How Thick Should Your Polycarbonate Be - Tuflite Polymers

With the wide varieties of polycarbonates available, the two main types used for constructional purposes are solid and multiwall. However, a multiwall sheet is better preferred because it offers many more benefits than a solid sheet. This is because multiwall sheets are a combination of layers of solid sheets stacked together with air gaps in between. This makes the sheets much stronger, with an added benefit of offering insulation due to the air gaps.

This keeps the temperature within the structure well-balanced – cool during summers, and warm during winters. However, when you plan on using multiwall polycarbonate roofing sheets, there is one thing that you need to consider – the size of your polycarbonate. By size here, we don’t mean the length and breadth of your sheet, because that will obviously depend upon the size of the structure you are building. Instead, the size here means the size of thickness of the sheet, or the number of layers that you must choose.

Layers and thicknesses of multiwall polycarbonate sheets

• Twin walled polycarbonates are those that have two walls stacked one over another; and these polycarbonates are available in 4mm, 6mm, and 10mm thicknesses.
• Triple walled polycarbonate are those sheets having three walls, meaning one sheet sandwiched between one upper and one lower sheet. These polycarbonates are generally available in a 16mm thickness.
• Multiple walled polycarbonates are those that may have four, five, or even six walls; generally measuring a 25mm of thickness.
• Polycarbonates may have a maximum of seven walls, which range in thickness from 32mm to 35mm.

Which multiwall polycarbonate is best for you?

From all of the four categories above, which polycarbonate sheet should you choose for your particular application?

• If you are planning a small scale glazing such as for a greenhouse or swimming pool enclosure, a 4mm or 6mm thick sheet should do.
• If you are planning on a carport or lean-to roof, a 10mm or 16mm sheet will be a nice choice.
• For a conservatory, thicker versions of 25mm, 32mm, and 35mm are preferred. This is because the thicker the polycarbonate sheet, the more air gaps it has, which brings better sound and heat insulation – a great benefit for conservatories.

With the above list, you may have understood the general idea of how you should choose your polycarbonate roof, in terms of thickness. Remember, thinner sheets are easy to cut, lighter in weight, and easier to install. Thicker sheets become heavier and more difficult to cut because of the increased number of sheets. But, if you want better heat or sound insulation, thicker sheets are better. Not yet sure as to which sheet you should choose? Worry not! Tuflite Polymers is here to take care of that. Here, you can not only get all kinds of best quality polycarbonate roofing sheets, but also advice from experts as to which polycarbonate should be the best for you. Just tell them the purpose of your project, and you’ll have the most apt polycarbonate sheet in front of you!

Which Polycarbonate Sheet Is Right For Your Conservatory - Tuflite Polymers

With the wide range of polycarbonate roofing sheets available, in terms of type, thickness, colour, and a lot more, how would you choose the right polycarbonate sheet for your conservatory?

The right types of polycarbonate sheet

While every and any kind of polycarbonate like solid, textured, multiwall, and corrugated can offer strength, durability, and light transmission to a conservatory, the best type of polycarbonate is multiwall polycarbonate. This is because multiwall polycarbonates are made up of multiple layers with air gap in between, which provides for better thermal insulation. Multiwall polycarbonates also offer good sound insulation, thus making the conservatory peaceful too.

The right thickness of polycarbonate sheet

The most recommended thickness of polycarbonate sheet to be used for a conservatory ranges between 25 mm and 35 mm. However, depending upon your budget, you can increase or decrease the thickness of the sheet that you want to use. But remember, as a general rule, the thicker the polycarbonate sheet, the lower U-values you can expect to achieve from it. This means that the amount of heat (in units of W/m2K) that is transferred or conducted through a material, from hot to cold, or cold to hot, is lowered with the increasing thickness. And, the lower this value, the better the insulation that will be provided; and insulation is one of the most important aspects of a conservatory. Thus, the U-value is a particularly crucial factor to adhere to building standards and regulations. One other benefit that comes with the thickness of the polycarbonate sheet, goes without saying, and that is the strength and rigidity. The thicker the polycarbonate sheet, the stronger and more rigid it becomes. This makes lesser usage of supports and more spacing between them. You will thus need fewer glazing bars to hold the polycarbonate structure; thus reducing your expenses spent on glazing bars, which can be transferred to the additional charges to be invested in purchasing thicker polycarbonate sheets. Hence, you can get better insulation at almost the same cost.

The right colour of polycarbonate sheet

There are many colour options of polycarbonate sheets available for you to choose from, such as clear, opal, and bronze.

Clear polycarbonates will let in maximum amount of light to shine through. Thus, most heat gets into the structure, which can be a good choice for darker colder areas.

Opal polycarbonates allow softer diffused light into the structure, thus reducing the heat build-up and hot spots. The tinted appearance also provides a good level of privacy, while still maintaining a light and bright space.

Bronze polycarbonates bring even much lesser light into the structure, which is absolutely great for excessively bright spaces, where you may want lesser light to pass through. The conservatory is thus kept cooler by reducing heat build-up.

So, choose your polycarbonate roofing sheets wisely; and make sure you do so from Tuflite Polymers, where you can rest assured to get only the best quality sheet made from A-grade materials, with no compromise on quality at any cost.