Features of the use of roofing, transmitting light
Transparent roof - an excellent solution for country houses. However, it is a mistake to believe that any roof can be completely made of transparent material. Firstly, it is necessary to understand that the originality and beauty of the solution do not abolish the current standards relating to the safety of residential buildings, the quality of their lighting, insulation, laying of communications, etc. Secondly, not all psychologically can withstand the visual "absence" of the habitual roof.
Third, the cost of performing assembly work and material covering a large area is large enough to abandon such an idea. Of course, there are also "fourth" and "fifth", so it is worthwhile to clearly understand for which cases the use of a transparent roof is optimal. Despite the excellent performance of the materials used, the translucent roof is suitable only for partial shelter of a residential house and a full-fledged shelter for such premises as a swimming pool, winter garden, greenhouse, home observatory, indoor patio.
At the same time, it is worth remembering that in order to increase the life of such a roof, it is necessary to choose designs that assume a large ramp. This will avoid the accumulation of snow, water, hail on the roofing material. Often, developers offer the implementation of such roofs in the form of domes, pyramids, cones.
Roofing materials
The most popular materials for making this type of roofing are polymeric materials and double-glazed windows. The latter are a product of several glasses, the gap between them is filled with an inert gas, for example, krypton or argon. On the perimeter of the glass are hermetically sealed, which allows improving the heat and sound insulation properties of the roof. Depending on the desired indicator of translucency, this or that type of glass can be used.
As for polymeric materials, there is more choice. Manufacturers offer developers translucent PVC-roofing and roofing of polycarbonate( monolithic and cellular). Please note: acrylic roofs easily withstand large mechanical loads, are flexible, but they easily pass the ultraviolet rays! If you do not want to constantly "sunbathe", then do not use this material.
Modern PVC roofs( made of PVC) are most often made of corrugated PVC sheets, which can stretch both along and across, which makes the roof more resistant to loads. In addition, this material is particularly resistant to high temperatures and moisture. It is perfect for sheltering terraces, arbors, decoration of balconies and light roofs. Such a roof can be colorless or colored, the "wave" profile can also be different.
As for polycarbonate, its performance characteristics make it possible to classify this material as an engineering class. It is perfectly suitable for making roofs of varying degrees of complexity. Today polycarbonate is represented by two types: cellular and monolithic.
Monolithic polycarbonate is successfully used in the construction of roofs with a small slope, as it can withstand not only its weight, but also the load from precipitation. It is also used for the production of curved roofs, but it should be noted that the high cost of the material will also be supplemented by equally high cost of work with it.
Cellular( honeycomb) polycarbonate is more affordable, and therefore it is most widely used in the construction industry. It has a low specific gravity and excellent flexibility, which makes it possible to produce transparent roof domes up to 10 meters in diameter! Thanks to the honeycomb structure, this material perfectly preserves the heat in the room. Moreover, it is characterized by low flammability and can last for 10-15 years. Today, polycarbonate awnings over the pool or terrace are widely distributed, the roofs of greenhouses and greenhouses, verandas, arbors from the same material.
The main advantages and disadvantages of the roof of transparent material
The roof made of transparent material, like any design, can have its advantages and disadvantages. Specialists recommend that you carefully read both those and others. This will help to determine more clearly whether you need such a roof. So, to the merits of the translucent roof of a residential house you can include:
- Visual expansion of the space of a particular room.
- Magnificent natural light during the daytime.
- Protection of the terrace or other auxiliary premises from atmospheric phenomena.
- High degree of watertightness and strength in high-quality installation.
- Attractive appearance.
- Resistance to corrosion, UV rays and chemical attack.
Of course, it is worth remembering that the material used to make such an original roof also determines a number of properties and advantages of the finished structure. As for the shortcomings, it can be noted not too long period of operation( compared to traditional materials), the impossibility of installing a flat roof, the high cost of materials and the complexity of installation. Thus, the transparent roof is an original and aesthetic architectural solution, not devoid of a number of shortcomings. That is why it is worthwhile weighing all the pros and cons of installing it so that you do not have to pay twice.