Polycarbonate roof: design options and frame elements. Polycarbonate roof - a modern solution for your home Polycarbonate roofing technology

Today, among other roofing materials, polycarbonate has proven itself well. It is not surprising. After all, the coating has a number of advantages and at the same time has only a few disadvantages, and even those are only more likely warnings for correct operation. It is thanks to the special properties of polycarbonate that many craftsmen are wondering how to make a polycarbonate roof with their own hands. In the material below, we will consider in detail the positive and negative aspects of the coating and master the technology of its installation.

Polycarbonate roofing is a beautiful, light, modern and practical structure. Most often it is used to overlap attic rooms, greenhouses, gazebos, an attached veranda, etc., since such a roof provides maximum natural light. In addition, they prefer to use polycarbonate due to its positive properties:

The strength of the material. Polycarbonate roofs, assembled according to all the rules, have a high bearing capacity. That is, they can withstand sufficient loads in the form of snow and rainwater, which also quickly self-remove. It is worth knowing that all types of roofs are as strong as possible, since polycarbonate has a strength 200 times higher than that of thick glass. Polycarbonate is able to withstand precipitation in the form of hail, as well as withstand mechanical stress of various kinds.
Excellent light transmittance. It is worth knowing here that polycarbonate panels let in 85 to 93% of natural daylight. Against the background of increased strength, this quality becomes one of the predominant ones when installing the roof of both residential and auxiliary premises. At the same time, we note that it is the cellular structure of polycarbonate that is able to gently scatter sunlight, forming the illumination familiar to the human eye in the room. Therefore, covering the roof with such material is an excellent solution.
Light weight of the coating. To build a polycarbonate roof, the craftsman does not need to put in a lot of effort. So, a monolithic polycarbonate plate will weigh half as much as glass of the same size.
Flexibility. Such a roofing material has increased flexibility, which allows it not to bend even at sub-zero temperatures. However, it is worth remembering that it is necessary to bend polycarbonate only along the cellular furrows. Otherwise, the internal tension will simply break it. Due to the use of polycarbonate roofing, complex curved structures can be installed. Most often, roofs are made from a polycarbonate panel in the form of an arch.
Low thermal conductivity of the material. It should be noted here that a similar advantage is inherent in polycarbonate due to its cellular structure. So, the air is collected in the honeycomb cavities of the panels, which is the key to preserving heat in a room with a polycarbonate roof.
Good soundproofing. It is an additional positive quality of panels in combination with low thermal conductivity. Due to this quality, polycarbonate panels are often used to create soundproof screens.
Environmentally friendly panels. As for the safety of using polycarbonate in residential premises, it is worth noting that this roofing material is produced on the basis of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. All other additives in the form of plasticizers and dyes are not harmful to human health. As a positive example, we can cite the use in the field of medical care of various utensils made of this polymer.
Absolute incombustibility. Unlike other polymers, polycarbonate does not burn. Its ignition temperature reaches 600 ° C, which automatically excludes the possibility of its ignition. Even if a fire suddenly breaks out, everything around will burn out first, but floors and other elements not made of polycarbonate. That is, polycarbonate can even be used as a refractory material. In addition, it should be noted that such a coating is prone to self-extinguishing, which is not unimportant. In the absence of air access to the room, polycarbonate stops combustion.

Important: when melted, polycarbonate does not form fusible hot drops that can injure a person. With strong heating, the panels simply shrink and deform, forming only holes in their structure.

Inertness to aggressive environments. Polycarbonates do not react in any way to fuel, oil and grease. In addition, he is not afraid of weak acidic solutions, alcohols and copper sulfate.
Durability of the coating. A roof made of polycarbonate, provided that the panels are correctly installed, can serve up to a quarter of a century (25 years). This frees the owner of the house from regular roof repairs.
Safety for humans. In addition to safe melting, polycarbonate plates are also not prone to crumble into small fragments under strong mechanical stress. In the worst case, such material is simply covered with cracks.
UV resistant. It is worth knowing here that the entire range of polycarbonate varieties is equipped with an upper protective film that gently reflects ultraviolet rays. This means that polycarbonate roof panels do not suffer from negative sunlight. In addition, such a film protection protects from ultraviolet radiation and people who are under the polycarbonate roof.
Ease of installation. In this case, every craftsman should know that it is quite easy to work with polycarbonate panels. The material is fed to drilling, cutting, sawing using a standard jigsaw or grinder.
The optimal size of the panels. Thanks to the dimensions of the polycarbonate panels, it is very convenient to work with this coating. In particular, polycarbonate manufacturers produce slabs with dimensions of 600 x 120 cm and 210 x 1200 cm. Thus, the labor intensity of the work process is significantly reduced.

Disadvantages of polycarbonate coating

Like all other materials, the polymer also has several disadvantages. These are:

The possibility of rendering the panels unusable if the protective coating is damaged. In this case, it is worth noting that if during installation violations of the integrity of the protective coating were found, then over time, dust, soot, and dirt will begin to accumulate in the slabs. Polycarbonate will become cloudy and lose its performance characteristics.
High expansion rate when heated and cooled. In this case, the master must understand that polycarbonate sheets will expand under the sun, and when exposed to low temperatures, they will shrink. As a result, with illiterate installation and fixing of the plates, polycarbonate can be deformed. To avoid this, it is necessary to leave technical gaps when laying the panels using a special fastening profile.
The susceptibility of polycarbonate to mechanical damage. In particular, this applies to the snow crust covering the polycarbonate roof. That is why it is necessary to clean up the snow that has fallen from the roof in time so that it does not damage the polymer roof during freezing.
Possibility of damage to panels with alkali, concentrated acid or acetone. If there is a risk of using these substances indoors, then it is not recommended to install such a roof.
Excessive reflection of solar radiation. This parameter is positive in extreme heat in summer, but does not play into the hands of the residents of the house in the cold season. That is, a room with a polycarbonate roof will warm up less during the cold season.

Polycarbonate roof installation technology

If you do not know how to make a polycarbonate roof, then the technology below will allow you to do all the work yourself. Moreover, regardless of the type of roof. So, in order to cover the roof with polycarbonate, it is necessary to prepare the following tools and accessories:

Bulgarian or jigsaw;
Special self-tapping screws with polymer sealing washers;
Fixing connecting profiles;
Decorative cover profiles;
End profiles;
Self-adhesive dust tape.

It is necessary to plan the process in such a way that all preparatory work (installation of a frame from a metal profile, cutting of panels) is carried out before the slabs are lifted to the roof. This will save you time.

Important: during the work, it is forbidden to walk on the fixed plates. Firstly, it is unsafe, and secondly, it can damage the panels.

The installation process will look like this:

The panels are cut to size. In this case, the cutting speed is selected individually, by the method of tests. Slow cuts can cause material to crumble, and too fast to melt along the edge. When cutting panels and profiles for arched floors, it is worth taking into account that the length of the end profile when bent will be slightly larger than the length of the panel. Therefore, it is better to cut the profile with a margin of 15-20 cm. Then, when installing the arched ceiling, we simply cut it.
Now you need to slightly unscrew the protective films at the edges and seal them with a dust-proof film. The ends are closed with end profiles.
Remove the lower protective film from the cut panel. At the same time, the top film with the logo of the manufacturing company has not yet been removed. It is this side of the coating that must face upwards during installation. At the end of the work, it is carefully removed.

Important: when installing an arched roof, it must be remembered that each type of panel has its own minimum degree of cold bending. You can get it from the seller in the store. And for the installation of a pitched roof, it is necessary to take into account that the degree of slope must be at least 10% or 6 degrees.

When fixing the slabs to the frame, you should be careful and observe the parallel arrangement of the edges of the panels to the roof frame. This will ensure the free convergence of moisture and snow on the roof. In this case, the lower edge of the slab should protrude 20 cm beyond the roof frame. These overhangs will protect the walls of the building from rain. We align the upper edge of the panel with the horizontal frame of the structure.
Now we fix a special profile-base on the longitudinal roof rafter with special screws. We insert a sheet of polycarbonate into it. The panel is also fixed along the horizontal strip with self-tapping screws. But for them you need to make holes that are several centimeters larger than the section of the fastener. This will be the so-called technical expansion and condensation gap. Up to 5 pieces can be used for one 210 mm wide sheet. fasteners.
After one sheet is mounted, the clamping profile-base is covered with a cover profile. In this case, it is worth making sure that it is securely pressed along its entire length.
Now you need to put on the clamping profile-base from the other edge of the sheet and fix it to the frame by analogy with the first. Then do all the actions by analogy with the previous ones, moving in this way from left to right or vice versa.
At the end of the work, the protective film is removed from the top of the roof. It is not worth tightening with its removal, because when heated in the sun, the film is removed more difficult.

Tip: to make the polycarbonate roof look more organic, when installing the frame, you can weld the longitudinal posts with a step equal to the width of the polymer sheet. As a result, the finished roof will be perfect.

Modern architecture is characterized by new trends that imply exclusive ideas, unconventional original solutions and styles, the use of new technologies and the use of the latest materials that have unique properties and characteristics. All this is necessary in order to give mankind, sated with urban life, the opportunity to regain at least a part of free communication with nature. That is why today you can see transparent polycarbonate roofs, like those shown in the photo, not only over greenhouses and conservatories, but also, if not over everything, then over part of the premises in cottages and private houses.

Features and requirements for structures

The use of polycarbonate provides endless possibilities and scope for creating masterpieces of architecture. Thanks to this material, you can build roofs of the most different shapes - two or one-pitched, domed, hip, arched, pyramidal polygonal and others. Moreover, they can be equipped both above heated rooms and above cold ones. Since the main task of a polycarbonate roof is to ensure the flow of natural light into the room, the corresponding requirements are also imposed on it:

the illumination indicator must meet the accepted standards;
a polycarbonate roof made of honeycomb or monolithic sheets must have sound insulation that meets statistical data, as well as heat, hydro and vapor insulation;
protect the work areas from the penetration of too bright sunlight;
ensure constant ventilation of the premises, especially in case of smoke during fires;
be able to remove snow easily and quickly.

Types of structures

By design features, polycarbonate structures are of the following types:

attic windows and lanterns;
buildings that have several elements that allow light to pass through;
structures built on the basis of light-transmitting profile systems. These roofs can be built in any shape - but flat and sliding ones look best.

To illuminate attics, along with traditional vertical windows, you can also use dormer-type windows, which are mounted directly on the roof plane. Lanterns are glazed overhangs or roof openings. They can be glazed with either ordinary glass or polycarbonate.

On a note: For structures consisting of profile systems, any type of polycarbonate roof is suitable.

Manufacturers usually offer already prepared technical solutions for the most demanded types of roofs. If it becomes necessary to create a different design, it is much more difficult - the designers of manufacturers can always develop new options.

For system profiles when erecting gable roofs, in addition to the polycarbonate itself, you can use:

for small and medium-sized spans - aluminum is suitable;
for large spans, steel is more acceptable.

The advantages of polycarbonate

The main advantages of polycarbonate products are:

Low specific weight, thanks to which it is possible to design and erect elegant, original lightweight buildings of large dimensions, to increase the width of the spans of structures. In addition, due to the lightness of the material, it becomes possible to embody any design ideas and at the same time not spend a lot of money.
Large bearing capacity.
Transparency and flexibility, which contributes to the ease of manufacturing roof structures of any complexity.
Excellent chemical resistance.
Low flammability.
High thermal insulation qualities.
Impact resistance.
Preservation of mechanical and physical properties at temperatures from -45 to +115 degrees.
The durability of the material, with proper care, it will serve, retaining its qualities for 10-12 years or more.
Large sheet sizes, which is very convenient when working on the installation of large-area structures.

In addition to the listed advantages, polycarbonate easily lends itself to bending, cutting, drilling, glues well. If the roof surface is made with a sufficient slope, then the snow will not be able to linger not only on the arched, but even on a flat surface.

The choice of polycarbonate

When constructing roofs, the choice of the right type of material is a matter of paramount importance. There are many types of polycarbonate sheets on the market that differ in color, thickness. The thickness of the sheets ranges from 3 mm to 3.2 cm. Each type is intended for different purposes and in order to make the right choice, you need to know the features of each of them.

So, for roofs that have special requirements, 32 mm material is suitable. On large polycarbonate roofs, 16 mm sheets can be used. Since this type can withstand heavy loads, it can be used in the construction of railway stations, parking lots, gas stations and other similar structures. 10mm sheets are ideal for sports facilities, including swimming pools. For the arrangement of awnings, canopies, glazing of balconies, you can use sheets with a thickness of 8 mm, and five millimeter sheets - for awnings. Since greenhouses do not carry a serious load, material only 3.5 mm thick can be taken for them.

Types of polycarbonate

There are several types of this material:

Monolithic. This type is similar to silicate glass - it is void-free, durable and not heavy. The thickness of the sheets ranges from 4 cm to 0.75 mm, has a different surface structure, size and color. Manufacturers also produce multilayer monolithic sheets with a rough surface of the upper layer, the second layer retains UV rays, and the third one retains this entire structure.
Cellular polycarbonate has a honeycomb structure. It looks very nice on domed roofs. This type can be both colored and transparent. It is also perfect for outdoor advertising, interior design, production of partitions, ceilings and other translucent structures.
Sheets with a trapezoidal or corrugated profile are called profiled and are more suitable than others for the arrangement of facades and roofs. They are used to make roofs over greenhouses, conservatories, greenhouses, sheds over parking lots and over gardens to create domed vaults.

Price

The cost of polycarbonate depends on its thickness and dimensions, which can be: A - 6 mx 210 cm, B - 12 mx 210 cm. Prices are approximate, since they may differ slightly for each region.

So, sheets with a thickness of 0.35 cm in size A cost 1250 rubles, B - 2500. Six-millimeter sheets: A colored - 2, 65 thousand rubles, transparent - 2, 4, size B - transparent 4, 8 thousand rubles, color 5, 8 thous.

Sheets for roofs made of polycarbonate, 10 mm thick: size A transparent - 3 300 rubles, color - 3 670. B - transparent 6, 7 thousand rubles, color - 7 300 rubles.

A sixteen-millimeter sheet size A will cost: transparent 5,800 rubles, and color - 6,200. Size B - color 12,500, and transparent 11,700 rubles.

The thickest and most durable thirty-two millimeter polycarbonate will cost: transparent sheet A - 9,200 rubles, and color - 10,200. For option B, you will have to pay 18,600 rubles for transparent, and 20,400 for color.

A greenhouse "house" made of glass, film or polycarbonate can often be seen in summer cottages. This type of greenhouse is not without its drawbacks: it is more difficult to build than a single-slope or arched one, it requires a lot of material and a rigid frame. Why is it a greenhouse with a gable roof that appears so often on our sites?

It is a sturdy, rigid construction.
Water does not retain on the roof, it runs off easily and does not create additional load on the frame.
The design allows you to grow plants of different heights, from small to tall.
You can build a year-round option with heating and lighting.
In the greenhouse, you can make vents for effective ventilation.
You can build a greenhouse according to Mitlider with a special ventilation system.

Types of greenhouses

A greenhouse with a gable roof can be of two types:

Greenhouse cover

Depending on the type of greenhouse, different materials are chosen. The coating can be

polyethylene film,
glass,
polycarbonate sheets.

Polyethylene

It is the cheapest of the listed materials and is used for summer greenhouse options. Polyethylene film transmits and scatters light well, but this material deteriorates quite quickly from ultraviolet radiation, so the film coating has to be changed every year.

Glass

It is a traditional greenhouse cover material, it transmits light well and retains heat. Disadvantages - heavy weight, fragility, complexity of installation.

Polycarbonate

Polycarbonate is replacing glass - structures made of it are lightweight and durable. Cellular polycarbonate is a slab of two plastic sheets with stiffening ribs between them. It is available in two sizes: 2.1 * 2.6 m and 2.1 * 12 m. There is also a monolithic variety, but it is more expensive, therefore, honeycomb (cellular) polycarbonate is usually used for greenhouses. In addition, the air inside the honeycomb sheets helps keep warm.

Polycarbonate greenhouses with a gable roof are now gaining popularity, thanks to the lightness of this material, it is much easier to build a greenhouse with your own hands than a traditional glass greenhouse. In addition, polycarbonate has a UV-resistant coating that extends its lifespan.

When choosing a polycarbonate sheet, you need to consider several points.

The thicker the sheet, the better it retains heat, but the less light it passes through.
It is undesirable to use lightweight polycarbonate (less than 4 mm thick) for greenhouses. It will be cheaper, but only justified for small greenhouses. For large structures, the price of the frame will negate all the savings, the more thin polycarbonate may not withstand the snow load in winter.
The optimum sheet thickness is 6 mm and more. If you are planning a heated winter greenhouse, then it is better to take material with a thickness of 15 mm or more.
The price / quality ratio is the best for Russian manufacturers.

The greenhouse frame can be made of

profiled pipes,
galvanized metal profile.
wooden beam,
plastic profile.

The latter option is suitable if you plan to build a summer greenhouse from film. For a more durable structure, profiled steel pipes, metal profiles or wooden beams are used.

Profiled pipes

They are available in stainless steel or galvanized steel. If the pipes are stainless, then they do not need to be covered with anything, otherwise they need to be painted. Pipes are connected to each other by welding or using tees and bolted joints. This is the most reliable option, especially if you are using thick greenhouse polycarbonate. The disadvantage of this material is its high price and high weight.

Metallic profile

You can also use a galvanized M-shaped, U-shaped or V-shaped profile. It weighs less than pipes and is cheaper. A gable greenhouse made of a profile and thin polycarbonate can do without a foundation, which also reduces costs. To do this, they simply take a profile 80 cm longer than the height of the greenhouse and hammer it into the ground.

Wooden beams

It is less durable than metal pipes. The tree must be protected from moisture and pests by impregnating it with appropriate means, but under special conditions of the greenhouse they will be ineffective, and if effective, they can be poisonous.

Important! It is better to choose a wooden frame if it is possible to regularly care for it.

Where to put the greenhouse

Usually greenhouses are set up so that their long side runs from west to east. Better to put it in an open, well-lit place.

Important! If it is not possible to arrange the greenhouse so that it is illuminated by the sun all day, choose the place where the sun's rays fall in the first half of the day - it is the morning sun that is most beneficial for plants.

If there are two or more greenhouses on the site, position them so that they do not block the light from each other.

Construction stages

Design

For easy drainage of water, a gable polycarbonate roof to the greenhouse should have an angle between 24 and 30 degrees. Such a roof does not require a particularly complex rafter system. Typical dimensions of a greenhouse with a gable roof:

width - 2.5-3 m;
length 5-7 m;
maximum height - 2.5 m.
recommended door sizes - 180 * 80 cm.
an example of a dimensional drawing is shown below.

Foundation

For a light wooden greenhouse, a columnar foundation will suffice. It requires 6 concrete pillars 3 m high and 120 mm wide. 4 pillars are placed in the corners, two in the middle of the long sides. They are dug into the ground to a depth of 0.5 m and poured with concrete. Remember that in hot weather the concrete must be periodically moistened with water while it hardens so that cracks do not form.

For a heavier greenhouse, especially a year-round and large one, you will need a more serious foundation: tape concrete, brick or rubble stone.

For a strip base, a ditch is dug with a depth of 30-40 cm, the basement should rise 20-25 cm above the ground.

To fasten the wooden frame to the foundation, after it has solidified, a strapping from a bar with a cross section of at least 50 * 50 mm is mounted or vertical wooden racks are installed before pouring concrete. Before installation, all wooden parts must be protected from decay by impregnating with an antiseptic.

The metal frame is attached to the base using brackets, corners and hardware. It can also be attached to a wooden harness.

Frame

There are two options here: either assemble the entire frame completely close to the installation site, and then transfer it to the foundation and attach it to the wooden trim, or, if you have already installed wooden posts, attach the rest of the elements to them.

If you chose a timber frame, use 100mm beams. If the posts are already installed in the foundation, then the beams must be attached at the top of the posts and in the middle. The rafters are placed at a distance of 0.5 m. To fasten the beams together, use corners and self-tapping screws, not nails.

For a polycarbonate greenhouse and a profile pipe, the frame posts and rafters are located at a distance of 0.7 or 1 m. The main posts, rafters and ridge beams use a profile of 20 * 40 mm, for other elements - 20 * 20 mm.

Important! The gable roof of the polycarbonate greenhouse should be designed so that the joint of the sheets falls on the profile.

When sheathed the frame, move from top to bottom. Windows and doors are made last.

Cutting and installation of polycarbonate

It is important to correctly outline the sheets of material, and then carefully cut them. For cutting, use special scissors for polycarbonate or a jigsaw. A neat cut will avoid wasting material. It is especially important to accurately cut out the sheets for the gables.

The durability of a polycarbonate sheet duplex greenhouse depends on correct installation.

Attention! Keep in mind that the stiffening ribs of cellular polycarbonate should be located vertically in the finished structure. It is also important not to confuse the sides of the sheet and fix it with the side with the UV protective coating outward.

Polycarbonate tends to shrink and expand with temperature changes, so the holes for fasteners should be slightly larger than the diameter of the screws or self-tapping screws. A rubber gasket must be placed between the screw head and the sheet. If you are making a frame made of wood, then between the wood and the polycarbonate at the attachment point, you also need to put a rubber gasket. The sheets are fastened together with the help of connecting strips.

To protect exposed edges, use a vapor permeable profile to keep out water and debris, and leave the bottom edge open to allow condensation to drain.

The video below shows how to build a portable gable greenhouse.

Year-round greenhouse - lighting and heating

For year-round cultivation of vegetables and greenery, it is necessary to light and heat the greenhouse, because plants need 12-16 hour daylight hours.

Metal halide or LED bulbs are best suited for plants, although they are quite expensive. Mercury lamps will also work, however many will be required. They are the ones that provide a suitable spectrum of light.

When choosing lamps for lighting, consider not only the spectrum, but also the heat transfer. Fluorescent lamps are suitable for the spectrum, but their heat transfer is low.

Heating with hot water and solid fuel is considered to be the most economical. Also, infrared lamps can be used for a greenhouse on a personal plot. They not only provide warmth, but also kill the fungus. Also, the greenhouse is often heated by connecting it to the heating system of the house.

Modern roofing materials such as polycarbonate are gaining more and more popularity. This option is widely used to cover verandas, individual sections of the house. It is not only original and beautiful, thus providing a reliable roof and natural illumination of the room with bright sunlight. The room becomes very cozy and attractive.

Advantages of a polycarbonate roof

The material is very practical and has many advantages:

polycarbonate panels protect the room from exposure to the sun, letting in scattered light and reliably protects from ultraviolet rays;
the relatively light weight of the structure makes it possible to make an original roof;
high thermal insulation capabilities, as a result of which there is no need to additionally insulate the room;
polycarbonate has high soundproofing capabilities;
resistance to moisture accumulation;
the ability to ventilate the room;
resistance to high temperatures;
tolerates temperature changes well;
relatively flexible material, withstand the load from precipitation;
easy to install, process;
resistant to mechanical stress, can be drilled, bent and cut to size.

The material is very durable, it can withstand a layer of snow weighing two hundred kilograms per square meter.

The disadvantages of the material are manifested in the fact that during transportation, large sheets of polycarbonate can bend and deform. And although the material is durable, it loses in quality to glass and requires more careful handling when working with it, saving and installing. It has low abrasion resistance, which manifests itself in the appearance of scratches and cracks. As a result, the integrity of the polycarbonate roof can be compromised by heavy hail.

Weighing all the pros and cons, we can confidently say that polycarbonate is recognized as one of the best materials for mounting roofs of corridors, greenhouses, and outbuildings. Another plus is that the material is relatively inexpensive.

Polycarbonate roof device

Although it is conditionally possible to distinguish three types of polycarbonate, still two types are the most used and popular, these are monolithic and cellular.

Monolithic polycarbonate is used for roofs of various sizes and shapes with the prospect of supporting the weight of a large volume of snow and gusts of wind. The size of the panel of monolithic material is two by three meters. The thickness ranges from two to twelve millimeters. Twelve millimeter polycarbonate is also called anti-vandal, because it can withstand the blow of an adult strong man without damage.

Cellular polycarbonate weighs much less due to its porous structure with air chambers. The material has high mechanical strength and low weight. This material is ideal for the manufacture of complex elements of arches, roofs. The honeycomb material has a diverse range of colors. The thickness of the material varies from four to thirty millimeters, the length of the panel ranges from two meters to six or twelve.

There are two most common polycarbonate roofing options:

straight roof;
the roof is in the form of an arch.

Straight polycarbonate roof

The straight roof option is most often used in the construction of open verandas, gazebos. When deciding to use polycarbonate, it becomes possible to create an open, light space. But since roof insulation will lead to a loss of the properties of a polycarbonate roof, it is impractical to build such a roof option for winter houses. Only summer housing options are suitable for polycarbonate roofing.

You can make a straight roof in several solutions: hip, single or gable. For a polycarbonate roof, powerful rafters are not required, the material is quite light. It can be a board up to fifty millimeters, pre-treated with special protective solutions. The distance between the rafters is selected taking into account the width of the panel. When cutting out, the material should be cut so that the stiffeners coincide with the direction of the roof slope. The sheet should be properly laid, taking into account the special ultraviolet coating, it should be outward.

The polycarbonate panel is fastened to the wooden base with self-tapping screws with fastening. A hole is drilled in the sheet slightly larger than the diameter of the self-tapping screw and screwed tightly into the body of the sheet. The joints are closed with split profiles.

All parts where there are gaps must be sealed with a sealant.

Polycarbonate arched roof

It is not difficult to make an arched roof, the only difficulty is to prepare the arcs, it is necessary to bend exactly using a template, otherwise the covering may be distorted. The arcs from the profile are notched to make it easier to bend the material to the required roof shape. But if the arcs practically do not have a bend limit, then polycarbonate behaves differently, you should not forget about this and you need to bend the material carefully. They attach polycarbonate as well as to a wooden surface, use self-tapping screws and fix it with washers. The joints and the end area are covered with a sealant.

Arched roofs are used in small areas, make sheds, gazebos.

Polycarbonate roof mounting technology

The material has been used for about ten years and during that time has shown excellent qualities in terms of wear resistance. Roofs of any type, shape and size can be made of polycarbonate. In private households, cellular polycarbonate is most often used: swimming pools, greenhouses, verandas, awnings - all these structures can be covered with transparent honeycomb material. The roof can be made with any angle of inclination or completely flat. All this depends on the desire and imagination of the owner.

To obtain a roof of the required shape, it is necessary to prepare in advance the frame for attaching polycarbonate panels. Steel pipes, aluminum profiles are ideal for the frame. With a polycarbonate profile, the roof dome will be perfectly transparent and this is an ideal solution from an aesthetic point of view. Carbonate profiles can be split and monolithic. The main advantages of the carbonate profile are:

light weight;
transparency;
quality;
tightness.

Polycarbonate is classified according to quality characteristics:

premium class - has been in operation for over twenty years;
elite - service life is more than twelve years;
optimal - a guarantee for more than ten years;
economical - shelf life varies from five to eight years.

Polycarbonate is selected based on needs. If you need reliability and practicality, choose a thicker material. If beautiful shapes, aesthetics and configurations are thinner, which bends well.

When arranging the panels, the sheets should be aligned so that the joint falls on the rafters.

After that, the frame is mounted. Particular attention is paid to the grooves, they are closed with special tape or tape. Sheets are attached to the frame, taking into account the requirements for fastening. There are tips to help you do all the tapas correctly:

the holes for the screws should be slightly larger than the tools themselves;
it is not recommended to screw the self-tapping screw all the way, the panel should be able to move under the influence of temperatures;
it is necessary to work with polycarbonate panels carefully so as not to damage the upper protective coatings;
It is recommended to remove the protective film after drilling and cutting work.

Polycarbonate material suitable for the construction of roofs of any shape. The choice of quality and option depends on the taste and capabilities of the owner. Installation of the material is not difficult, but it requires observance of some nuances. The cost of polycarbonate depends on the characteristics of the material and varies.

Types of polycarbonate for roofing

Polycarbonate roofs are easy to install with your own hands without the involvement of specialists. And on the market you can find several types of polycarbonate, in order to choose the most suitable in each case, you need to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of each material. There are such subtypes of polycarbonate:

profiled - these are panels with a wave or trapezoidal profile, used to cover extensions and greenhouses, the manufacture of decorative awnings;
cellular - is a material with voids inside, is used in the advertising business and in construction, is an excellent option for creating partitions in rooms, design decoration, for outdoor advertising;
monolithic - a solid smooth material that looks like glass, but much lighter and more versatile.

Polycarbonate sheets differ in thickness, size, color, structure. There are varieties with a predominance of individual qualities: some very reliably protect against ultraviolet radiation, others are distinguished by increased strength or multi-layer.

Due to the lightness of the polycarbonate material, it is possible to build original complex structures that will have a low specific weight.

How to choose polycarbonate for your roof

Polycarbonate is widely used in various industries and has gained such popularity due to its main qualities:

high light transmittance;
small mass of material and, as a result, lightweight construction;
comparative cheapness of the material;
the ability to widely apply the material and work with it.

The thickness of the material ranges from four to thirty-five millimeters. The weight of the sheet also depends on this. It varies between a kilogram and two and a half. The material does not lose its qualities with a temperature difference and withstands figures from forty degrees of frost to one hundred and twenty heat. Impact resistance, high thermal insulation capacity, resistance to contact with aggressive chemical compounds allows the material to be widely used in everyday life and at work.

The term of use of structures made on the basis of polycarbonate ranges from five to twenty years.

There are seven standard polycarbonate thickness sizes. Each of the varieties has its own purpose and is used according to the technical characteristics:

thirty-two millimeters - used to cover buildings with a large roof size, withstands significant loads;
sixteen millimeters - also a suitable type of polycarbonate for large spans, withstands loads well;
ten millimeters - suitable for vertical elements in public buildings;
eight millimeters - sheds for the yard, car, balcony glazing;
four millimeters - small greenhouses, sheds over the threshold;
three millimeters - greenhouses, greenhouses.

Polycarbonate roof drawings can be found on the Internet, there are a lot of options. Very often, some variant is taken as a basis and is modified in the process of covering the structure. There you can also see a photo of a polycarbonate roof and choose the one that you like the most.

Polycarbonate Roof Fasteners

To carry out the actions to fix the polycarbonate sheets, you need to prepare the tools. The fasteners deserve special attention, since the strength and reliability of the structure depend on them. There is a wide variety of fasteners used depending on the complexity of the design and the quality of the material.

The following fasteners can be distinguished:

polycarbonate thermal washers;
stainless thermal washers;
washers made of polypropylene;
self-tapping screws;
bolts and nuts.

The polycarbonate thermal washer helps to attach the sheets to the frame and hold them securely. These fasteners are more reliable and of higher quality than polypropylene washers and have a wide range of colors. As for polypropylene, they are not covered with a protective material and, being exposed to aggressive exposure to ultraviolet radiation, quickly fade and lose strength. They should be used on roofs in shaded areas. Mounts are inexpensive, but also short-lived.

Stainless steel washers are reliable and do not loosen, they are most often used on metal profiles. The washer has a rubber element in the kit, which allows you to comply with the tightness rule. Recommended for use in dry rooms.

It is possible to make a polycarbonate roof with your own hands with a properly prepared drawing and following all instructions. Reasonably executed fastening of the polycarbonate profile to the frame, the use of high-quality fastening structures will allow you to create with your own hands a reliable roof that can protect the room and create comfort for a long period of time.

If you still have questions on how to make a polycarbonate roof in practice, if you need to get advice on installation, watch the video, which will contain answers to all frequently asked questions.

Currently, new materials appear on the construction market, which immediately become popular due to their unique properties. This is exactly what polycarbonate is - a material made of polymers with the highest degree of resistance to mechanical stress and temperature extremes, which contributes to its widespread use, in particular in the construction industry.

Almost everything can be made of polycarbonate: fences, windows, gazebos, awnings, verandas, suspended ceilings. Moreover, today you can even build a roof made of polycarbonate and, most importantly, you can do it yourself, since the installation is not very difficult, but the result will please. It is possible to arrange a transparent polycarbonate roof over any structure, including over a residential building, a cold attic, over a balcony area, a terrace, a veranda - wherever natural lighting is not superfluous.

Properties of polycarbonate

Since any roof must meet certain requirements, the material for its device must have the appropriate characteristics. Polycarbonate is just one of those materials that have the desired properties:

transparency of the material, due to which it is possible to provide natural lighting through the roof, approximately as shown in the photo, for a longer time every day than through the windows;
excellent impact resistance that can withstand even large hail and other falling objects;
shock resistance and absence of chips and fragments in case of possible damage;
low degree of flammability and combustion resistance. In addition, even near an open flame, when the material melts, it does not emit harmful compounds;
good performance in terms of sound and thermal insulation properties;
light weight of the material, due to which polycarbonate panels are easy to deliver to the construction site, it is just as easy to process, do all the installation work, create fairly light polycarbonate roofs with your own hands, expanding the possibilities of design desires, and all this at a not so high cost;
unique flexibility of the material, allowing you to create various architectural forms of any level of complexity. Moreover, polycarbonate bends perfectly in one direction, but in the opposite direction it is quite tough. This allows him to withstand any serious stress;
high bearing capacity;
retains all its properties in the temperature range from +125 to - 45 degrees, therefore, in the summer heat and at the lowest temperatures in winter, it will serve the same way;
lends itself to any type of processing: gluing, bending, drilling, cutting, thanks to which the structure will be reliable and durable, the main thing is that the angle of inclination of the flat roof is so sufficient that snow on the surface cannot linger;
relatively low cost;
long service life, which, depending on the quality and thickness of the material, ranges from 7-8 to 25 years.

Design features

Polycarbonate structures can be built in a wide variety of shapes: flat, but with such an angle of inclination so that rainwater can drain freely. In addition, you can make the upper part of the house in the form of a pyramid, prism, dome, hemisphere - here there are simply no restrictions on the imaginations of the owners of the house.

It's important to know: In order to give the roof the desired shape, you must first make a base frame, on which the roof surface will then be mounted.

You can create a basis for the construction of a polycarbonate roof with your own hands from profiles made of aluminum or steel material. If you want to create a completely transparent building surface, you can purchase ready-made polycarbonate profiles and then the roof will not have any visible joints. This option allows you to make an original roof, as if floating above the building.

Required tools and materials

Before conceiving the construction of any structure, you need to take care of the purchase of the necessary materials. In this case, polycarbonate boards. They, depending on the quality, are divided into several types:

The most affordable economical option, but it will last from 5 to 8 years.
The optimal polycarbonate will last a couple of years longer. If you cover the roof with this type of material, you can not think about its repair and other types of maintenance for more than ten years, as it happens on roofs made of other materials.
The service life of elite polycarbonate is slightly longer - 12-15 years.
The longest service life has a premium canvas, it will retain its appearance and properties for more than two decades.

The pricing of each type of polycarbonate material depends on the amount of recyclable materials added at the manufacturing stage, as well as on the size of the sheets and the indicators of their thermal resistance.

Necessary tools for work:

plane, hammer;
level or bar;
sealant for filling voids and gaps;
material for making a frame and subsequent laying of a polycarbonate roof with your own hands;
tape for processing ends;
jigsaw, screwdriver, hacksaw;
fasteners. Usually these are self-tapping screws with thermal washers.

DIY installation

The construction of a roof, like any other structure, begins with drawing up a project or drawing, according to which the amount of material required for work is calculated.

Installation of rafters

When installing the base for polycarbonate, you need to take only high-quality material, since the reliability of the operation of polycarbonate sheets and the appearance of the building depend on the strength of the rafters. Therefore, it is best to take a beam with a cross section of 40-60 cm on the frame, or a metal profile. You can strengthen the roof structure by installing additional bars, placing them in the transverse and longitudinal direction between the beams.

When installing the rafters, in order not to cut the panels once again, you will have to take into account that the width of the polycarbonate sheets is 210 cm plus 5 millimeters of the temperature gap on each side. Knowledge of these subtleties will help to correctly calculate the length with an arched or flat roof.

Profile attachment

When installing connectors and fasteners, you need to ensure that the profiles are selected for work, those that are intended for use at this stage, there are models of profile products for connecting operations, ridge, end, external and internal connections on sale. In addition, the dimensions of any kind of profile must match the thickness of the sheet. If the work will be carried out on profiles made of metal or aluminum, then the end parts of the sheets must be sealed with tape.

The collapsible profile is attached in several stages - first the lower element, and then the panels are installed, and after them - the upper profile element.

On a note: For the installation of a non-separable profile, additional preparations are not carried out: the polycarbonate lies on the finished frame and is fixed by a point technique, or by fixing profiles.

When building a roof made of polycarbonate, the material needs to be placed in honeycombs only vertically, if put across, moisture will accumulate inside and the material will darken. If the roof is rounded, the edges of the honeycomb are directed along the radius.

Cutting polycarbonate

When cutting off excess material, you should work with a cutting tool, and this can be a jigsaw and a circular saw, with sharp fine teeth. The speed will have to be selected experimentally, since too high a speed leads to overheating of the polymer and its melting, and too low on the material chips are formed. During operation, it is impossible to allow polycarbonate to vibrate, from this microcracks can form.

Drilling polycarbonate

When performing installation work using self-tapping screws, before screwing them in, you need to make holes, the diameter of which should be 2-3 mm larger than the diameter of the fastener.

Good to know: For the job, it is best to use a drill designed for non-ferrous metal.

But it is not enough to know how to make a polycarbonate roof, you need to know how to fix it, it is by no means possible to screw the self-tapping screws all the way, you need to leave room for the temperature play of the polycarbonate material.

And most importantly, for all types of work, it is allowed to use only sharpened tools and perform them only on a flat surface, while trying not to damage the protective film on the polycarbonate sheets. If it is removed earlier, debris or even very small plastic particles can get inside the hollow channels, which will then need to be removed, either with compressed air, or shake out the sheets themselves, which, given their size, is quite problematic.

To make a polycarbonate roof with your own hands, you need ...

We build a shed polycarbonate roof: analysis of the nuances and subtleties of construction technology

Modern roofing polycarbonate in many of its qualities is not only not inferior to the traditional roofing of a pitched roof, but also surpasses them! Lightweight, eco-friendly, easy to install and diffuse light. The fashion for the sky, which can be seen through the roof, already exists all over the world. Have you dreamed of such a ceiling in your own home, your favorite workshop or a new veranda? Are you inspired by new architectural quirks? Then you just have to figure out how a shed roof is arranged under polycarbonate - and everything will work out! And you will be surprised how durable and aesthetic a roof will turn out, which will be no worse than glossy samples from suburban construction magazines.

Pros and cons of polycarbonate as a roofing material

It will be interesting for you to know that such a popular and familiar to us polycarbonate was born by accident! Once a German scientist mixed the ingredients necessary for the experiment in a new way, and a dense transparent precipitate settled on the bottom of the flask. It was with him that they began to make new translucent structures. They differed in that they weighed 6 times less than glass, but at the same time were stronger.

And modern roofing polycarbonate is valuable for its such qualities:

Does not emit toxic substances.
Does not support combustion, hardly flammable.
It is lightweight.
It is simply cut and processed.
Easily bends into the desired shape.
Flexible and easy to carry the weight of the snow.
It is heat-resistant and does not change its properties in heat and severe frost.
Available in a wide variety of colors.

And as a material for a pitched roof, it also has such additional advantages:

Excellent sound absorption. That is why today it is actively used as an acoustic screen along busy highways - to reduce harmful noise for residential buildings. Those. under such a roof it will not only be warm, but also quiet.
It has one side with a protective layer against ultraviolet radiation, and the other with reflective particles. Moreover, the material reflects up to 60% of sunlight, which significantly reduces the heat load of the entire building in the heat. This means that you do not have to purchase air conditioners.
Practically indestructible: extreme impact resistance ranges from 900 to 1100 kJ / m2, while the strongest polystyrene has this figure of only 10 kJ / m2.

And in order to give the roofing polycarbonate the necessary qualities, modern manufacturers cover the sheets with special films:

Anti-condensation film. With such a coating, a shed roof under polycarbonate will not collect moisture on the inner surface.
UV film. This UV protective coating protects the sheet from haze and yellowing.

UV protection is applied to polycarbonate by the method of co-extrusion in the factory. And a new stage of technical progress in this area is polycarbonate roofing sheets with double UV protection. They have the highest wear resistance - only 4 delta units in terms of yellowing index, in comparison with 10 ordinary sheets.

Of course, roofing polycarbonate has its drawbacks, some of which are quite serious:

Collects static electricity.
Not always designed for the point pressure of the weight of the person who makes the repair.
In the event of a fire, it melts and drips hot drops onto everything in the room.

But as for the last point, we note that in the event of a fire, very little remains unharmed. Therefore, it is not worth giving up the fashionable polycarbonate roof because of this.

And note that the quality and properties of roofing polycarbonate are getting better day by day. New shades of toning appear and new additives are introduced that block the amount of glare, and as a result, the sunlight that passes through the sheet is cleaner. And what else is ahead!

Types of modern roofing polycarbonate

But let's first figure out what kind of polycarbonate you can use for your roof.

Monolithic polycarbonate

Monolithic polycarbonate is a solid plate with a thickness of 2 to 12 mm. It is much stronger than glass, but at the same time it is many times lighter, thanks to which it leads the rating of modern anti-vandal plastics.

Monolithic polycarbonate for roofs is produced in molded or corrugated form.

Profiled monolithic polycarbonate

Corrugation is a profile that we see in the form of a wavy shape or a square outline. It's not only beautiful! A carefully selected profile allows you to make such material 2-3 times stronger, plus rainwater rolls off much easier. But attaching one to the roof, of course, is more difficult - you will have to use additional silicone supports.

Modern roofing polycarbonate sheets are mainly produced in three types of cross-section:

Moreover, it is no more difficult to work with corrugated polycarbonate than with cellular or monolithic ones.

Profiled monolithic polycarbonate has many more advantages than sheet polycarbonate:

Higher strength, like a metal profile.
Service life up to 30 years.
High wear resistance.
Transparency level up to 92%.
Ease of installation and processing.
High plasticity.
Lightweight - only 1.7 kg per square meter.
Wide range of colors.
Resistant to temperature extremes, burnout and adverse precipitation.

And finally, aesthetic appeal!

Separate corrugated sheets are produced in shades of gray, bronze, milky white and opal: these perfectly protect against the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays. This means that under such a roof, various materials will burn out and collapse less.

Cellular polycarbonate

Cellular polycarbonate, which is slightly less transparent than monolithic, is also valuable as a roof covering. But it has an important function - the scattering of rays. You will choose just such a roof covering if, for example, you are building a winter garden or a greenhouse: direct rays burn the delicate leaves of plants. The same applies to utility and storage facilities - not a single item will last under the scorching sun.

Diffused light is also considered more valuable due to the fact that it penetrates more into the dark corners of the room and does not give a chance for such nasty things as fungi and mold to survive there. But how does this happen? The fact is that monolithic polycarbonate has an integral and transparent structure, and therefore the light beam that passes through it only slightly changes its angle, and that's it. And the cell phone is made not only of horizontal planes - there are many vertical partitions in it. As a result, the passing beam is split into thousands of smaller ones, each with its own angle. This is the diffused light.

Cellular polycarbonate for the roof is produced today of the following types according to the type of internal structure:

Single chamber standard, with a thickness of 4 to 10 mm.
Two-chamber standard, with a sheet thickness of 16 mm.
Reinforced hardened, but with a thickness of 4-6 mm.
Four-chamber, with a sheet thickness of 25 mm.

Cellular polycarbonate consists of two panels, which are interconnected by stiffening ribs. Therefore, in essence, most of the cellular polycarbonate is air.

Internal stiffening ribs give polycarbonate special strength, thanks to which it can easily withstand severe wind and snow loads. Extreme temperature range - from -20 ° to + 80 ° С. What other roofing covering has similar parameters?

Cellular polycarbonate, the honeycomb of which is filled with airgel, is a new type of product. It has high impact resistance and thermal insulation, which surpassed three-chamber double-glazed windows with argon.

Choice of thickness of roofing sheets

Some polycarbonate doesn't suit you. The fact is that the construction market today offers PC sheets of various thicknesses - both for greenhouses and for glazing with increased loads. Therefore, when choosing polycarbonate for the roof, proceed from what exactly you want to cover.

Sheets 4-6 mm thick are the most fragile. They are used for greenhouses and greenhouses, advertising stands and small translucent roof inserts:

Sheets 6-8 mm thick can already be safely used for the roof of a gazebo and a small utility block, awnings and glazing of the ends of a pitched roof. It's as easy as shelling pears to work with it:

Polycarbonate 10 mm thick usually goes already on vertical glazing in order to create a sound-absorbing barrier. This polycarbonate will make an excellent transparent wall in an attic under a pitched roof.

PC sheets with a thickness of 16 to 32 mm are used where there will be an increased load: for roofs of private houses, industrial premises and winter gardens. And for the roof of the house, of course, you will need polycarbonate with a thickness of 16 mm and above. But just do not think that it is better for them to finish everything at once: both ends and complex parts. The fact is that the thicker the PC sheet, the denser and tougher it is, and the more loads it can withstand, but its flexibility has already been reduced significantly.

We do not take into account wind loads especially, because the shed roof has a low windage.

What kind of rafter system is needed?

We advise you to use both wooden blocks and square and rectangular pipes as rafters for a shed polycarbonate roof. Here is a detailed master class for such construction:

But at the same time, remember that the minimum slope of a shed roof made of polycarbonate is 10%.

How to choose fasteners and profiles

Unlike ordinary, more traditional types of roofing, where everything is prosaic and the method of fastening is indicated by the manufacturer, you will have to tinker with polycarbonate. And first of all, you need to decide how exactly it will be more profitable to connect the sheets to each other.

Profiling systems

These are made from polycarbonate or aluminum. Profiling systems are two structural connecting elements that close the ends of the plates using bolts and sealants. And for polycarbonate roofs, special profiles are sold today:

UP - end. Naturally, the ends of the roofing sheets are sealed with such a profile.
PSK or PSB - connecting. They connect the panels in one horizontal plane.
RP - ridge. They are connected to panels in a gable roof.
HP is a one-piece profile that is used for mounting small planes and arches. Those. you will make such a mount only once, and later you will not be able to remove it.
SP and HCP are split profiles that are used for the installation of pitched roofs and their vertical parts.
PT - end profile for polycarbonate, which has an improved design. There is already a drip line and a drainage channel, thanks to which the outflow of water is improved.

And all these profiles differ in the material from which they are made.

Polycarbonate profiles

Take polycarbonate if maximum transparency of the roof is vital for you and in no case should there be any shadows. Quite a life situation, by the way. In the modern world of design and architecture, for example, it has become fashionable to make the attic absolutely transparent, from where you can see everything - both the sky and the city. And inside, equip a personal office, a small gym for all family members or a minibar for frequent gatherings with friends.

Aluminum profiles in this case will look terrible - like the bars of a prison, and, of course, ruin the whole aesthetics. It is for such design whims that transparent polycarbonate profiles were developed, which are almost invisible. And at the same time, we note that they are quite durable:

Such profiles, of course, are not load-bearing, but they bend as easily as the polycarbonate itself. Plus, they heat up under the sun much less than aluminum, while having additional UV protection.

Aluminum profiles

Aluminum profiles are indispensable if you plan to build an unusual or architecturally complex roof. Such profiles provide excellent tightness and meet all reliability requirements. Therefore, if in your area snow and wind loads are above average, it is better to use such a mount.

The advantages of an aluminum profile include its length - more than 6 meters. This suggests that you can easily use this profile for large structures, without any joints.

The "facade system" aluminum profile is also suitable for the roof. It has a special decorative cover that covers the profile and thus disguises the screws. The lid itself, even in the factory, is painted in a color according to the RAL table, and therefore you can use both white and color for the roof device, adding a bright accent to the design of the whole house.

But for aluminum profiles, it will already be necessary to use special EPDM seals, which will protect the roofing polycarbonate from the transfer of heating of the aluminum parts and protect it from moisture getting inside. Such seals are installed using a rubber hammer and roller shutter.

Special thermal washers

Polycarbonate cannot be fastened with simple roofing screws - there are special thermal washers for this. What is the difference between them? The fact is that polycarbonate is a mobile material subject to thermal expansion and contraction. And under the usual self-tapping screws, the attachment points will eventually become covered with cracks, which will gradually increase:

All of these rubber spacers and neoprene discs are essential to keep the cellular polycarbonate from being squeezed. If this happens, rain or melt moisture will easily get inside the panel, and this is already a round of new problems.

Note that the lion's share of the special seals that are used are made of elastomer. This material behaves well in terms of thermal expansion and ensures complete tightness of the joints. For the roof, these parameters are especially important, you must agree:

Another important task that thermal washers for polycarbonate are designed to solve is getting rid of the so-called cold bridges. We are talking about places through which cold penetrates into the structure and where, due to the temperature difference, condensation forms directly on the surface of the sheet. Thermal washers allow you to give the entire structure a complete and aesthetic look. A special snap-on cover hides the self-tapping screws, and the color of the washers does not stand out from the background of the entire sheet.

Moreover, such washers are sold in two types:

Polycarbonate washers. They are frost-resistant, last 10 or more years, ideally match the color of polycarbonate. Of the additional advantages - they are equipped with a special four-circuit elastomer sealing ring.
Polypropylene washers. They serve for about 2 years, they are afraid of ultraviolet radiation, from which they become fragile. The color of the washers does not always match the shade of the tinted polycarbonate roof. But it is more affordable if it is important for you.

Of course, polycarbonate washers are more suitable for building a roof from the same material. But it is also important to fix them correctly:

Step 1. Choose a mounting location. This should be done slowly, carefully, because the "accidental" hole will also have to be closed with the same washers. At least aesthetically, you will lose.
Step 2. Calculate the distance between the washers - for this we have presented a detailed table for you below.
Step 3. Select the hole diameter.
Step 4. We fasten the washer. This must be done accurately, not too weakly and not too hard, so as not to push the washer. Make sure only that the sealing material does not stick to the sheets.

And a screwdriver will help to fix such a washer:

Sealed tapes

It is imperative to cover all the lower edges of the installed roofing sheets with aluminum tape and UP-profiles. Moreover, not a simple aluminum tape, but a perforated one, which is capable of releasing condensate that has accidentally accumulated in the honeycomb. That is why holes are pre-drilled in the UP-profile too.

In places where the next panel overlaps along the sheet waveform, use sealing tape and along the fixing lines for the bottom and top overlap.

So, step by step:

Step 1. In the upper part of the wave, drill holes for screws - 10 mm each.
Step 2. Now fix the screws in the drilled holes - on the left side.
Step 3. Screw the screws into every other wave starting from the bottom beam.
Step 4. Now fasten the screws in every third wave.
Step 5. The last, topmost sheet, begin to fasten on the left side.
Step 6. Fix the side overlaps of the sheets every 30 cm.

Here's more details:

Roofing sealant

For polycarbonate roofing, be sure to also use a special roofing sealant. Moreover, you need to purchase one that is intended specifically for this material, tk. these are produced on a neutral basis and do not destroy the polycarbonate itself. A sealant is needed to seal all joints and fastenings of a transparent roof.

Secrets and subtleties of technology from the pros

So, we figured out a little with the crate. Now let's move on to working with sheets. It is impossible to step on the polycarbonate itself during its installation, and therefore make special platforms.

In this case, it is necessary to work only at positive temperatures, not lower than -5 ° C, so that cracks from the fastening do not go. The fact is that the roofing polycarbonate itself calmly withstands cold and up to -20 ° C, but unless at that moment holes are drilled in it.

For the rest, it is important to adhere to certain rules:

How to work with polycarbonate roofing sheets?

You can cut roofing polycarbonate with a conventional cut and a laser. But these are already machine operations, where the laser power and cutting speed are adjusted at the factory. But the edges of the cut with this method will no longer be transparent - either white or brown, depending on the cutting speed.

To drill into polycarbonate sheet you will need a high speed lead, either for metal or with a carbide insert. This is the only way you can keep the sharpness of the cut edges of the sheets.

And one more thing: during drilling, any tool heats up the polycarbonate. Therefore, if you want the drilled holes to be clean and not melted, then work with the sheets not in the hot sun, but in a cool workshop - at least. Ideally, if you can cool the polycarbonate a little in advance - but not below zero temperature so that there are no cracks. In general, do your best to reduce the amount of heat while working on the roof.

These are all really important. After all, incorrectly made holes in polycarbonate for the roof is a whole problem. This only does not interfere in the greenhouse, if water flows into the plants through the mountings in the rain, but for a residential building, as you understand, this does not bode well.

How to properly fix the sheets on the roof?

Try to use panels that are not too long for the roof - only up to 7 meters. When doing this, always lay the polycarbonate sheets with the UV protection facing upwards. And it is easiest to cut polycarbonate with a hacksaw with fine teeth and a circular saw.

Always make the overlap length 200 mm, 100 mm for each sheet from the fixing line on the support. Place the last fixing line between 50-100 mm. If you are making a roof from monolithic polycarbonate, be sure to leave gaps in the frames to compensate for thermal expansion.

There are also special silicone pads for fastening with thermal washers for profiled polycarbonate. For wavy, these are:

And for trapezoidal polycarbonate these are:

Are connecting profiles mandatory?

But few people know that roofing polycarbonate sheets can also be glued, and not only connected with special profiles. So, it is only important to follow just a few rules:

Clean the ends of the sheets from any contamination, especially subtle dust.
All surfaces of the future glued ends must be smooth and even.
The varnish or solvent that is used should not thicken or change its appearance.
The room where you turn all this should be as low as possible humidity.
Use low-activity varnishes - this is the only way to avoid whitening.
The bonded surfaces must be pressed under the press until they are completely cured.
Be sure to wear personal respiratory protection.

And it is easiest to clean polycarbonate sheets with isopropyl or methyl alcohol, or mild soap solutions.

If you decide to make a rather complex pitched roof out of polycarbonate, you will also need welding in the process. You will use it to process finished parts. So, welding with a hot pad (300 ° C) will help to achieve the strength of the joints of the sheets, and welding with hot air with a welding rod (120 ° C) will pre-dry these welded areas. Ultrasonic welding is also used, with 20 kHz processing in the range of 25-40 microns.

And finally, you will need to grind all the unaesthetic details. The easiest way to do this is to use a 400 or 600 grit silicon sandpaper.

What about the ventilation of such a roof?

So, you have chosen polycarbonate, you have drawn up a roof project, and now is the time to think about ventilation of the under-roof space. The fact is that in the case of a pitched roof, ventilation is not often thought of at all, even dormer windows are not always installed. And this, when using polycarbonate as a roofing material, will lead to its overheating, from which, in the heat, some parts can even change their shape a little.

And you should not give up the partial insulation of a shed polycarbonate roof:

As you can see, everything is simple! Have new ideas? Go for it!

Do-it-yourself shed roof for polycarbonate: instructions, diagrams, drawings

Everything about the types and work with roofing polycarbonate: fasteners, insulation, profile selection and even insulation. How to properly build a shed roof for polycarbonate -

DIY polycarbonate roof

Polycarbonate is a modern material often used in construction for the construction of partitions, walls, hanging and decorative elements. Polycarbonate is also widely used as a roof covering. Roofs of houses, gazebos, open terraces, awnings and canopies over the entrance are erected from it. The polycarbonate roof allows you to embody the most daring ideas thanks to the features of this material.

DIY polycarbonate roof

The advantages of polycarbonate include:

Low weight with high mechanical strength;
The ability to transmit light;
A wide range of shades and colors;
Original and elegant appearance;
Ease of installation and processing;
Polycarbonate does not rust, does not deteriorate under the influence of chemicals and microorganisms, is resistant to temperature extremes, provided it is correctly installed.

Polycarbonate also has disadvantages. One of them is instability to UV radiation when the protective layer is damaged, therefore, during installation, it is necessary to monitor the integrity of the protective film and remove it only after all work is completed. Another feature of polycarbonate that should be taken into account is its high coefficient of thermal expansion. It is necessary to mount polycarbonate using special self-tapping screws through pre-drilled holes of a larger diameter. Otherwise, when the temperature changes, deformation of the material is possible.

Types of polycarbonate

Polycarbonate is subdivided into monolithic and cellular. Monolithic polycarbonate is highly durable and has a standard thickness of 2 to 12 mm. The dimensions of a sheet of monolithic polycarbonate are 2.05x3.05 meters. Its area of application is roofs of various configurations, experiencing a large snow and wind load. Monolithic polycarbonate with a thickness of 12 mm is considered vandal-proof and is able to withstand a hammer blow without the slightest damage.

Cellular polycarbonate has a significantly lower weight due to its cellular structure: a sheet consists of two or more thin sheets of polycarbonate connected by stiffening ribs along the entire length of the sheet. This material structure allows for high mechanical strength at low weight. Arched structures, domed roofs and other complex elements are made of cellular polycarbonate. Cellular polycarbonate can be both transparent and matte, has a wide range of shades. Standard thickness - from 4 to 32 mm, sheet dimensions 2.1x6.1 or 2.1x12.1 meters.

Materials for making the frame

The polycarbonate roof frame is available in a variety of materials. The decisive factor in the selection is the basic style of the building and the expected weight of the structure, taking into account the snow load. In wooden buildings, when performing a straight roof, a rafter system of wooden bars or boards is used, on which a transverse lathing and polycarbonate sheets are laid. This design fits perfectly into the overall style and gives the structure lightness, volume and light.

Arched structures of canopies, verandas, as well as domed roofs are usually made on a frame made of a profile, aluminum or steel. Steel is used for bulky structures and high snow load. For light buildings, a lightweight aluminum profile is sufficient. For arches of large radius, additional supports and struts, transverse stiffeners from the profile are also used.

Fastening of polycarbonate to the profile is carried out using special self-tapping screws with a sealing washer. The joints of the sheets are connected using an H-shaped profile for polycarbonate.

Straight roof made of polycarbonate: execution technology

A straight roof made of polycarbonate is usually used when arranging open terraces, gazebos, and small garden houses. The choice of polycarbonate as a roof covering allows you to get natural light, create a feeling of lightness and open space. At the same time, such a roof cannot be properly insulated without losing its transparency, therefore it is not very suitable for buildings used in winter.

A straight roof made of polycarbonate can be of any design: single-slope, gable or hip. The rafter system depends on the type of roof. Rafters for lightweight material such as polycarbonate can be made from a 40 mm thick board. The wood is treated with an antiseptic and fire retardant solutions, if desired, you can give it a certain shade.
The step between the rafters must be chosen based on the standard width of the sheet so that the distance between the bars is the same, and the joints of the sheets fall on the rafters. The transverse crate is made of 50x20 mm bars, cutting them into the rafters laid on the end.

Straight polycarbonate roof

Polycarbonate arched roof

Arched roofs are most often performed in the construction of awnings, canopies, summer gazebos. They are extremely simple in design, and the most difficult task is to make arcs from a profile or a square tube. Actually, the difficulty is to bend it evenly around the entire circumference, and for this it is better to use a template.

Do-it-yourself polycarbonate roof - step by step technique!

Find out more about what a polycarbonate roof is and how to make it yourself. A detailed technique and video will help you figure it out.

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