If you are an industry expert, you have probably worked with a wide range of materials in numerous construction projects. Among the many available options, polycarbonate stands out due to its combination of strength, light weight, and flexibility. Its use as a roofing material has grown exponentially due to these benefits. However, like any building material, the key to maximizing polycarbonate&#;s advantages lies in correct installation. This article provides a detailed, step-by-step guide to installing polycarbonate roofing sheets.
Understanding Polycarbonate Roofing
The best way to know how to install polycarbonate roofing sheets is to understand the material you are working with. Polycarbonate is a robust thermoplastic material known for its high impact resistance, light transmission, and adaptability. Polycarbonate roofing sheets are available in various types, including corrugated sheets and multi-wall (twin-wall, triple-wall, or multi-wall) sheets. The installation process varies slightly depending on the type of sheet and the specific project requirements.
Essential Tools and Materials
Before you start, ensure you have the necessary tools and materials. These typically include:
&#; Polycarbonate roofing sheets
&#; Polycarbonate-compatible screws and washers
&#; Measuring tape
&#; Circular saw or tin snips
&#; Drill
&#; Silicone sealant
&#; Anti-dust tape
&#; Polycarbonate flashing and capping
&#; Safety goggles and gloves
Step-by-Step Installation Process
Always start by ensuring your safety. Wear safety goggles, gloves, and sturdy footwear throughout the installation process. If working at a height, ensure that you use secure ladders or scaffolding.
Begin by planning your layout and measuring the area to be covered. This helps determine the number of polycarbonate sheets, purlins, or rafters needed. Remember to allow for an overhang on the gutter of at least 50mm.
If necessary, cut the polycarbonate sheets to size using a fine-toothed circular saw for straight cuts. Remember to peel back the protective film on the cut areas to prevent it from melting and sticking to the sheets. Always cut the sheets on a flat surface to avoid damaging them.
Polycarbonate sheets expand and contract with temperature changes. To accommodate this, pre-drill oversized holes for the screws. The holes should be 10% larger than the diameter of the screw shank.
Before installing the sheets, seal the top end with solid polycarbonate tape and the bottom end with anti-dust tape. This prevents dust, dirt, and insects from entering and stops water from being drawn up through capillary action.
Start from the opposite end to the prevailing wind. Position the first sheet onto the purlins, ensuring the side with the UV protective layer faces upwards&#;some brands of roofing sheets are only UV-coated on one side. The sheet should overhang the roof at the lower end and the gutter end.
Secure the sheet using polycarbonate compatible screws and washers. Do not overtighten the screws as this can lead to water leakage and prevent the sheet from expanding and contracting. The washers should be compressed but still visible. Continue attaching the sheets, ensuring they overlap by at least one corrugation or as recommended by the manufacturer.
Apply a bead of silicone sealant to the side lap where each sheet overlaps. This helps prevent water leakage.
Install the ridge flashing or capping over the joints where two sheets meet on a roof peak. Ensure it&#;s sealed on both sides with silicone sealant to prevent water leakage. The flashing not only helps in waterproofing but also adds a neat finish to your roofing.
Inspect your work thoroughly. Make sure all screws are tightened appropriately (without being overtightened), all joints are sealed, and that the sheets are secure.
Tips for Successful Installation
Weather Considerations: It&#;s best to install polycarbonate roofing on a mild day as the sheets may contract in cool weather and expand in hot weather. This expansion and contraction can make the installation process more challenging and may affect the sheet&#;s positioning.
Handling the Material: Polycarbonate sheets can be scratched, so handle them with care. Keep the protective film on the sheets until the installation is complete to prevent any accidental damage.
Cutting Sheets: When cutting the sheets, ensure to use a fine-toothed saw blade and cut at a high speed without forcing the blade through the material. This method will help to achieve a clean cut without damaging the sheet.
Screw Placement: Place screws at the crest of the corrugations for roofing and on the valleys for walls. Screwing on the crest for roofing helps to prevent water leakage.
Maintenance Post-Installation
Proper installation is critical to ensuring the longevity and effectiveness of polycarbonate roofing, but so is maintenance. Regular cleaning with warm soapy water and a soft cloth will help to maintain the clarity and aesthetics of the roof. Inspect the roof periodically for any signs of damage or loose screws.
Avoid using abrasive cleaning tools or chemicals, as these can scratch or damage the polycarbonate material. If a sheet gets damaged, it&#;s crucial to replace it promptly to maintain the integrity of the roof.
Conclusion
Now you know the essentials of how to install polycarbonate roofing sheets! They are an excellent choice for numerous applications due to their durability, light transmission, and versatility. However, their benefits can only be fully realized with correct installation and maintenance. While the process may seem complex, understanding each step and taking a step-by-step approach can make the task manageable.
Whether you are a construction professional or a DIY enthusiast, we hope this comprehensive guide provides valuable insights into the installation of polycarbonate roofing sheets. Remember, safety should always be your priority, and when in doubt, don&#;t hesitate to seek professional advice. Happy building!
Macrolux Solid compact sheets are the perfect roofing solution when you need great impact resistance and excellent light transmission. Some applications include: glazing, parapets, canopies, skylights, curved roofing systems, signage in general, neon signs, road signs, and noise barriers. Macrolux Solid sheets come in thicknesses ranging from 3 mm to 15 mm, in a choice of translucent and opaque colors.
Stabilit has a material that fits your needs. Contact us y and find out more about how we can help!
We hit a big milestone in the backyard DIY greenhouse project a couple of weeks ago and got the roof on. Huzzah for major progress! Today I&#;m sharing our step-by-step guide for how we installed the greenhouse roof, specifically how to install corrugated plastic roofing sheets.
We have never worked with corrugated sheets of polycarbonate roof panels before, nor have we ever built a greenhouse before. It&#;s been an exciting challenge to figure out how to build this greenhouse to fit our needs.
While this may not be the exact step-by-step instructions on how to install corrugated plastic roofing or the installation guide you need for your specific project, we&#;re sharing all the details on how we did it for our specific structure. We&#;ll also share the parts that we messed up (or went rogue) so hopefully you won&#;t make the same mistakes we did. Here we go.
We&#;re picking up this greenhouse building tutorial from the framed greenhouse structure stage. This means the sides are framed and the rafters are installed. You can catch up on our greenhouse building progress first with the greenhouse plans and framing post.
Also, note that the minimum slope for a roof of this nature is 1-1/2&#; for every 12&#;. And now to install corrugated plastic roofing.
So let&#;s gather the necessary tools and get to work!
In theory, each roof area should be square. In this step, let&#;s measure and ensure the roof is square.
To do this, we measured an X across each side of the roof to see if each diagonal length of the X was the same. On each side of the roof measure from the upper left (gable peak) to the bottom right (eaves) and then from the upper right (gable peak) to the bottom left (eaves). Repeat for the other side of the roof.
If the measurements are different, your roof isn&#;t square. Now is a great time to try and square up your structure before installing the polycarbonate roofing sheets.
Why is it important to square up your roof? The roof panels have to be installed with a specific overlap. If the roof isn&#;t square, the corrugated roof sheets can get off track and not cover your roof effectively.
Roof purlins are kind of like strapping. They are the horizontal pieces of wood that span the top of the roof trusses. Purlins provide framing and a place to attach roofing material. They&#;re also important as they support the weight of the roofing materials, snow loads, and wind uplift loads.
For our greenhouse project in particular, the purlins support the polycarbonate roof sheets and provide a place for the roofing to be screwed into the structure.
Here&#;s a view of the purlins spanning the rafters and supporting the polycarbonate roofing sheets.
We chose to prep the purlins by cutting them down to size and taking them to our basement to prepaint. This isn&#;t a necessary step nor the best way to install them, but we chose this method because we were constructing the greenhouse during winter and couldn&#;t paint outside because of the cold temperatures.
The purlins are rough-cut lumber in 16&#; lengths, which is the length of our greenhouse roof. There are four of them on each side of the roof for a total of 8 purlins.
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How many you need depends on the size of the structure and the requirements of the polycarbonate sheets you use.
With the purlins pre-cut and pre-painted, each one was screwed to the rafters using 2-1/2&#; GRK multi-purpose construction screws. The spacing we used was 21&#; in between the purlins. To determine the number of purlins and the spacing, a load support chart usually comes with the polycarbonate sheeting to help you determine what your structure needs.
The purlins are overhanging the roof in the pic below but were later cut to the right length.
It&#;s also important where the top and bottom purlins are attached to the top of your rafters.
The top purlins should be about two inches down from the ridge so the edge of the roofing material will line up. This is great spacing for a winter installation since it leaves space for the plastic material to expand in the summer. If installing in summer, factor in temperature changes and remember the plastic roofing will later shrink so close the expansion gap a little more.
It will be interesting to watch the thermal expansion of the panels this summer, especially on the side with direct sunlight.
Also, our project&#;s top and bottom purlins are wider than the ones in the middle. The top is 1&#; x 4&#; and the bottom is 1&#; x 6&#; while the middle purlins are 1&#; x 3&#; rough cut lumber. This provides more space for nailing into, especially with the bottom purlin to attach the drip edge.
The bottom purlin should be placed right on the edge of the eaves.
When installing corrugated roofing sheets the purlins must be installed perfectly. If just one is off, like the top purlin next to the ridge is too far up, or if they&#;re not perfectly parallel to the eaves, the corrugated sheets won&#;t fit into the roof closure strips installed on the purlins.
If purlins are installed correctly, the rest of the project comes together much easier and the corrugated plastic panels will line up.
The next step is to add blocking on the gable rafters to make an even surface to attach the drip edge. The purlins make for an uneven end rafter so add the blocking in between the purlins.
You can see in the photo below where the blocking needs to go, between the purlins along the gable end rafters.
Cut down the same 1&#; x 3&#; rough-cut lumber to the right length to fit the gap between the purlins. Screw the blocking into the rafters using the same 2-1/2&#; GRK multi-purpose construction screws.
The next step is to install the drip edge, which helps protect the roof&#;s edges from water damage by guiding water away from the structure.
For our greenhouse project, the drip edge is installed along both eaves and the gable ends. It essentially goes on top of purlins along the eaves and across the purlins and blocking along the gables.
Here&#;s the drip edge installed on one of the gable ends.
To install, lay the drip edge along the edges fitting it tight against the structure underneath. Using 1-1/4&#; GRK cabinet screws and a cordless drill, screw the drip edge into the purlins/blocking with screws about an inch from the edge. Place screws about every foot.
Later when attaching the roofing, the screws will be placed a little higher up helping seal the drip edge down a little tighter.
Alternatively, to save money since GRK screws can get expensive, a stapler (like Colby is using in the pic below) could also be used. Just make sure you use staples long enough to securely attach the drip edge.
Keep attaching the drip edge until it&#;s installed completely along the eaves and gable ends.
The wood roof closure strips are necessary materials that attach to the purlins to support the corrugated sheets. It&#;s important to get the closure strips that match the specific corrugated roofing sheets you&#;re using.
So for our project, we used SunTuf corrugated roof sheets and closure strips specifically made to fit that brand of corrugated sheets. There&#;s a required size for each manufacturer.
To install the closure strips, we stapled them along the purlins using a staple gun with 1/4&#; crown staples. Alternatively, you can also screw them down using flathead wood screws.
Next up, installing universal seal tape, which is a gap filler. The stuff is neat in that it expands after it&#;s installed. It&#;s kind of like those mattresses that come in a box.
Universal seal tape is a gap filler and can help seal any voids between the polycarbonate panels and the rest of the roofing structure. Here it is installed on the gable edges.
Colby was on a mission to close up every gap in this greenhouse to keep bugs out. Me, I&#;m like it&#;s a greenhouse and its intended use is to function as garden space, so eh&#;so what if there are a few cracks? It&#;s so funny the different things we obsess over.
Installing universal seal tape is incredibly easy. Unroll it and attach the self-adhesive side along the edges of the drip edge that was just installed. Here it is installed on the eaves.
Now it&#;s time to get those corrugated polycarbonate sheets installed on the roof. It&#;s about to look like a real roof!
Before we started installing the plastic panels, we had to prep them.
Start by removing any protective films and stickers from the surface of the panels. While the protective film removal was simple, sticker removal was not. We successfully removed the stickers with some Goo Gone spray adhesive remover and a scrub brush.
Then we generally cleaned the panels ensuring they were crystal clear for all our plant babies in the soon-to-be greenhouse.
To determine the cut length of the panels, measure from the top of the top purlin to the bottom of the bottom purlin. Essentially, it&#;s the ridge to the eaves minus a couple of inches on either end.
The only necessary cuts we needed to make was trimming the length with straight cuts. When we designed the greenhouse, we accounted for the width of the sheets and the corrugation overlap.
To cut, place the first sheet across saw horses, cutting a single panel at a time. You can also clamp the entire sheet down if it&#;s wobbling. A high RPM circular saw fitted with a fine-tooth blade (we used a 140 tooth which worked well and was an excellent choice) is the best tool for cutting the plastic sheets. There&#;s something about having the right tools for the job that makes a project so much easier and better.
If you need to make special cuts you can use a pair of tin snips or a fine-toothed handsaw.
Cut slowly using a high RPM saw and don&#;t force the tool along for the cleanest straight cuts and best results.
Also, take the necessary safety precautions. Best practices for cutting plastic panels include wearing gloves and safety glasses.
The polycarbonate roof installation process is straightforward. Be sure to check the detailed instructions that came with your product just to be sure.
First, we placed a panel in the correct position, fitting it to the closure strips.
Let&#;s talk about the screws for a second. The type of screw you use for installing panels matters because you want the screw hole to be watertight. We used roofing screws with a steel-backed neoprene washer for a water-tight seal. These types of screws are ideal in polycarbonate roofing system installation. Of the necessary supplies, choosing the right screws might be the most important.
The next step is to pre-drill holes in the polycarbonate. Pre-drilled holes are important because you want to have a little extra space for thermal expansion but not so much that the neoprene washer won&#;t cover the hole. Overdrilling the hole by 1/16&#; is what was recommended in our instructions.
Screw the panels into the purlins using the screws with sealing dome washers every other ridge. Be careful not to overtighten as that can dimple the material and have a detrimental effect on the efficacy of the panels.
Wait to screw down the last corrugation until after the next panel has been overlapped.
Note&#;the instructions for our panels didn&#;t state whether to screw down the panels in the channels or the ridges. But when writing this post, I watched an installation video and they showed the screws on the ridges.
Colby chose to screw down the panels in the channels because he felt like it was a tighter fit. When screwing into the channels, the screws go through the closure strip and into the purlin. He felt this was more secure than screwing into the ridges where the screw wouldn&#;t reach the purlin.
I&#;ll update this post later with how the roof is holding up. But we are having a 40-50 mph day today and the roof is solid.
Lay the second panel into position, making sure it overlaps the first panel by at least one corrugation.
&#;Screw down the panel in the same fashion as the first one, making sure to screw down the overlapping panels for a tight fit.
Since we couldn&#;t walk on the polycarbonate roof, it was important to install the ridge cap as we went, every couple of sheets. After the first two panels were installed on each side, opposite each other, the first ridge cap piece was attached.
To install, the polycarbonate ridge cap was fitted to the first few sheets on either side of the roof. Then, it was screwed down using the same fasteners every other corrugation.
You want to make sure that the ridge cap overlaps the panels plenty to keep water from seeping through. In the winter panels shrink and in the summer they expand. Be sure to accommodate for temperature changes when installing.
Keep on installing the panels and ridge cap until you get to the end of the roof. The further you go, the more ease of installation. Make the final cut if you need to and install the last piece.
While technically no additional waterproofing measures are required, we did check it out during a rain storm in case of any leak. I&#;ll update this post if we do adjust for leaking or decide to take additional steps.
And there you have it, a completed greenhouse roof and our tutorial on how to install corrugated plastic roofing.
Just a quick note on codes. This post is a recap of how we installed the polycarbonate roofing sheets based on our research and manufacturer recommendations. Our town doesn&#;t have building codes for us to abide by. This isn&#;t common. Always follow your municipality building codes and check in with them about permits, inspections, and requirements.
Now with this roofing project behind us, our next DIY projects include installing all the glass windows on the greenhouse sides. Then it&#;s onto attaching all the siding below the windows.
Once those steps are complete, it&#;s on to finishing the gables. I&#;m still undecided on louver vents or no louver vents. I feel like every day I change my mind!
Then it&#;s Dutch door building, painting, and all the final touches to get this greenhouse functional with plant babies basking in the sun. I&#;m already amazed at how much natural light is in the structure even though the panels are UV resistant. We get the benefits of UV protection without a significant reduction in light.
It will probably be a few weeks before we can get back to greenhouse building. We&#;re in that weird springtime season here in Vermont where one day it&#;s snowing and the next day it&#;s fifty degrees and the yard is muck. But stay tuned!
If you want to learn more, please visit our website PC Corrugated Sheet.