, there are a lot of other expenses associated with glass windows, such as installation fees and shipping costs, which may all be avoided or are far less expensive when using polycarbonate sheeting.
3. Selecting the Best Sheet for You
If you’re still getting familiar with polycarbonate roofing, you may find it challenging to discover the proper fit because of the range of sizes and tints available. Fortunately, we can assist you. The correct sheet thickness for your roof is the first thing you’ll need to determine. The many available sheet thicknesses and the applications for each polycarbonate sheet are described below.
- Cloches, plant houses, and other do-it-yourself projects use 4mm Polycarbonate sheets.
- Greenhouses, sunscreens, swimming pool coverings, vertical panels, plant houses, and small do-it-yourself projects all use 6mm polycarbonate sheets.
- 10mm The sole difference between polycarbonate sheets and 6mm polycarbonate sheets is the available colours.
- 16mm Porches, conservatories, canopies, carports, lean-to roofs, and sheds are all made of polycarbonate sheets.
- 25mm Porches, conservatories, canopies, carports, lean-to roofs, and sheds are all made of polycarbonate sheets.
Now that you know your ideal thickness, it’s time to decide on your colour. The differences between colours are described below, along with some examples.
Clear: Maximum light transmission is achieved at 77%.
Bronze: 18% is the maximum light transmission allowed.
Opal: Sets a 40% cap on the amount of light transmission.
Here are some images of polycarbonate sheets in use to show how the colours differ.
Finally, we turn to the sheet’s size. Most of the time, you’ll want to get the giant sheet that can fit your roof to speed up installation and save the cost of materials. However, the sheet’s size can be affected by a wide range of factors, such as the size of the windows. As you can see from the photographs above, the sheet’s size corresponds to the window’s width to preserve the building’s attractiveness. If you need help determining which sheet size is ideal, please contact us at Alphabuilders for further assistance.
4. Installation
The answer to whether a novice do-it-yourselfer can install polycarbonate sheeting, which is a common one, is always “Yes!” Installation is simple and only takes a little time and effort. Polycarbonate sheeting can be readily cut with a handsaw, so there’s no need for special tools, and if you don’t want to do the cutting yourself, we offer a cut-to-size service just for you.
Please read this article on installing polycarbonate sheeting and be shocked at how simple it is! If you decide on a polycarbonate roofing after reading this brief article, please do not hesitate to contact us to get a better quote or for further assistance!