Here at "All about the Roof," we delve into all things roof- and outdoor living-related. Today, we explore the world of polycarbonate roofs made especially for terraces, which combine durability, style, and functionality.
A contemporary way to improve your outdoor space is with a polycarbonate terrace roof. Polycarbonate panels, which are made of a strong, lightweight material, are well-known for their ability to withstand weather-related factors like hail, sunlight, and rain. They are therefore a sensible option for shielding your terrace from the weather all year round.
Polycarbonate roofs are notable for their exceptional design versatility. These roofs, which come in a variety of colors and transparency levels, can blend in with any architectural design while letting in plenty of natural light. Polycarbonate offers flexibility in terms of both aesthetic appeal and functionality, whether you prefer a clear roof to enjoy starry evenings or a tinted option for added shade.
Polycarbonate roofs are valued for their low maintenance needs in addition to their visual appeal. They are less prone to discoloration over time and are easier to clean than traditional roofing materials. As a result, you can enjoy your terrace more and worry about maintenance less.
Polycarbonate roofing is a long-lasting and fashionable option for creating a comfortable outdoor dining area, a soothing lounge area, or a kid-safe play area. Homeowners looking to get the most out of their outdoor living spaces frequently choose it because of its capacity to blend weather resistance with natural light.
Advantages | 1. Lightweight and easy to install. 2. Provides UV protection. 3. Allows natural light transmission. |
Considerations | 1. Can become brittle over time. 2. May require periodic cleaning to maintain clarity. 3. Susceptible to scratching. |
- What is a good roof from polycarbonate for a veranda and terraces
- Which polycarbonate for the roof of the terrace to choose?
- How to make a polycarbonate roof for a terrace
- Installation of supports
- Installation of the rafter system
- Installation of the crate and fastening of polycarbonate on the roof of the terrace
- Video on the topic
- DIY roof for terrace
- The easiest and most reliable way to dock and fasten polycarbonate on the roof of the terrace.
What is a good roof from polycarbonate for a veranda and terraces
Terrace roof made of polycarbonate open and honest. As a result, the entire structure is weightless and created by air. No matter how high it is, the polycarbonate veranda roof does not "press" or produce continuous shade because of the material’s transparency. Many polycarbonate materials only allow visible light through, blocking ultraviolet light. Consequently, you can enjoy warmth and sunbathing beneath such a roof without worrying about getting burned.
More polycarbonate lasting. Although different materials can bear varying loads, polycarbonate generally has a shock viscosity large enough to allow structures made of it to withstand powerful blows. obtaining a tennis ball or a hail of odd sizes, at the very least.
The remaining, less important properties are just enumerated by the following list:
- Fire safety – polycarbonate does not ignite and does not support combustion.
- Temperature resistance -A polycarbonate roof on the veranda will withstand temperatures in a very wide range: from -50 ° C to 120 ° C.
- Chemical resistance to salt, fats, alcohols, weak acid solutions. Therefore, polycarbonate can be used near salty ponds, industrial enterprises, highways and lively tracks.
- Easy processing – polycarbonate is elementarily cut and bend well.
Finally, there is a wide variety of polycarbonate. Furthermore, variety is just as important as colors and textures in this context. There are three of them, and they differ greatly in terms of their properties, installations, and structures. This enables you to select the polycarbonate roofing material that best suits your needs and circumstances when building the veranda’s roof by hand.
Which polycarbonate for the roof of the terrace to choose?
One of three varieties of polycarbonate is available for use in covering the veranda’s roof:
- monolithic;
- profiled;
- Cellular.
For a terrace, a monolithic polycarbonate roof is the best choice in terms of strength, dependability, and design. This is one of the strongest coatings available for veranda roofs, not just when it comes to transparent materials. A sheet of monolithic polycarbonate, 10 mm thick, can contain a small caliber bullet and is hundreds of times stronger than glass.
Although another monolithic polycarbonate is not suitable for continuous materials and retains heat poorly, these qualities are irrelevant for the terrace’s roof. Regarding a closed veranda, there is another consideration. In this instance, the material’s capacity to retain heat will be a key point in its favor.
Despite all of its benefits, monolithic polycarbonate roofing is far less common than alternative materials. Regardless, at our latitudes. The high cost, difficult installation, and heavy weight are the causes.
Profiled polycarbonate: This type of board is similar to corrugated board, but instead of using thin steel sheets as raw materials, it uses polycarbonate. With a thickness of up to 2 mm, the material’s wave-like shape gives it stiffness and enables it to bear heavy loads.
The profiled polycarbonate roof device on the veranda is the best option when considering price and quality. The advantages of this material over a monolithic coating include its light weight, low cost, and ease of installation. Simultaneously, it has a high light transmission rate and a high shock viscosity of 163 kJ/m2.
However, profiled polycarbonate can be broken by a very powerful blow, like an icicle falling. As such, it ought to be applied cautiously to canopies constructed beneath cornice overhangs.
Polycarbonate cellular The worst choice in terms of strength, durability, and aesthetics is for the veranda roof. Ultimately, it was designed for greenhouses and continues to perform better than alternative materials in this regard. However, cellular polycarbonate’s many drawbacks frequently outweigh its one undeniable benefit: its incredibly low cost. Additionally, it is very simple to install.
How to make a polycarbonate roof for a terrace
The majority of the time, a single-sided roof that is based on the house’s single wall is built over a terrace or veranda. Such a roof is incredibly practical, simple to install, and adaptable to any type of architectural design. Thus, let’s talk more about how to build a single-sided polycarbonate roof for a terrace using your hands. See our other articles for more on gable and arched constructions.
Typically, steel pipes or wood are used to make polycarbonate roof frames. On occasion, aluminum profiles are used to install monolithic polycarbonate on the veranda roof. But when labor costs are factored in, the cost of such a frame will be at least 2.5 times higher than that of steel.
Installation of supports
First, supports are erected along the house’s wall for the roof. Most of the time, round pipes with the same diameter or profile pipes measuring 80 x 80 mm or 100 x 100 mm work well as supports. If the frame is made of wood, a beam measuring 100 x 100 mm is required.
In order to install the supports, drill a well that is between 100 and 150 mm deeper than the depth at which the soil in the construction area freezes. Pits can be dug if a veranda’s roof is made of polycarbonate using your hands. However, this will take a long time, be challenging, and result in excessive concrete spending. Thus, renting a benzobur is preferable.
After the well is completed, sand or a sand-gravel mixture is added to the bottom and compacted. Should produce a thick layer that is roughly 100 mm in thickness.
Additionally, the supports are positioned within the well to hold them upright. By jamming into spacers or the earth, for instance. Before being installed, wooden supports need to be treated with two layers of bitumen mastic, covering 100–150 mm of the aboveground portion and the entire bottom of the beam.
Concrete M200 is poured into the installed supports, and it is periodically consolidated to eliminate air bubbles. Once the well is fully filled, you must inspect the supports for verticality once more and level them if required. After that, the supports are reinstalled and the concrete is allowed to strengthen for two to three weeks. They then proceed to the rafter system device.
Installation of the rafter system
Four components make up the typical polycarbonate rafter system for a terrace with a single-sloping roof:
- Mauerlat, which is made of profile pipes with a cross section of 80-100 mm, a bar 100 × 100 mm or boards 50 × 150 mm.
- Horizontal support, which is attached to the wall of the house. It is made of a profile pipe or a beam 100 × 100 mm.
- Rafters from profile 60 × 40 mm or boards 50 × 150 mm.
- Crate, For which a profile is used 60 × 40 mm, 60 × 30 mm or 40 × 20 mm, a beam 60 × 60 mm or a board with a thickness of 40 mm.
The installed supports are strictly laid on a Mauerlat after being cut into one level. Reinforced corners or perforated plates and screws are used to fasten a wooden beam. Welded metal profiles are used.
The wall is where the second step is fastened. It ought to be taller than Mauerlat, and the roof’s slope will determine how much taller it is. The support is fastened with anchors. Racks are also used to provide additional support for horizontal supports when the wall is composed of relatively loose material, such as a gas block, or when the estimated load on the roof is very high.
The rafters are then put in place. Their next move is contingent upon the weight on the roof, including the type of material, thickness, and installation technique of the polycarbonate that will be used for the veranda roof. However, it is typically 0.8–1 m. The boards are fastened with corners and nails with a backbone that is one-third of the thickness of the metal profiles that are welded to the horizontal support and Mauerlat.
Installation of the crate and fastening of polycarbonate on the roof of the terrace
Take the step of the crate from the table below if you plan to lay cellular polycarbonate on the veranda roof.
Cellular polycarbonate must be installed with special gaskets up against the side of the UV rays to prevent direct contact with the frame. The rafters and ribs should be parallel. H-shaped profiles are used to join sheets together because they offer a stable fixation of the plates while allowing for enough mobility to prevent material deformation from temperature expansion.
Because profiled polycarbonate has a higher bearing capacity, a large step can be used to mount the crate for it. However, the shape of the profile and the thickness of the polycarbonate used for the terrace roof have a significant influence on how far apart the transverse supports are from one another. The following table provides an approximate step.
The top of the wave is secured with profiled polycarbonate using special self-tapping screws that are laid. The fastener’s diameter should be two to three millimeters greater than the screw’s.
The thickness of the material and the weight also affect the step of the crate beneath the monolithic polycarbonate terrace roof. It is available in the table below.
The word "ughter" indicates that the polycarbonate is thick enough to be mounted on the veranda roof without the need for a crate and with just the rafters providing support.
The unique metal profiles that hold monolithic polycarbonate should be thicker than the sheet itself. To account for the material’s thermal expansion, a gap is required.
There are many benefits to choosing a polycarbonate roof for your terrace. First off, compared to conventional roofing materials, installation is simpler and less expensive due to its lightweight nature. It is appropriate for both new construction and renovations because it also translates into lower structural requirements.
Roofs made of polycarbonate are renowned for being strong and resistant to weather. Because of their resilience to impacts, UV rays, and extreme temperatures, they are perfect for outdoor areas like terraces. Because of their high impact resistance, they are less likely to crack or break, giving your terrace area long-term protection.
The versatility of polycarbonate roofs’ designs is another important advantage. They provide choices to regulate light transmission and establish the ideal atmosphere, and they come in a range of colors and transparency levels. Polycarbonate roofs can be customized to meet your unique needs, whether you want more natural light or some shade.
Polycarbonate roofs are also easy to maintain. Compared to other materials, they require less maintenance; routine cleaning is all that’s needed to get rid of dirt and debris. Over time, their cost-effectiveness is influenced by their low maintenance requirements, which lessen the need for frequent repairs or replacements.
In conclusion, a polycarbonate roof for your terrace offers easy maintenance, resilience to weather, durability, and flexibility in design, all while combining functionality and aesthetics. For anyone wishing to improve their outdoor living area with a dependable and aesthetically pleasing roofing solution, these features make it an appealing option.
"Polycarbonate roofs combine durability and visual appeal to provide a flexible and affordable option for terrace coverings. These thin panels let in plenty of natural light and offer sufficient weather protection, making your outdoor area feel airy and welcoming. Polycarbonate roofs are more weather resistant and long-lasting than traditional roofing materials, making them perfect for both residential and commercial use. They are also simple to install and maintain. A polycarbonate roof is an attractive and useful option whether you’re looking to upgrade a business terrace or your home’s outdoor living space."