Polycarbonate shelter with own hands

Increasingly, modern materials are used for the construction of private urban and country houses for wall finishing, roofing and visor systems. One of such materials - is cellular polycarbonate, which is great for building gazebos and greenhouses, as well as visors above the front door and canopies above the pools and parking for cars.

Polycarbonate canopy with our own hands to mount enough just , the more so on sale it is possible to find ready-made frame structures having different configurations and sizes from which you can choose the most suitable for a particular site.

It is easy to build a frame and yourself, if the canopy will have a straight form - without bends and intricate configurations. The carcass does not require any special reinforcement, since the polycarbonate has a low weight and does not have the of the weight of the structural load.

To understand how much this material is suitable for mounting, and how to do it correctly, you need to understand a little about its technical and decorative characteristics.

As for canopies is mainly used cellular polycarbonate, which will be discussed.

characteristics of polycarbonate

Polycarbonate has a lot of unique positives qualities, which makes it indispensable in some cases;

• Good light transmission and transparency, which reaches 85 - 87%.
• It perfectly dissipates the light that penetrates through it.
• Enough high flexibility of sheets, without their preliminary preparation.
• High shock resistance , which exceeds the same quality of silicate glass by 180 ÷ 200 times.
• At the same time , polycarbonate is lighter by weight than glass in 7 ÷ 8 times.
• The material has good thermal insulation and soundproofing qualities. For example, during a rain, the noise is heard minimal.
• This coating with high-quality installation can withstand high snow and wind loads.
• The material is resistant to chemical and ultraviolet influences, as it has a special protective coating.
• Polycarbonate withstands temperatures from - 50 in winter and upper limit reaches + 115 ° C with .
• The affordable price of cellular polycarbonate allows you to purchase it even for the average family.
• It is impossible not to note the aesthetic modern appearance.
• The service life of high-quality polycarbonate, which has a protective coating, is 20 ÷ 25 years.
• is easy to mount , which can be handled by even one master.

If we present some characteristics of polycarbonate of different thickness in figures, they will look like this:

Table of the main technical characteristics of structured polycarbonate panels:

Panel type	Panel thickness in mm	Specific gravity in gr./sqm	Minimum bending radius in mm	Strength and tensile modulus( in accordance with GOST) in kgf / cm2	Shock resistance in J.	Thermal conductivity(reduced heat transfer resistance)	Absorption noise, dB( according to ASTM E90-83)
Strength	module of elasticity	DIN	ASTM	KW / m2Co	R( 1 / K)	1000 Hz	3000 Hz
	4	800	700	AS.	n / a	n / a	n / a	3.9	0.26	n / a
6	1300	1050	n / a	n / a	2.1	2.1	3.6	0.28	18	23
8	1500	1400	653	20400	2.16	2	3.4	0.29	20	26
10	1700	1750	658	21300	2.332	2.48	3.1	0.32	22	30
16	2700	2800	705	22770	2.8	3.68	2.4	0.42	25	34
25	3500	4370	707	23120	2.98	3.82	1.75	0.58	30	42

Some polycarbonate quality appropriate to consider in more detail, as this informationwill help in selecting and installing this roofing material.

Lightweight material

Polycarbonate panels weigh not only less glass, but also three times less than an acrylic roofing material of the same thickness. This facilitates the installation of the structure, since it is possible to raise the polycarbonate to a height without resorting to auxiliary lifting mechanisms. Due to the small mass of material, it is possible to design complex canopy structures, since they do not heavily weight the frame.

Polycarbonate is pleased to use designers who plan to create a modern original exterior of the building, as it makes the roof airy and visually weightless. This parameter is especially pronounced if a transparent coating of light color is chosen, and the frame under the coating is painted white or made of thin elements.

High light permeability

The high translucency of polycarbonate panels is suitable for designs that must be covered by from rain and snow, but well illuminated. The light transmission through the roof or canopy covered with this material reaches up to 85% - , but directly depends on the thickness and color of the material.

Table of light transmittance factors for standard panels in percentage, depending on color and thickness.

		10mm	16mm	20mm	25mm	4mm -	AS 6mm - US
Clear	85/87	80/81	79/ 80	78/79	78	68	60	82	81
Bronze	25/24	23/22	18	16	15
22/21	21/20	18	16	15
Dairy	33/34	31/32	30/31	30/31	26	22	20
Green	36/37	32/ 33	33/34	33/34	33/34
Blue	34/35	33/32	31/30	31/30
Brown	18/19	15/16	14/15	14/15
Turquoise	36/ 37	28/29	26/27	25/26
Yellow	74/75	74/75	72/73	71/72
Orange	54/55	54/55	52/53	51/52
Red	29/30	24/25	23/24
Vinous	10/11	10/11	5/6	4/5
Silver	33/34	31/32	30/31	30/31
Chippedice	80/81	79/80	79/80	79/80
Broken ice bronze	24/25	23/24	22/23	21/22

From the table , is seen that the polycarbonate has many colors, so choose the most attractiveth design and light transmission - will not be very difficult. Polycarbonate of any color perfectly dissipates sunlight and creates uniform lighting under the roof.

Shock resistance

Polycarbonate can be called the most durable of thermoplastic materials, even with mechanical impact on it under high and low temperatures. Polycarbonate itself is 200 times stronger than glass, but thanks to the internal honeycomb structure of the panels, the surface springs when struck, as if beating off a blow.

The proposed table shows the internal structure of the structure of panels, and what thickness they are produced.

Structure type	Structure type	Thickness overall in mm	Minimum bending radius in mm
Single chamber standard		4	700
6	1000
8	1400
10	1750
Double chamber standard		16	2700
Strengthened( AS)		4	910
6	1400
Four-chamber		25	4400

Roofing material not is injurious to , so does not break into numerous pieces asit happens with glass. With a very strong accented strike, of course, it can crack, but it does not break up into separate parts and does not deform.

During the tests, it was revealed that the hailstone, having a diameter of 45 mm, flying from a height with speed in the of 25 m / s, is unable to penetrate the roof from panels with a thickness of 16 mm.

Resistance to ultraviolet

It should be noted that polycarbonate itself breaks down from the action of the ultraviolet component of of the sun's rays, and its service life will not exceed 2 - for 3 years unless it is covered with special sun protection. If the material was initially transparent or milky-white, then on it appears yellowing, or it becomes cloudy. The effect of ultraviolet makes unprotected panels brittle and brittle. Polycarbonate without a protective film costs less, and many are attracted by this criterion, but when buying this material, it is not worth saving, because for a couple of years roof will have to , and this is not only waste, but unnecessary work.

Polycarbonate coated with one, or better - on both sides with a stabilizing coating, can be safely used outdoors, with direct exposure to the sun. In this case, ultraviolet radiation with wavelength up to 400 nm , dangerous not only for humans, but also for plants, will be weakened by a protective coating, and the rays penetrating through the roof become harmless.

In addition, this coating will last for a long time, even slightly more than the manufacturer guarantees.

If only the on one side of the , is installed on the panel, then the installation is made by this side to the outside.

The coating is almost completely invisible on the surface, therefore manufacturers designate the required side with special marking, applied on polyethylene film .

Resistance to chemical attack

Polycarbonate is quite resistant to most chemicals that can get into it under conditions of its use as a roofing. However, there are also substances that destroy this material - chlorinated hydrocarbons, ketones, alkalis and aldehydes. This information can be useful when choosing sealants or other materials that can come into contact with polycarbonate during installation or during maintenance. Therefore, when purchasing such compounds for cleaning polycarbonate roofing or for its sealing, it is necessary to consult with the seller or carefully study the instructions for use.

Thermal insulation

In comparison with acrylic panels or with silicate glass, polycarbonate has a great advantage in terms of thermal insulation, where it is needed, since it has a much lower thermal conductivity. Even if the thinnest polycarbonate panels are used, having a thickness of only 4 mm, they are twice as large as the glass to preserve heat, for example, in the winter garden. Polycarbonate with a thickness of 8 mm gives the same effect t as an ordinary double-glazed double-glazed unit, and material with a thickness of 16-25 mm exceeds the performance of double-glazed windows with triple glazing.

In the summer, polycarbonate reflects the sun's rays, preventing excessive heat from entering the room.

In the winter, when the sun is low, the material passes the rays inwards well, which contributes to the heating of the room.

Flexibility of

The great advantage of polycarbonate is its flexibility, which allows the construction of semi-circular or cone-shaped roof structures. And , you can bend it without resorting to heat. When purchasing material for a specific roofing, it is necessary to pay attention to such an indicator as the minimum bend radius for the of a certain polycarbonate thickness, which can be found in the table above.

Bearing capacity

This coating is able to withstand high loads due to its high strength. Thus, with a thickness of 16 mm, it can withstand a load of up to 400 kg / m², with a frame under it, even having such a large dimension of the as 1000 × 1000 mm. That is, if you lay 400 kg of snow per square meter, the material will withstand this load. But there is no such amount of snow per unit area in nature, so you should not worry about it. Moreover, if the canopy will be arranged in the form of an arch, on which snow drifts will not be delayed.

Heat resistance of

Polycarbonate fire can occur when exposed to open flame for a long time and reaches a temperature of 560 ÷ 580 ° With , please note that the wood lights up already at + 270 ÷ 300 ° C .

However, , polycarbonate is a self-extinguishing material - if contact with an open flame is interrupted, it does not support combustion and quickly extinguishes. When exposed to open fire, polycarbonate more often smolder and deform, emits smoke, but does not burn. The smoke from it does not contain heavy metals, but has its composition of water vapor and carbon dioxide, which can also be harmful to human health.

Easy to install

For mounting polycarbonate, do not need any special tools - just have a saw, jigsaw, screwdriver or drill, various drills for metal or wood, and also able to drill holes in panels.

home wizard should handle the installation. Due to the fact that the material is light , it is quite possible to manage the installation on its own. The only time when you need someone's help - is stacking sheets. The size of the polycarbonate panel - is large enough, and its is inconvenient to stack independently. Here still will not prevent one pair of hands.

Warranty

Firms producing quality polycarbonate with a protective coating guarantee the preservation of appearance and technical characteristics for 10 years from the moment of its installation. It is necessary to know, that usually manufacturers give a guarantee for the minimum period of operation, however practice shows, that sound material will serve 20 ÷ 25, and even more years without changes in decorativeness and without losing its positive qualities.

Canopy mounting

When making a canopy over a swimming pool, veranda or parking area, polycarbonate is replaced with other material so well suited for this purpose, therefore it is more and more often chosen from all roofing coatings.

With the right choice of frame, the canopy can be installed separately or attached to one of the walls of the house. A reliable mount will make it invulnerable to strong winds, and the material itself will create comfortable conditions for people to stay or to park the car at any time of the year, as it will protect against direct rainfall and destructive ultraviolet rays.

Materials for the construction of the

To properly mount the canopy, you need to be able to select the materials and accessories you need, know some of the nuances of their structure and designations

• The most commonly used types of polycarbonate for the cover of canopies and canopies are the so-called honeycomb panels with internal ribs rigidity .Their structure and dimensions are in the given by the below.

Profile type( graphically)	Thickness in mm( A)	Standard width sheets in mm for all types of profiles	Distance between fins stiffness in mm( D)	Weight g / sqm	Minimum radius bend forarcs, m
	4	980 1050 1200 1250 2100	5.7	800	0.7
6	1300	1.05
	8	11	1500	1.4
1700
10	1700	1.75
2000
	16	20	2700	2.8
2800

Panels are produced in lengths of 6 or 12 meters. The edges of the are located along the length of the sheet. These data will help to correctly calculate the structure of the frame and the amount of the required roofing material for it.

• To connect individual panels to each other, you need to purchase a special profile, which is 6 meters long.

There are two types:

- a profile into which polycarbonate sheets are inserted from both sides by pulling them into a special groove;

- split profile, which consists of two elements. One of them is installed under the roofing sheets, and the second one is put on it, after fixing the polycarbonate to the crate .

• The ends of polycarbonate after its installation on the crate are finished with an end profile. These elements are usually produced in length of 2100 mm.
• In the holes for fixing the material to the crate it will be necessary for the to purchase the thermo washers with covers. They are available in a different shade version - can be selected to the selected color polycarbonate.

• Self-tapping screws are sold separately. Their length should be 40 ÷ 60 mm, depending on the thickness of the material.
• Special drilled drills are required to drill out even holes for installing thermowells and further fixing.

• For installation of and carrier rails, will need wooden beams in size of section of 50 × 50 and 100 × 100 mm or a square pipe of in size of 30 × 30 and 50 ×50 mm.

Dimensions of the is dependent on the amount of planned load on the roofing. The amount of material can be counted after that . as the drawing of a skeleton for installation of a polycarbonate will be made. With , can be used in the following table:

Dimension table for crate of bearing structure for honeycomb polycarbonate( according to the graphical diagram):

Load	6 mm	8 mm	10 mm	16 mm
A( cm)	In( cm)	A( cm)	In( cm)	A( cm)	In( cm)	A( cm)	B( cm)
100 kg / sq. M	105	79	120	90	132	92	125	95
90	90	95	95	100	100	110	110
82	103	90	110	90	115	95	120
160 kg / sq. M	88	66	100	75	105	75	115	90
76	76	83	83	83	83	97	97
70	86	75	90	75	95	85	105
200 kg / sq. M	80	60	85	65	95	70	110	85
69	69	76	76	78	78	88	88
62	78	65	85	70	85	75	95

You can purchase ready-made bent frames with racks of the right size and with fastening elements. They are sold in disassembled form and are convenient to install, but it is not always possible to find a canopy of the required size and shape.

Nuances of mounting

Before working it is necessary to familiarize yourself with some important points that should be considered when purchasing the material and when installing it.

• When creating arched structures, the polycarbonate panel bends across the of the length ribs , since if you bend along these elements, it can be formed by a hall on which a crack forms over time. In addition, when planning such a design, it is necessary to look in advance at the table, where the data on the minimum bend radius for a particular thickness of material are collected.
• For designs of different shapes it is recommended to use its own material thickness, for example:

- for arched constructions, a material having a thickness of 8 mm is required;

- for canopies of a small area above the entrance door, a thickness of 6 mm is sufficient;

- for a large area of ​​the canopy, which has an inclined direction, panels with a thickness of 10 mm are used;

- for a horizontal canopy with a slight slope, you need to choose a polycarbonate 16 mm thick, since a small slope will help keep snow on the roof in winter.

• The end of the top edge of the sheet must be sealed with a protective tape, in order to prevent insects, moisture and dust from entering the polycarbonate channels.

The bottom edge of the panel before mounting on the of its profile profile is recommended to seal the perforated with film, which will protect the channels from the mentioned troubles, but will not retain moisture inside.

• The holes for the screws are drilled larger than the caps of the fasteners, since they will be fitted with heat washers. These parts will not allow penetration under the coatings of moisture and will allow to expand and narrow the material at temperature differences.
• The first holes for the of the fastening parts are drilled at least 40 mm from the edge, otherwise there is a risk of cracking the polycarbonate.

• The hat of the screwed screw in the washer must be necessarily closed with a special lid, otherwise the water from the precipitation must be under the cover.

Video: An example of attaching a polycarbonate to the base

The process of installing the canopy

Prepare the in the as needed and learn some nuances, you can proceed to work.

• If the site for installing the canopy is not equipped, then with it and should begin work.

If it is poured with concrete, then simultaneously with its construction it is possible to install and support poles on which the skeleton for polycarbonate will be mounted.

• pad is prepared. First, the selected location is marked and cleaned from the turf of the .Then it is leveled, and with the help of the manual , holes are drilled for the installation of columns of supports, 500 mm deep and at a distance of 2000 ÷ 2500 mm from each other.
• Further, sand is poured into the pits, a layer of 100 mm and is well compacted. On top of it is filling the rubble of the middle fraction and also becoming denser. Metal posts with reinforcing bars welded to them in the lower part are installed in the pit, set out according to the level, filled with concrete and left to seize.
• On the second day, you can carefully perform further work. Around the site, which should include and enclosed posts, a formwork is constructed from boards with a height of 180 ÷ 250 mm.

A sand layer of 50 ÷ 70 mm is poured into the fenced area, wetted and tamped. Above it is laid gravel or crushed stone, which also needs to be sealed. The reinforcement frame is installed on the entire prepared area.

If the columns are planned to be installed on top of the finished site, then when installing the reinforcing cage, the fixing elements are mounted, to which the bearing racks will be fixed.

After that, the formwork is completely filled with concrete and well leveled.

• The frame can be mounted on the racks only after two to three weeks after pouring, after the site has solidified and embedded parts or posts embedded in the .

If the stands still are not installed, then they are fixed to the elements in the concrete with prepared holes.

If wooden posts are to be installed, they must be treated with antiseptic compounds beforehand and covered with paint. When installing them in the ground or in concrete, the lower part of them is recommended to be treated with tar or bitumen mastic.

• Further, transverse support elements are installed that will connect vertical supports and give rigidity. They can be made of flat bars or welded in the form of trusses. The second variant nt pr is more relevant, since the farm more than reliably will connect the posts to each other.

• The next step on the horizontal crossbar is to fix the arched load-bearing elements. Exact bending of the is impossible for to do on its own, if there is no special machine, so the will have to to seek help from the master or to purchase the ready-made elements of the arch or half-arches.

Provided that if you plan to make a flat ramp or two ramp , then the frame under them is installed from flat square pipes or wooden bars. How can I make crate gable roof , you can find out by clicking on the corresponding article of our portal. However, after all, the polycarbonate awning is best done in the form of an - arch this form is optimal for scattering light and for protecting the site from rain and snow.

• The fixing of the bent horizontal element to the posts is carried out with the help of two triangular elements called a "kerchief".

If the canopy is wide enough, then the arched elements of the frame are also made in the form of a truss with additional retaining parts.

• . The trusses or arches are interconnected by horizontal pipes. The lining is calculated according to the polycarbonate thickness. More precisely, its parameters can be found in the table above.
• When the frame under the coating is ready, go to its coating. The length of the polycarbonate sheet should be equal to the arch length of the arch plus 120 ÷ 150 mm.

• Polycarbonate is cut using a jigsaw. You can saw it and using a hacksaw, but in this case the edge will be sloppy.
• After preparing the polycarbonate sheets of the correct size, a protective polyethylene film is removed from the outer surface and the first sheet is placed on the crate so that the sheet extends beyond the first pipe of the crate at least 40 mm.
• - thin in metal profile and wide - in polycarbonate are made using special drill bits .

• Then a thermo-washer is installed in the wide hole, the metal screw is screwed into the metal, and a special cover is put on top. The distance between fastening elements should be 300 ÷ 350 mm.
• Before fastening the second side of the sheet, under the on the , the lower part of the connecting profile is installed and screwed to the frame.

• connection profile Next, the next sheet is laid, is also fastened , and the upper part of the connecting profile is immediately installed between it and the first sheet. From the end it is closed with a special plug.

Thus, all other sheets are mounted.

• The work ends with the end profile mounted on the end of the mounted sheets.

For clarity - video on carport device for automobile parking

Video: self-mounting of canopy from polycarbonate

If the installation of the material will be carried out by according to all rules and with the use of all conceived for its long-term operation, the coating will serve a sufficiently long periodwithout repair and without particularly complex care for themselves.