Manufacturers and dealers of construction materials are enjoying the increasing demand for polycarbonate roofing materials. It’s not surprising, since the sector is worth about $1,693.0 million in 2018 and projected to increase to around $2,111.7 million in two years. The global demand is increasing as well because the material has many applications in end-use industries including building and construction, transportation and automotive, and more.
Traditionally, older buildings have concrete or metal roofs. However, building designs continue to evolve and respond to trends and demands. So now you see buildings with innovative designs, with uniquely styled roofs in different shapes and configurations.
What makes polycarbonate different?
Polycarbonate is a thermoplastic made from synthetic resin that makes the materials strong, tough, and transparent. Moreover, polycarbonate is lightweight, durable, and moldable.
The increase in revenue of the sector was mainly due to the high demand in polycarbonate roofing because it is a better alternative to acrylic and glass. With the various properties of polycarbonate roofing materials, such as durability, ease of installation, outstanding insulation, different varieties, and aesthetic appeal, manufacturers and dealers are able to meet the exacting demands of the market.
Different grades, different applications
Technically, polycarbonate is a part of the polyester group of plastics. It is available in several grades, depending on the processing method, and application to a wide range of products. Through the extrusion method, polycarbonates can be manufactured in different forms with continuous length or uniform cross-section. This type of product is used for roofing applications in the form of solid sheets or panels, multiwall sheets, or corrugated polycarbonate sheets.
Characteristics of polycarbonate sheets
Polycarbonate products are enjoying a higher demand because of their excellent properties, such as:
- Maintaining rigidity up to 140 °C (284 °F)
- Toughness down to -20 °C (-4 °F)
- Thermal resistance of up to 135 °C (275 °F)
- Excellent dimensional stability and mechanical properties
- Flame retardant
- Impact resistance
- Comes in clear and a wide range of colors
- Recyclable
What are polycarbonate sheets?
Polycarbonate sheets are formed through injection molding, extrusion, blow molding, vacuum forming, or structural foam molding.
When it comes to roofing, polycarbonate sheeting may be in the form of multiwall, twinwall, corrugated sheets, and solid sheets. They can be customized to meet builders’ requirements.
For commercial building roofing, polycarbonate sheeting comes in the form of twinwall, multiwall, solid, and corrugated sheets. Twinwall and multiwall polycarbonate roofing sheets are the most sought-after form, which are often used for lean-to roofs and conservatories, swimming pool covers, walkways, signage, rooflights, displays, vertical glazing, insulation, and canopies.
For more demanding applications, solid polycarbonate sheets are thicker and nearly unbreakable as a roofing material. Ideally, they are used for riot shields, train windows, doors and windows, bus shelters, vertical glazing, and protective screens.
Solid polycarbonate sheets are thick for a solid and virtually unbreakable roofing system. This is ideal for protective screens, vertical glazing, bus shelters, windows and doors, train windows and riot shields. Solid
Another type, the corrugated polycarbonate sheets, can be folded or bent into the required design. The sheets can be layered over other sheets to make fitting the pieces together much easier. Corrugated polycarbonate sheets are excellent as a roofing material for greenhouses, swimming pools, glazing, roofing, and signage.
Now you know more about polycarbonate sheeting. If you are a contractor, architect, or distributor, select the right manufacturer of polycarbonate that will help you with your exacting requirements.
Image: https://pixabay.com/photos/architecture-roof-building-modern-1757921/
