There are many options available if you are thinking about covering or replacing your pergola with polycarbonate.
Gone are the days when only one choice existed – the heavy fibreglass option that went milky over time.
Today the choices available are aimed at different budgets and offer a variety of finishes with varying degrees of UV protection and solar heat gain.
LASERLITE
Let’s start with the budget friendly option of a basic polycarbonate product like Laserlite 2000. This is a great general polycarbonate product that comes in five colours and three profiles: corrugated, greca and 5-rib. Even though it is at the basic end of the scale, it is still a high peforming laserlite. Laserlite 2000 offers Advanced Weatherguard technology which is a special protective material warranted to extend the life of the sheet by up to 50% compared to some other polycarbonate products. It also offers 99.9% protection from UV rays and resists 25% larger hailstones.
Improving on the Laserlite 2000 product is the Laserlite 3000. This comes in 3 colours and two profiles: corrugated and greca. The color range is at the cool end of the spectrum as the names imply: platinum, ice and gun metal. This polycarbonate range allows less light to filter through which in turn offers an improved comfort level as radiant heat is better deflected and glare is reduced for the ultimate comfort.
MULTIWALL
Moving up the scale to the mid price-point are the versatile twin wall and multi wall polycarbonate products. These products are best described as flat, hollow, structured polycarbonate plastic. They feature a cellular structure with at least two “walls” and connective ribbing. The cells create an insulating air space that then reduces thermal heat transfer which offers substantially better energy efficiency than the single layer polycarbonate products like Laserlite.
A super light product, the Palram Sunlite range of twinwall and multiwall comes in a variety of thicknesses starting from 4mm and ranging up to 40mm. The beauty of multiwall is it is not limited to roofing but can be utilised for a range of purposes including partitions and skylights. For roofing purposes, it can even be bent to form a curved roof. Installation on a roof requires an aluminium joining system that clamps the sheets in place.
SOLID POLYCARBONATE
Top of the range solid polycarbonate products are used for architectural applications. They mimic the look of glass but offer the safety and UV benefits that ordinary glass cannot.
Palram’s Sunglaze range comes at two price points with Solar Smart being at the higher end and offering improved solar heat gain with varying degrees of light transmission.
Call Roofrite on 9499 8059 to discuss your polycarbonate requirements.
