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What are the benefits of Polycarbonate Roofing?

Feb 27, 2020

Polycarbonate roofing panels are made from a type of thermoplastic polymer. It is a translucent plastic available in numerous sizes and thickness. Polycarbonate is commonly used in making greenhouses and often finds use in automobiles due to its light weight and high flexibility. It has several other benefits such as low installation and maintenance costs as well as easy installation.

 

Polycarbonate is a versatile material used extensively as a roof light glazing. It is highly resistant to impact, transmits high levels of light, is relatively easy to use, and it has a good fire rating. Polycarbonate is one of the newer plastics to be used in the construction industry around the world.

 

NATRALITE® is a polycarbonate profiled sheeting product manufactured by one of the world’s leading suppliers of plastic sheets. Natralite profiled polycarbonate is ideal for industrial buildings, domestic structures, greenhouses and skylight applications.

Natralite is the ideal choice for Architects and specifies for non-corrosive industrial structural roofing and siding (cladding), while homeowners prefer Natralite for a wide range of DIY projects. Natralite is available in a wide variety of colours and profiles such as corrugated and IBR. Natralite carries a ten-year written guarantee.

 

Polycarbonate roof sheeting is available in a translucent form or a foam-backed form. Each form has its advantages and unique characters.

  • Foam-backed polycarbonate sheets:
    this type of roofing is a lightweight option that’s mainly used for industrial buildings, such as warehouses and factories. It is also quite popular with homeowners, where it can be used as a covering material for carports, sheds or other slightly-sloped roofs.
  • Translucent polycarbonate sheets:
    this type of roofing is often used in sunrooms, patios and other rooms that require natural light to be let in through the roof. Most roofing panels also come with a protective film layer to filter out the sun’s UV rays.

Let us take a look at the benefits of what Polycarbonate roof sheeting has to offer.

Lower Cost

Polycarbonate panels are cheaper and lighter than materials such as glass. Their light weight makes installation easy and less time consuming, therefore reducing the labour costs incurred during installation. Lighter roofing needs a lighter framing than glass roofing, such as wood, aluminium or steel. This again reduces the cost of materials and installations.

Higher Flexibility

Polycarbonate sheets have much more flexibility than wood, glass or metal. Therefore, it can be molded into several shapes such as a dome or an igloo. The flexibility allows creative designing.

Great Transmission of Light

Polycarbonate roofing transmits more light compared with other materials used in a greenhouse, such as polyethene film. A 6-mm double wall panel transmits about 85% of all available light. Compared with a polyethene film, the polycarbonate roofing has more direct radiation than diffused radiation.

Higher Impact Resistance

Polycarbonate roofing has a high impact resistance and low flammability rate. It is less likely to break in an area prone to golf balls, hailstones, heavy snowfall, animals and birds. Chance of breakage during assembly and transportation are low. In a rare case of breakage, polycarbonate fragments are not as dangerous as glass shards.

Longevity

Polycarbonate roofing panels come with a lifetime expectancy of about 10 t 15 years. Most manufacturers have a guarantee of at least ten years.

Overall this type of roofing is also resistant to signs of ageing such as discolouration and yellowing which allows the roofing to look brand new for many years.

Installing these roofing systems is quite straightforward but, as with any material, it is important to use the right material for the right application and to understand the material and how it should be safely and properly installed.

For more enquiries or assistance visit www.jcproofing.co.za / 010 040 8324