Carboglass polycarbonate

Dimensions and parameters of thin polycarbonate

Sheets of material with a thickness of 1 mm, 2 mm or 3 mm usually have a density of 0.45 to 0.6, this indicator differs from one manufacturer to another. A sheet of standard parameters (2.1 by 6 meters) usually weighs from 6 to 7.5 kilograms. If you are faced with the task of choosing a material that is durable, stable and reliable, then it is better among two grades of material with a thickness of 3 mm at the same price, with a density of 0.45 or 0.6 - it is wiser to choose plates with a higher density.

Attention, as a roof for summer cottages, experienced craftsmen strongly advise against using sheets with a thickness of 3 mm with low density, especially in regions where hail and heavy snowfalls are not uncommon. For this purpose, plates of greater thickness are suitable, at least 4 mm - they are shown in the photos attached to the article

Main characteristics

High impact resistance - Karboglass polymer plates are distinguished by high strength and are significantly superior in resistance to both silicate and acrylic glass. Moreover, they are characterized by an affordable cost. Judging by consumer reviews, this is the best material for the construction of greenhouses, greenhouses, greenhouses and the like.

• Safety - its superiority is expressed not only in incombustibility, but also in low injury hazard, since cellular polycarbonate Carboglass has good impact strength. In case of severe damage, the sheet does not crumble into fragments, but deforms and breaks, forming fragments with non-sharp edges, which significantly reduces the threat to health.
• UV protection - Polycarbonate partially absorbs UV light, protecting plants from burns. However, the polymer itself is not sufficiently resistant to UV rays. To ensure the products have a long service life, Karboglass polycarbonate is covered with three layers of a protective coating.

• Light transmission is the most important parameter for a translucent material. For Karboglass products, this figure is one of the highest - up to 86%.
• Working range - the panels perfectly tolerate both the action of heat and the most severe cold. Operating temperature range: from -40 to +120 C.
• Thermal insulation - the material provides first-class heat and sound insulation of the room, thereby reducing the need for heating. According to consumer reviews, savings can be up to 30%.
• Chemical resistance - the positive characteristics of the polymer include resistance to the action of most aggressive chemicals. Therefore, honeycomb panels are willingly used in the construction of industrial facilities.

Flexibility - flat and sloping greenhouse roofs are characterized by one drawback - snow and moisture are retained on their surface, which significantly reduces the level of illumination and necessitates periodic cleaning. Rounded designs do not have this disadvantage. Cellular polycarbonate Karboglass allows you to easily implement such projects. The cellular structure makes it possible to bend the sheet without losing its properties. The photo shows a greenhouse with a rounded roof.

Forms of product release

The dimensions of the Carboglass honeycomb panels correspond to the standards: the length of the product is 6 or 12 m, the width is 2.1 m. The thickness of the sheet and its structure are different. The manufacturer produces panels of the largest sizes.

4 and 6 mm - lightweight material recommended for the construction of spring-summer greenhouses. Two-layer sheet with rectangular or triangular honeycomb.

• and 10 mm - can be used in the construction of winter greenhouses and greenhouses, as it is very durable and is able to withstand high snow and wind loads. The honeycombs in the panels are only rectangular, but the product itself can be made of two or four sheets.
• 16 mm - can have a two-layer or four-layer structure. The number of layers increases the degree of thermal insulation.
• 20 and 25 mm - consist of four sheets. 25 mm are also available in a five-chamber form. Such material can be safely classified as acoustic.

The color range of Karboglass polycarbonate is very wide: transparent panels - actually for greenhouses, translucent - crushed ice, and sheets in different color shades - blue, turquoise, red, green, as well as yellow, burgundy, silver and brown. There is also a trendy bronze color.

When choosing the appropriate color, you should pay attention to the fact that the coefficient of thermal expansion and the level of translucency to a large extent depend on the color. So, for example, the transparent version reacts least of all to the effect of temperature, while bronze panels are characterized by a coefficient of thermal expansion of 2.5 mm / m, which must be taken into account during installation

The photo shows the colored Karboglass panels.

Choosing polycarbonate for a canopy

Polycarbonate has taken one of the leading places as a material from which awnings are made. And this is not a simple trend of fashion, since this plastic has such advantages as long-term operation, low maintenance and the ability to withstand cold and hot weather conditions. It is impossible not to mention the possibility of its use as an element of landscape design.

Polycarbonate in landscape design

To take full advantage of this material, it is important to choose the correct variety. The type of polycarbonate used must be applicable precisely in those structures for which it is purchased

Most often, this plastic can be found as a covering element for various canopies and awnings. Which of its types is the most suitable in this case?

Polycarbonate visor

Cellular polycarbonate

This type of polycarbonate got its name due to its external similarity with honeycombs. It consists of two or more sheets of plastic with a honeycomb structure in between. Thanks to this design, the sheet has excellent insulating properties and is very flexible. The latter quality allows you to easily give it a different shape without sacrificing strength.

Curved honeycomb polycarbonate

Due to the cavities inside this type of polycarbonate, it is a fairly light material. Its low weight allows savings on the frame by using thinner load-bearing elements.

Cellular polycarbonate

It is best used for arch-type structures isolated from the house, since the standard panel length can be 6 and 12 meters.

Arched canopy

The disadvantage of this type of polycarbonate is its susceptibility to dirt, dust, leaves and water between the layers of plastic. For this reason, the material may fade or change color over time.

Monolithic (cast) polycarbonate

A type of polycarbonate, called monolithic or molded, is a piece of plastic without any internal holes. This material is much stronger and more durable than the previous type, but you have to pay for it with its greater weight, which exceeds this parameter of cellular plastic by 6 times.

Monolithic polycarbonate

Cast polycarbonate has a greater design appeal, since it is highly resistant to external factors. There are even compositions that do not lend themselves to scratches.

Monolithic plastic has a much wider range of applications and is often used in place of glass.

Monolithic polycarbonate canopy looks like a glass cover

It is also flexible and is found in canopies and awnings. This material is optimal in cases of installation of such structures adjacent to the house, since it can give a home a new look.

Molded polycarbonate adjoining canopy

The size of the panels is 305 by 205 cm, so many sheets will be required for the manufacture of large structures. And its higher mass determines the use of frame elements of a larger section.

The cost per area of ​​molded polycarbonate is significantly higher than that of the honeycomb type.

Profiled polycarbonate

Profiled or corrugated polycarbonate is essentially a type of monolithic type. It has a corrugated structure that makes it even more robust. Due to this, it can be used as a roofing material.

Small canopy made of profiled polycarbonate

With regard to the use of profiled polycarbonate in the manufacture of awnings, it makes sense in the case when the structure involves the impact of significant loads on the roofing element. In other cases, it is more advisable to build canopies from the previous types of this material.

Solid canopy made of profiled polycarbonate

Peculiarities

The specialists of JSC "Karboglass" were among the first to produce honeycomb and monolithic material. For the production of products, automated Italian lines and high-quality raw materials are used. The manufacturer provides a guarantee for its products for up to 10 years and quality certificates in accordance with the requirements of GOST. The material is tested in several laboratories, passing through a testing complex, a fire safety center, etc. It is clear that the factory products have earned their positive reputation and high consumer appreciation.

The design features of cellular polycarbonate of this brand include such characteristics.

• Excellent transmittance of natural daylight.
• The transparency of Karboglass products is up to 86%.
• High density, strength and resistance to various types of loads.
• Increased thermal insulation. The need for heating is reduced. Savings can be up to 30%.
• A light weight.
• Thermal stability. The material perfectly tolerates high and low temperatures in the range from -40 to +120 ° C.
• Soundproofing the room.
• Chemical resistance to many aggressive chemicals. Large industrial facilities are being built with honeycomb panels.
• Flexibility. Flat roofs of greenhouses have one drawback - snow and moisture accumulate on top of them, which negatively affects the quality of light transmission and implies periodic cleaning. This is not a problem with a rounded design. With cellular polycarbonate, the brand can easily implement such projects. Thanks to its cellular structure, it can be bent without fear of losing its properties.

The advantages of polycarbonate include the following characteristics.

• Non-flammable material. In this regard, it is more in demand than fire-hazardous acrylic glass.
• Resistance to aggressive external factors, including atmospheric phenomena.
• Resistant to deformation.
• Manufactured with strict adherence to technology in accordance with production standards.

In addition, the manufacturer creates and offers reinforced polycarbonate honeycomb and canvases with double UV protection.The factory gives a 15-year guarantee of UV-resistance.

The advantages of polycarbonate

In the list of design features of such material as cellular polycarbonate, a special place is occupied by the following characteristics:

• Excellent transmittance to diffuse sunlight and natural daylight;
• High strength and susceptibility to various loads;
• Polycarbonate has enhanced thermal insulation properties;
• Light weight;
• Ultra-high impact strength.

Thanks to these qualities, cellular polycarbonate is easy to use in any area, as opposed to monolithic. In addition, they make it a versatile solution to many problems of construction and erection of structures for various purposes.

Polycarbonate material also has the following characteristics among its advantages:

• Fire-fighting qualities;
• Resistance to aggressive environments and atmospheric agents;
• No deformation over a wide range.

JSC "KARBOGLASS" ensures strict observance of all technological standards of production, which makes the products comply with the declared parameters.

In addition to the above, the company creates and sells wholesale cellular polycarbonate with double UV protection. The plant uses a coextrusion method that guarantees UV resistance for 15 years.

Features of sheets with a thickness of 3 mm

This thickness can be called the most sold, because sheets with this parameter are available and cheap. That is why they are actively bought by private individuals, for gardening, household and other economic purposes. However, the price for sheets with such a thickness may differ significantly from different manufacturers, including domestic ones.

Polycarbonate 3 mm

The catch is that such a thickness harms the quality of the building material, that is, individual manufacturers simply “cash in” on those of their consumers who, when applied, want to save as much as possible. Therefore, for such sheets, unscrupulous manufacturers use low-quality recyclable materials, they do not apply a protective transport film, and so on. All these risks apply to both cellular and monolithic material, because, in fact, the characteristics of their plates are very similar.

However, not everything is so bad - there are also reliable manufacturers who do not want to lose their valuable reputation and produce thin polycarbonate that does not lose quality. But such a material is more expensive, it even has an ultraviolet filter applied to it, as expected, using the extrusion method. In this case, the sheets are obtained with the required density and the required weight. Samples of such products are shown in the photos that are attached to this material.

Thin but high-quality sheets produced by conscientious manufacturers can be widely used - they can be used to safely cover gazebos and terraces, from which you can create a greenhouse, visor, partitions. Thin plates weigh little, so they are easy to transport by rolling up into a roll - their thickness and other characteristics (strength, flexibility) make it easy to transport up to six rolls of cellular polycarbonate in the trunk of an ordinary car, which is very convenient.

Strength of sheets with small thickness

It should be admitted that a decrease in the weight of the plates also leads to a decrease in their strength characteristics. It is necessary to know about this, because strength is a unique characteristic of this material, it is because of it that it has become so popular and widespread in construction. Thinning of the walls of the sheets leads to the fact that the maximum permissible loads on one plate are reduced. Experienced craftsmen know that a material, if it is very thin (1 mm, 2 mm or 3 mm thick), is susceptible to deformation due to too high temperatures and frosts, it also bursts more easily during temperature extremes.

Another important point is that it is much more difficult for technologists of enterprises producing material to maintain all production parameters when working with thin plates. Already during production, sheets warp much more often, and these deformations are not removed during cooling, already in the finished product warehouse. All these points must be kept in mind when choosing inserts with different parameters.

Even the manufacturers of cellular polycarbonate themselves often do not specify the warranty periods for lightweight sheets, as well as such indicators as their strength characteristics, the thickness of the coextrusion layer, which protects against ultraviolet radiation, the possible service life and other "little things".

In this article, we want to warn potential buyers of monolithic and cellular polycarbonate - it is very important not to trust even well-known brands of such products, because famous brands are not always a guarantee of the quality and durability of the plates. In this situation, advice from experienced specialists, customer reviews who have already managed to check the reliability and quality of the material "in action", as well as competent articles will help.

Features of operation

Polymer plastic as an innovative type of roofing material has a certain service life. According to the manufacturer's data, the average warranty period for Karboglass polycarbonate is 10 years. But according to representatives of construction organizations, subject to certain rules of storage, transportation, installation and maintenance, the service life of the material increases to 20-25 years.

The service life of Karboglass polycarbonate is 10 years

Sheets of polymer plastic should be stored in a place protected from the sun. Under the influence of the scorching sun, the protective polyethylene is heated, as a result of which the film is glued to the polycarbonate surface.

During transportation, it is recommended to lay the building material horizontally. Otherwise, there is a high risk of displacement of the internal partitions of cellular polycarbonate. Unfortunately, panels with cracks, chips, deep scratches and internal distortion of the lintels are not suitable for use. When unloading the machine, the sheets of polymer plastic are transferred as carefully and accurately as possible. Accidental impact on the side of the car body can damage the integrity of the web. It is necessary to store polycarbonate horizontally in the form of low piles.

When installing the polymer, make sure that the UV protection layer remains outside. You can determine the sun coverage by the transparent colored film on which there is a marking.

For fixing monolithic and cellular polycarbonate, construction nails and bolts must not be used. Self-tapping screws with special thermal washers are used as fasteners. In this case, the hole made in the panel must coincide in diameter with the size of the self-tapping screw. A protective thermal washer prevents condensation from forming inside the web.

For fixing Borrex cellular polycarbonate it is best to use special profiles

Keep the panels clean. The accumulation of dust and small debris leads to a deterioration in the physical properties of the material. Polycarbonate can be washed with plain water and a little soapy water. Polymer plastic "Carboglass" is characterized by weak chemical resistance to acetone, weak ammonia solution, kerosene, methyl alcohol, gasoline, benzene, highly concentrated hydrochloric acid and alkaline solutions.

Polycarbonate "Karboglass" has a wide range of applications:

• construction industry: stadiums, sports grounds, outdoor swimming pools, pedestrian crossings, street windows and canopies, doors, shower cabins;
• outdoor advertising and design of premises: decoration of shop windows, stands, pavilions and banners, exhibition, information and office partitions, suspended ceilings;
• agricultural sector: industrial and individual greenhouses, greenhouses for growing seedlings, garden greenhouses, fodder supplies, cattle pens.

For one sheet of this type of polycarbonate, you need to pay from 2.5 to 30 thousand rubles. So, one panel of cellular polymer plastic "Carboglass Premium" 25 mm thick costs 30-32 thousand rubles.

Types of monolithic polycarbonate in color and shape

Now let's look at the question of the design of monolithic polycarbonate, namely its color and shape. Today, most types of monolithic polycarbonate are available in transparent, white and bronze colors.

Even in the factory, the paint is added directly to the polycarbonate granules. Darker sheets will help protect your vacation spot from the scorching sun, and brighter sheets will help create a holiday feeling.

But the most popular today is transparent monolithic polycarbonate - universal for almost any application. Although colored, with a competent approach, it can serve as an effective accent in architectural design. The following shades are in fashion today:

Quite an interesting type of monolithic polycarbonate - profiled, which is also called impact-resistant transparent slate. In its shape, it is similar to corrugated board, but it looks much more spectacular. Despite its transparency, it has excellent UV protection. And at the same time, even a hail of 20 mm in diameter cannot penetrate such a roof!

The profiled sheet was given a wavy or trapezoidal profile. This material is perfect as a roof for gazebos, outbuildings and recreation areas. They are blocked by markets, skylights and parking lots. In addition, in construction, profiled polycarbonate is used for cladding buildings.

Let's compare it to a regular flat sheet:

We will also tell you about such a novelty of the market as anti-abrasive monolithic polycarbonate. It is even more durable and resistant to chemical attack. Covered with a special silicone film that protects the sheet from scratches and rubbing. Therefore, if you previously worried about how transparent the walls of your veranda will look in 5-7 years, now you shouldn't.

Due to its structurally more thoughtful form, such a transparent slate (that is what it is called) is particularly durable and can withstand even large hail.

But such spectacular pavilions are made of arched polycarbonate:

Even in the factory, monolithic polycarbonate is molded in a cold or hot way. And there are also moments here. So, when cold forming, a polycarbonate sheet gets serious internal stress.

And if it is reduced by subsequent annealing of the product, then it is good. After all, the sheet itself is also bent at a greater angle than necessary, in the expectation that then it will still bend a little. Those. are reinsured.

And one of the methods of thermoforming is quite realistic to use at home. To do this, heat a sheet of monolith and place it on a convex or concave shape. Continue heating until the sheet is shaped by its own weight. Ingeniously simple! Of course, during the production process during molding, the sheet is heated to more than 160 ° C and then dried so that bubbles do not go over the surface. But a hot building hair dryer for small tasks will do too.

Cold forming of monolithic polycarbonate products looks like this:

Cellular or monolithic polycarbonate: comparative characteristics

The choice of the type of plastic is determined by several factors and, above all, the requirements for the coating material for a particular canopy structure. The properties of polycarbonate directly depend on the structure: honeycomb panels are hollow and have a lower specific gravity than monolithic ones. Accordingly, the cost of sheets is different, the first will cost much less.

Cellular polycarbonate in various colors.

Monolithic polycarbonate.

The most important criterion for choosing a type of polycarbonate is its decorative properties. If the stylistic solution requires the use of a material similar in appearance to silicate glass, then monolithic sheets should be preferred. This material allows you to create original designs, including complex shapes. In addition to transparent panels, there is a large selection of painted in a variety of colors.

Cellular polycarbonate canopy.

A functional and practical canopy without any special design delights is made of cellular polycarbonate. The low specific gravity of the panels allows the load-bearing frame to be extremely lightweight, provided the necessary strength and stability are ensured. In the manufacture of the load-bearing structure for such a canopy, a steel profile of a smaller section is used, which gives considerable savings.

Solid polycarbonate canopy.

The choice between cellular or monolithic polycarbonate directly depends on its properties and characteristics. In the manufacture of awnings, sheets with a thickness of more than 6 mm are usually used; for ease of comparison, the table shows the parameters for such panels of different types.

For the analysis, selected properties that determine the performance characteristics of the canopy:

Comparison of the parameters of polycarbonate clearly shows that cellular polycarbonate is almost six times lighter than monolithic. But the latter is 2.5 times longer than its competitor in terms of service life. For the rest of the characteristics, the differences are not so significant

When choosing the type of panel, other factors are also taken into account: economic and decorative, as well as the geometric dimensions and purpose of the canopy.

Such structures are usually constructed to cover the following objects:

• parking lots;
• balconies or terraces;
• swimming pools;
• public transport parking;
• visors and transitions between buildings.

One of the most important characteristics of the panels is resistance to mechanical stress. In this respect, cellular polycarbonate is much inferior to monolithic. The vandal-proof properties of the latter make it possible to use it in public places where the probability of deliberate damage to the structure is quite high.

Optimal thickness of polycarbonate for the canopy

The technical characteristics of both honeycomb and monolithic panels depend on several factors. To solve the question of what kind of polycarbonate for the canopy, it is better to choose, first of all, it is necessary to determine its optimal thickness for a particular structure. Regulatory documents in the field of construction SNiP 21-01-97 and SNiP II-3-79 contain recommendations on the use of this type of finishing materials.

How to determine the thickness of the sheets of cellular polycarbonate

When determining the optimal thickness of polycarbonate, both the purpose of the canopy and the level of stress on the structure are taken into account. If we consider cellular polycarbonate, then the following recommendations can be made:

• 4mm panels can be used for relatively small structures with a significant radius of curvature, most often such polycarbonate is used for greenhouses and small canopies.
• Polycarbonate sheets with a thickness of 6 and 8 mm are used to cover structures that are exposed to significant wind and snow loads, such as carports or swimming pools.
• Panels with a thickness of 10 mm and more are suitable for the construction of awnings that are exposed to extreme climatic and mechanical influences of the external environment.

The structure of internal stiffeners has a significant impact on the strength characteristics of the panel. This circumstance should be taken into account when determining the optimal sheet thickness and design features of the canopy.The dependence of the thickness of the sheet of cellular polycarbonate, on the dimensions of the crate for the canopy, is shown in the graph below:

The snow load on the structure is calculated taking into account the requirements of SNiP 2.01.07-85 for a specific climatic region of the country. For cellular polycarbonate, the internal structure of the sheet for panels with a thickness of 16 mm and more is also important. Such sheets can be three- and five-layer with rectangular or triangular cells.

How to determine the thickness of the sheets of monolithic polycarbonate

Depending on the purpose of the canopy, sheets of monolithic polycarbonate with a thickness of 2 to 12 mm are used for its manufacture. This material is more durable than cellular polycarbonate. For car canopies and canopies, as a rule, polycarbonate with a thickness of 4 - 6 mm is used, because it is this thickness of the material that can guarantee the reliability of the structure at different times of the year.

Advantages of monolithic polycarbonate

Traditionally, it is believed that monolithic polycarbonate is more often used in construction due to the fact that it degrades more slowly and is more resistant to external influences. But these are far from its only advantages.

You need monolithic polycarbonate if the following qualities are the most important in the design requirements:

1. Strength. Unlike cellular polycarbonate, monolithic is much stronger and better copes with shock loads. That is why it is recommended to be used as walls for temporary structures or for canopies over entrances. The use of a sheet without cavities provides more reliable protection against objects falling from a height.
2. Resistance to constant loads. For example, if we are talking about a greenhouse, snow will regularly accumulate on it in snowy regions. The same can be said about buildings in places where strong winds often rage. In such conditions, monolithic polycarbonate will last much longer than a cellular one.
3. Transparency. Another indisputable advantage of sheets without internal bridges is high transparency. High-quality non-profiled plates may well “compete” with glass in transparency. The absence of stiffening ribs inside the sheet allows you to see through it very clearly, especially if tinting is not used.
4. Saving the parameter of light transmission in the presence of tinting. If you add a colored layer to cellular polycarbonate, it drastically loses the percentage of light transmission and cannot be used for a greenhouse. But a weak tinting for a monolithic sheet provides enough light for the plants. Thus, it can be used when covering greenhouses or greenhouses. It is recommended, however, to avoid dark shades.
5. Aesthetic appearance. The absence of stiffening ribs inside the sheet makes the monolithic polycarbonate almost completely transparent, which gives a special appearance. Both materials look modern, but it is the monolithic sheets that add elegance to the building and add elegance to the forms.