The polycarbonate is one of the typical types of thermoplastic material which is lexan film also used for both residential and commercial roofing. This is due to the ability to withstand very high impact and also can resist the ever fluctuating temperature. It can also be thermoformed easily and is at the same time light weight. The aforementioned properties are very important when choosing a roofing material. For instance, since the polycarbonates are light weight, there is no need to use very strong material in reinforcing the roofing structure and walls. This will significantly reduce the construction costs.
The great thing about polycarbonate sheet is that the material can be easily modified and one can get it at a cheap price in order to get a number of roofing designs. Some of the most popular type of polycarbonate roofing sheets includes the clear polycarbonate roofing sheets and foam back roofing sheets.
Clear Roofing Sheets
Generally, the polycarbonate roofing materials are available in various numbers of shades. Some of the shades include smoky grey and white. In most of these cases, the clear polycarbonate roofing sheets are commonly used in sun rooms, greenhouses, skylights and solariums. Basically they are being used in places where a natural light from the sun is needed. Clearly, there are other common applications where the acrylic or glass is used. The PC sheets are considered to be more appropriate because of their very outstanding features. Although PC sheets are deemed to be vulnerable to the ultraviolet rays coming from the sun, the modern type of roofing sheets have a protective film layer which acts as a protection from the UV rays. Companies that manufacture the clear polycarbonate roofing sheets are being constantly improved on their products in order to make them cost efficient and more effective.
Lately, there are a number of polycarbonate sheets which are available today in the market which have aerogel insulation. This particular gel acts as a thermal insulator thereby complementing the inherent thermal insulation property of the polycarbonate resin. The gel also helps in eliminating the scorching heat coming from the sun. The modern roofing material helps in keeping the temperature of the room at a constant degree, there is neither heat gain nor any loss thereby you can save on energy costs.
Foam Back Polycarbonate Sheets
Aside from clear polycarbonate roofing sheets, this is another roofing material though it is typically considered to be more traditional. They usually come in various designs and shapes. Some of the common types of colors will include gray, red and green. They actually resemble the corrugated metal roofing material. The basic merit of this particular roofing material is that it can easily dampen noise and provides extra insulation. These materials are also deemed as cost effective and are lightweight. They are typically used in warehouses and in industries where they can be used in residential homes for either flat roofs or slightly sloped.