How to make a canopy over the porch of polycarbonate

The canopy over the porch not only protects the entrance to the house from adverse manifestations of nature, but is a rather significant part of the decor in the general exterior, therefore, before the construction of the visor, you must carefully approach the choice of shape, size, type of canopy, and material for its manufacture. With minimal building skills, it will be very easy to make a polycarbonate canopy.

Choosing a polycarbonate

Recently, polycarbonate is a remarkable alternative to glass,structure, size and thickness, directly influencing the pros and cons of the material. Advantages of polycarbonate:

• is an excellent indicator of transparency;
• excellent protection from ultraviolet;
• high flexibility of the material, contributing to the manufacture of original structures;
• biological, chemical resistance;
• is an excellent load-bearing capacity;
• good heat and noise insulation;
• low flammability;
• has a small specific weight, which opens wide structural possibilities;
• high impact resistance;
• safety of use, because the destruction of polycarbonate excludes the formation of sharp fragments;
• durability.

Disadvantages:

• susceptibility to thermal expansion requires mandatory compensation gaps during installation;
• over time, there is a high probability of damage to the polycarbonate surface by abrasive particles.

A material with a mass of rare properties is produced in 2 types:

1. Monolithic polycarbonate - represents a single sheet without any inclusions and voids formed as a result of melt of polymer granules until a homogeneous mass is obtained.

Monolithic polycarbonate, in comparison with the honeycomb, possesses:

• higher carrier strength;
• better impact resistance;
• excellent transparency( about 90%);
• heat resistance.

However, the high cost and the greater specific gravity of monolithic polycarbonate than the honeycomb make it inefficient to use it for the construction of canopies, arbours and other structures in everyday life.

2. Cellular polycarbonate - characterized by the presence of two or more sheets, interconnected by internal bridges, playing the role of stiffeners.

Cellular polycarbonate is superior to monolithic according to the following criteria:

• thermal insulation;
• lightness;
• cost.

With respect to other performance characteristics, cellular polycarbonate is somewhat inferior to monolithic, so it is often used for the construction of greenhouses, awnings, various types of partitions. Strength characteristics of cellular polycarbonate directly depend on its structure, depicted in the photo:

In this case, sheets can be made of reinforced construction, which increases the strength of polycarbonate several times.

Thus, the use of monolithic or cellular polycarbonate largely depends on the shape of the canopy, its size and method of attachment. When using cellular polycarbonate, the thickness of the sheet from 8-10 mm is considered optimal.

Types and forms of awnings

Polycarbonate awnings have various shapes and sizes corresponding to one or another frame, which differ in the method of fixing the visor, depending on the type of frame, as well as the material for its manufacture. Based on the installation method, canopies are divided into 2 types:

1. Support - awnings, attached to supporting supports. Applied to canopies made of heavy materials or large sizes.

2. Suspended - attach directly to the wall of the structure, used for relatively light canopies of small size.

As the canopy over the porch is a continuation of the design of the entire structure, the shape of the canopy must correspond to the general style. Of polycarbonate can be made canopy of one of the following forms:

3. One-run - the easiest to manufacture and the cheapest canopy, despite the use of monolithic polycarbonate.

4. Direct with a gaze - is constructed of monolithic material. From odnoskatnogo differs absence of a corner of an inclination of a canopy and presence of the rectangular insert intended, for example, for a signboard of shop.

5. Gable - more complex canopy design, made of monolithic or cellular polycarbonate, contributes to good protection of the porch from negative weather manifestations.

6. Arched shed - constructed of cellular polycarbonate. Like a gable roof, perfectly protects the entrance of the building, and modern design will suit any architectural style.

7. Concave canopy - attracts an unusual shape and provides an unhindered gathering of snow from the roof.

8. Dome-shaped, as well as a concave canopy, is assembled from cellular polycarbonate. Ideal for a porch with a semi-circular shape.

Thus, the canopies made of polycarbonate, the photos of which are presented above, are distinguished by the simplicity and, at the same time, the originality of the design used.

Skeleton for awning

The frame, along with the shape of the canopy, is an integral part of the décor of the front of the building, therefore, it is worth choosing not only in terms of cost, but also in harmonious combination with other elements of the structure. The frame for the canopy to the house made of polycarbonate is made of:

• Made of wood - it is distinguished by its simplicity of installation, availability and low material cost. In this case, the wooden frame has a very short operational life, being under constant influence of rain, snow, sun. Extend the life of this material can be applied to the elements of the frame in 3-4 layers of drying oil or antiseptic impregnation, preventing the decomposition of wood.

• From steel corners, more rarely - tubes - a sufficiently reliable construction at low cost. However, the manufacture of a steel frame is invariably associated with welding operations. In addition, after the completion of the carcass assembly, it is necessary to clean the seams, to prime the surface of the entire structure and paint, in order to avoid corrosion on the metal.

• From aluminum corners, tubes - the ease of giving any shape to the profile or corner allows you to make a skeleton for a canopy of any complexity, while forming a solid construction. The only drawback of using aluminum is its considerable cost. However, this design does not require additional processing, since aluminum is not susceptible to corrosion.

• Through the forging of metal - the high cost of the frame is justified by the unrivaled uniqueness of the finished product.

The choice of the frame largely depends on the size and shape of the canopy, therefore, it is necessary to take this factor into account when making the final decision.

Structures of a canopy over a porch of polycarbonate

Determination of the size of the future canopy

As the canopy serves not only for the decoration of the building, but also for protection from bad weather conditions, the following conditions must be observed: The

• canopy should exceed the porch width by 30-40 cm on both sides;
• it is desirable to provide a protrusion of the visor, exceeding by 10-20 cm the length of the porch;
• the angle of inclination of the visor must be at least 20 ° C, in order to avoid the difficulty of snow falling from the canopy in winter.

The performed measurements are better displayed as a sketch of the future design, after which you can start assembling the frame.

Assembly of the frame

For single, direct awning:

1. Cut prisms, supporting bars, beams and struts with respect to the calculated dimensions.
2. Attach the posts to the porch with nails or concrete in pre-scooped pits close to the porch, 0.5-1 m deep.
3. Fasten cross bars, beams, rafters to vertical posts and walls.

For gable roof:

1. Calculate the size of the brackets represented by a triangular shape, considering the length, width, and height of the canopy.
2. Produce the brackets by connecting perpendicular beams with a strut, adhering to 45-60 ° C.
3. Fasten the brackets to the wall by means of several screws with respect to the required width of the visor or by analogy of the frame for a single shed, set up vertical posts, the top of which must be joined by supporting beams.
4. Construct the rafters by fixing the required angle of the canopy with bolts.
5. Secure the rafters on the upper beams of the supports.

For arched canopy:

1. Construct 2 arcs by curving the tube or profile. To obtain a smooth arc, it is necessary to make shallow incisions from the center of the profile to the edges with a step of 4 cm. Bending the arc, it is better to hold both its edges, ensuring uniformity of the radius.
2. The obtained arcs are connected by sections of the profile corresponding to the length of the porch.
3. When fastening the frame to the wall, to the rear arc, a connecting beam is welded, to which the canopies are welded for fastening.
4. When using support racks, the framework of arches is fixed on vertical racks by welding, after which it is necessary to sand the seams, cover with a primer and paint.

Fastening of polycarbonate

The installation of polycarbonate sheets implies the following features:

1. The polycarbonate holder is made of UV protection, film up.
2. To create temperature gaps, the holes for the fasteners in the polycarbonate are drilled a little larger than the diameter of the screw or the thermowell, with a step between the holes of 30-40 cm. When fastening the polycarbonate to the frame, between the hat of the screw and the sheet, a rubber spacer is installed to prevent ingressmoisture, dirt inside the sheet structure.
3. For joining the component elements, a special connecting element serves as a cover for the deformation seam. In this case, inserting a sheet into the connector is necessary taking into account the compensation gap.
4. The docking plates are fastened from the center to the sides or from the top downwards.
5. The ends of polycarbonate sheets are glued with a special adhesive tape or covered with end caps, which help to remove condensate from the sheet cavity and prevent the penetration of dust.
6. To obtain an arch bending, the polycarbonate is pre-fastened to the profile, because in such a way it will be much easier to give the necessary bend to the sheet. The bending of the polycarbonate is made only perpendicular to the length of the internal channels, in order to avoid a subsequent fracture of the polycarbonate. The minimum bend radius is 80 cm.
7. After complete fixation of polycarbonate sheets, the assembly film must be removed immediately, as it will be difficult to remove later.

Proceeding from the above, it is not difficult for an unprepared person to build a canopy from a polycarbonate.