The canopy over the entrance made of polycarbonate
The contents
- The composition of the canopy of glass and chrome
- Forged metal and corrugated polycarbonate sheet
- Practical design of canopies from polycarbonate
Among the huge variety of materials used for decoration and decoration of the facade, especially the front door, polycarbonate is most often used to construct and install it «light» variants of the visor with an abundance of light and feeling of warmth.
Advantages of visors made of polycarbonate ↑
We need a visor over the head when we go out or in inclement weather coming back. And it is desirable that the size of the visor is allowed to expand – collapse the umbrella in the rain to fit under the canopy by a few people. The canopy over the entrance made of polycarbonate shows distinct advantages over other materials:
- It is possible to build virtually weightless design in comparison with what you can offer metal or wood sheds;
- High transparency polycarbonate ensures maximum light transmission, especially if the entrance to the house is shaded adjacent buildings or trees;
- Canopies with polycarbonate look really stylish and modern, which is not true of PVC or sheet metal.
The use of polycarbonate in the construction of roofs ↑
Polycarbonate is difficult to call an ordinary material that is suitable for all occasions. It is less durable than the corrugated sheet, metal or wooden rail. Work with polycarbonate sheets in the construction of the visor requires accuracy and knowledge of the characteristics of the material. Moreover, canopies with polycarbonate require some design thinking and knowledge about combination with other materials.
The composition of the canopy of glass and chromium ↑
Such a combination not often seen on the streets of residential neighborhoods, most often sheds from Nickel-or chrome-profiles in combination with a thick cast polycarbonate are used in office buildings above the entrance door of modern trade firms, banking firms, seeking to provide maximum impression on visitors and passers-by just as the photo.
Using such canopies, it is important to emphasize their status in the business.
Looks very interesting light with die-cast polycarbonate. In such decision, the canopy over the entrance is almost invisible and does not change the original appearance of the facade of the building, photos.
Forged metal and corrugated polycarbonate sheet ↑
Mosaic of delicate scrolls wrought iron or casting a fixture in the porch with oak door, fencing, decorative columns.
In modern sheet metal rays visor and canopies successfully replaced corrugated polycarbonate. Dear wrought iron decor lost mosaic pattern, assembled from parts by welding.
Due to the high flexibility of corrugated roofing polycarbonate visor can be easily formed in the ridge or even dome-shaped, photos.
Moisture or snow on the surface of polycarbonate practically do not remain. In addition, due to intense heat dissipation, the surface layer of the polycarbonate rapidly heats a thin film of adhesion of ice or frozen snow, and as a result, frost and icicles slide off easily and release the visor from the extra load.
Practical design of canopies from polycarbonate ↑
If you wish to arrange for your home visor made of polycarbonate on the exit, not necessarily to copy the design with precious metal ornaments and wrought iron racks. Thanks to its light weight frame and light plastic visor most often, the design of the visor is based on a simple welded steel or modular aluminum profiles. Small simplification in appearance did not affect the quality of protection, photo.
Most frequently used console mount visor over the front door, it is easier to manufacture and does not clutter the space in front of the entrance door, photo. And for visually impaired people is also reducing the risk of injury.
If the entrance to the house requires increased size of the visor, it is better to use a classical scheme with two external legs, photo. It is technically possible to create a console version of a large enough size. But those solutions often require certain sacrifices:
- This will significantly increase the load on the wall, will require more heavy and bulky mount that is not always possible, for example, concrete walls or walls overloaded with balconies, cladding or arched doorways;
- The frame cantilever canopy above the entrance door will be peretyazhelen additional power elements, and it will not look light and airy design, and in the case of a massive canopy decor weight will become a problem;
- Reduced rigidity of the construction, sheds with more or less strong wind will suffer from vibrations that can destroy the attachment of the polycarbonate to the base.
Therefore, for larger peaks it is based on the reference circuit using two racks, ensure the structural strength. A small complication of the structure caused by the need for proper concrete external supports for the frame above the door as pictured.
In addition to the protective function, the visor made of polycarbonate can dramatically change the appearance of the facade of the house, to become his hallmark for guests.
Acting as a filter, plastic able new way to illuminate the entrance to the house and even part of the facade, as in the photo.
An unexpected effect of the use of polycarbonate ↑
The first one who noticed an interesting effect of using transparent canopies over the entrance, were residents of the old quarters of coastal cities. Usually in humid warm climates the problem of dampness in exterior walls of the facade and entrance doors tried to decide the location of the entrance on the Sunny side of a building or intensive ventilation. Tilt the sun visor if required could be easily removed, and the rays of the sun dried a darkened place for a few hours, as in the photo.
When using a portable canopy, the sunlight can easily remove moisture from the doorway and walls, prevents the swelling moisture the front door. With the advent of transparent polycarbonate in the design of the canopies was made possible to effect such drying without disassembling or removing the canopy. Especially valuable was the warming effect of the ambient light in winter and autumn and spring, when moisture and snow has always been abundantly.
In some cases, the companies propose to use seasonal color filters for peaks. Summer offers a dark smoky color, with good protection from UV and solar radiation in winter special shades of blue and red that enhance the transfer of heat from sunlight.
The specific use of the visors made of polycarbonate ↑
Despite the outstanding decorative and technological properties, the polycarbonate can not be used everywhere and anywhere. There are certain limitations associated primarily with mechanical and thermal loads on the plastic.
Most problems can be avoided if correctly to calculate the thermal gaps and use special fasteners with rubber gaskets, allowing the polycarbonate to expand freely when heating and cooling.
The second unpleasant phenomenon is characteristic of all structures of transparent material, and polycarbonate in particular, is the high sensitivity of the surface to dust and dirt. Most often, dirt and particulate abrasive dust thrown to the surface of the canopy by wind or rainwater flow from the roof or walls of houses. To dirty stains on the transparent polycarbonate surface is not so conspicuous, occasionally they can remove gentle stream of water through the gutter system.
Otherwise, the polycarbonate will quickly lose transparency due to the huge number of micro-cracks, the plastic turns grey and opaque mass.
Conclusion, the effect of the structure of the canopy on the building ↑
The more complex architecture of the facade, the harder it is to choose the right design of the visor. When choosing a design be sure to consider a system for efficient drainage of rainwater, otherwise profundamente space and the wall of the facade will be sprayed with drops of mud and flowing with a canopy of water.