Like other perfect alternatives to conventional glass, polycarbonate makes excellent construction materials. More and more builders are using it as the perfect option for translucent and transparent solutions for home improvement. This sturdy plastic can fit in almost all applications in which you would use glass. What’s even better is that it takes care of all disadvantages attributed to glass, as a material for construction.
Some of the typical advantages of polycarbonate over glass include:
Easiness of Installation & Light in Weight
Polycarbonate does not require an expert to install. The installation guidelines of polycarbonate sheets are self-explanatory. Anyone can manage to follow the steps by step installation guides and do perfect work all by themselves. In comparison to glass, Polycarbonate is light in weight therefore portable. It is not fragile, thus, does not require special care when working on or transporting it
Diversity of Uses
Polycarbonate construction products are not only for building to homes and commercial premises. You can use them in several other applications. These include greenhouses, for fencing, as room dividers, for walls and roofing, and as privacy screens. The ability of polycarbonate to bend is a quality that can add to the number of applications that you can meet using polycarbonates.
Variety of Colors
Most polycarbonate roofing systems come in four shades. Typically, these include clear, bronze, opal and orange peel. Bronze with opal helps in the control of the solar heat. Opal and orange peel bring in a diffused light rays to interior spaces. This quality makes them a favourite for greenhouses, facades and conservatory walls. You can order for most of these colourful polycarbonate sheets from the manufacturer. However, most manufacturers allow this only if you will be placing a large quantity of the coloured poly sheets.
Low Cost & 100% Recyclable
The cost of buying Polycarbonate is not anywhere close to the cost of glass. Although the two more or less perform similar roles, Polycarbonate is relatively cheap. Once the Polycarbonate wears out, it is fully recyclable and thus good to the environment.
Easy to Form & Cut
Since polycarbonate sheets can bend, there is a natural increase in the number of applications in which you can use them. However, the sheets’ bending radius will depend on the general thickness of these panels that you are using. Exceeding the recommended bend forces as stated by the sheets manufacturer can however cause breakage. For glass, there is utterly no provision for bending. Using a circular saw that has a plywood blade, it becomes quite easy to cut polycarbonate sheets. You should cut the sheets while the protective PE film is still in place. Doing this will prevent the fine chips from getting attracted by the static charge on the Polycarbonate roofing systems. This behaviour of polycarbonate construction products makes them highly susceptible to UV damage.
Just like all other materials, the polycarbonate products have some few demerits in comparison to glass. They have a limited lifespan of between 15 to 20 years while the glass can last much longer. Also, polycarbonate sheets can easily get scratched making them lose their charm and reduce their service life. Nonetheless, the pros far outweigh the cons here, thus, making polycarbonate a preferred material to glass.
