The contents
- Monolithic polycarbonate
- Polycarbonate
- To determine the quality and thickness of material
- How to choose the color of the leaves
Increasingly, in suburban areas you can see the canopies from polycarbonate. To ensure that their appearance is the same like the pictures in glossy magazines and on the Internet, it is very important to choose the right materials. The most important thing is to pay attention to the main characteristics and parameters of polycarbonate, because it will be used as the primary coating material.
The advantages and disadvantages of polycarbonate ↑
The building materials market offers consumers a large number of different variants of polycarbonate sheets. They are characterized from a positive side and their properties are very useful when carrying out construction works, including the erection of sheds.
In order to understand what polycarbonate it is better to choose for a canopy, consider the basic parameters that you should pay close attention in the selection and purchase of this material:
- Good resistance to adverse weather conditions, frequent temperature changes.
- A particular strength.
- High protection from UV rays.
- Low weight of polycarbonate sheets.
- Resistance to burning.
- The duration of operation at which the material retains all of its properties and attractive appearance.
- Low rate of heat conduction.
- Affordable price.
- The variety of colors of material that allow you to transform any area.
Despite such an impressive list of positive qualities, polycarbonate has a negative side. For example, windage, the fragility of leaves, the high price of monolithic panels. Knowing these nuances can always make the right choices and to take security measures. Below the canopy was sturdy and did not fly away, good enough to strengthen the frame. Polycarbonate sheets with a thickness above average, well maintained stronger rains, snow and even hail. With regards to the cost, you should always remember that good quality material can be very cheap.
Having considered all the particularities of this material, it is worth noting that even the negative things can always be turned into a positive.
How to choose the right polycarbonate ↑
By purchasing this material needs special attention to its types. Typically, the canopy fit the following types of polycarbonate: monolithic and honeycomb. Each of them has its positive and negative sides. Therefore it is necessary to consider each specific situation separately.
Also buying polycarbonate it is important to pay attention to other properties:
- the thickness of the material;
- the color of outer coating;
- the ability to pass the sunlight;
- plasticity;
- fire safety.
Monolithic polycarbonate ↑
In the construction market, this model is represented by sheets with a thickness of 10mm. For mounting the canopy in the suburban area are more suitable and thin plastic sheets with a thickness of 8 mm. If you choose the panels thinner, the design is very unstable, very flexible and with very poor rigidity. Thick panels are expensive, so their use is not always economically feasible. They are good for sheds that are designed to protect against falling heavy objects, such as icicles.
This species is very well established in structures with curved crate and lean-to sheds as a flat surface made of this material, often deformed. This is due to the great flexibility and elasticity of this type of polycarbonate compared to other types of plastic.
The lifetime of a monolithic form of the polycarbonate is about 15 years, however, many producers provide a guarantee for the entire period of use of the material. In appearance this material is very similar to glass but much stronger.
Polycarbonate ↑
It is a universal material for the installation country of the canopy. In comparison with the leaves of the monolithic type, this is much better retains heat. The research was conducted, where cellular polycarbonate and glass were compared according to the degree of thermal conductivity. The results were amazing. Panel thickness of 8 mm was better thermal insulation properties than glass 20 mm. This property is due to the special mesh structure, with a very large number of air voids, they are known to have very bad heat conductor.
Unfortunately, the canopies from cellular polycarbonate can not boast of good throughput to the light. Also it is different and special strength.
To determine the quality and thickness of material ↑
Before starting construction work, even at the planning stage need to decide what thickness of polycarbonate it is better to use for the canopy. This is a very important point, which determines the service life of the whole structure.
Sheds can serve a variety of needs, so the thickness of the sheet need to choose after it is known that it is planned to erect on the plot and for what purposes. For example, in practice it has been proven that cellular polycarbonate with the small thickness of the sheet is not very well operated under the open sky.
Polycarbonate for roofs with a thickness of about 5-6 mm is very well suited for mounting small canopies over the front door or balcony. Sheets with a thickness of 10mm are ideal for the construction of very large structures. Polycarbonate of a thickness of > 11 mm is a very durable material, which can be operated for a long time under the open sky without worrying about its integrity.
The quality of the material depends on what it’s made. Therefore, by making a purchase it is important to know what manufactured polycarbonate sheets. To determine the quality indicator is very simple:
- If when bending the sheet cracks or even break – the material is very low quality.
- The discrepancy between the weight of the sheet type. Meter cellular polycarbonate 4 mm thick should weigh about 0.8 kg, plate thickness of 6 mm and 1.5 kg, and polycarbonate with a thickness of 10mm – 1.8 kg.
- The presence of various inclusions, uneven color or turbidity of the sheet is also evidence of a poor quality material.
What polycarbonate it is better to purchase for canopy everyone decides for himself. You can save money and buy not very expensive, but unfortunately, poor-quality goods. But this benefit is highly questionable. Frequent repairs and short service life leads to a rapid replacement of a material by a new one. And this entails new costs money.
How to choose the color of the leaves ↑
The main technical characteristic of this material is its color. It depends on the rate of throughput sunlight. Choosing a beige, orange or red built a canopy exposed to the sun very quickly warms up the air, and being under that canopy in the summer heat will be very uncomfortable.
Before you realize what color polycarbonate it is better to choose for carports, pay attention to the ability of colored polycarbonate sheets to visually change the space. For example, if over the pool to mount the canopy of a material turquoise color, the water is visually transformed into the color of the sea. Knowing these features can correctly pick the color of the polycarbonate sheets and create not only beautiful but also the right quality to operate awnings.
Rules polycarbonate ↑
To work with this material is quite simple, but this should follow a few simple but important rules.
In order to mount the canopy on a specific area, you need to consider the size of the used panels. The width of the standard cell of the canvas is 2 feet, length 6 to 12 m. the Size of monolithic polycarbonate sheet is used for sunshade a little less. Their width is 2 m, length 3 m.
The sheets should be bent only to reproach the channels. Longitudinal fold very often leads to creases and cracks. Gently pass this bend is possible only in the conditions of industrial shop.
How to properly care for polycarbonate ↑
Like any other material, polycarbonate should be cleaned and watch over the safety of his appearance. On the surface of the canopy can accumulate dust, dirt and debris. To make all this clear polycarbonate manufacturers recommend using a soft cloth or sponge, which are pre-moistened in a mild soap solution. It is strictly forbidden to use cleaning products, which include ammonia, phenol ether, or any other aggressive components. If the dirt moves badly to clean it is just a soft way, in any case without using sharp objects.
Conclusion ↑
Polycarbonate sheets are a very good alternative to metal or wood. It is durable, reliable material that can withstand any atmospheric load and the direct rays of sunlight. On the polycarbonate sheet cannot be filled with fungi and mold. It is ductile and retains heat well. The variety of colors will please any designer who can thus realize any of your ideas.
How to do a proper drawing of a canopy made of polycarbonate with their hands, learn by the example of the program Compass 3D in the next video
