Polycarbonate or Multiwall Roofing

Polycarbonate or Multiwall Roofing?

If you've got a project that requires a clear or opaque roofing, and you're unsure about whether to use polycarbonate or multiwall roofing, then this article was written for you.

Should I use polycarbonate sheets or multiwall for my project?

This is a question Roofrite is often asked. Before deciding, it helps to know what the difference is between the two products.

What is the difference between Multiwall and Polycarbonate Sheeting?

The major difference between Multiwall and Polycarbonate Sheeting is in appearance.

Polycarbonate sheets are just that; flat sheets of polycarbonate shaped into a roofing profile. Multiwall polycarbonate, on the other hand, is a panel that is constructed from two plastic exterior sheets that are connected by a plastic support layer in between that creates parallel channels. The channels allow for airflow and create insulation for the product.

Polycarbonate and Multiwall Roofing | Roofrite Melbourne

What are the benefits of Polycarbonate Sheeting?

Polycarbonate sheeting is available in a Colour, Profile and Heat Range to suit every domestic application. It blocks 99.9% of harmful UV rays and it is installed (fixed and flashed) similarly to ordinary metal roofing. As with ordinary metal roofing products, polycarbonate products have a minimum recommended fall. For Corrugated and Greca profiles it is 5 degrees. A five rib profile has a minimum recommended fall of 3 degrees. It’s greatest allure though is its price point. Polycarbonate sheeting is considerably cheaper than any of the multiwall products (around 75-80% cheaper), and it has a lifetime warranty.

Why use Multiwall?

Multiwall’s construction and installation make it ideal for curved designs so it is often used for architectural roofing and cladding projects. Pricing is considerably more than for polycarbonate sheeting but the end result can be visually quite special.

The Multiwall installation process explained

The installation of multiwall differs enormously to that of polycarbonate sheeting because it is a polycarbonate panel system. Palram, a leading supplier of Multiwall panels explain the installation process well.

“The panels join together by polycarbonate or aluminium joiners, which are sealed at the ends by End-Caps. T-Fasteners fix the entire system to the structure, allowing the panels to be clamped in place without any point fastener penetration through the panels. Ventilated Sealing Tape seals the panel lower end to prevent dirt from entering the flutes while also providing sufficient drainage.”

More on Polycarbonate and Multiwall

Lucy Parker

The team at Roofrite were fantastic and so professional, making sure the job was done properly. Very trust worthy and will use them again.

Damon

After spending ages sifting through reviews online as well as listing the job on a website, I finally found a decent business to replace rusted box guttering as well as repair a separate roof leak next to the Air conditioning unit. When it rained hard enough, water would pour into the ceiling and exit through the downlights. After dealing with some of the "cowboys"out there, (some even had good reviews), my opinion has been that if they can come around at short notice and want cash with no paperwork, then avoid at all costs. I'm a few hundred dollars lighter for this life experience. Some didn't even bother to call back. Fortunately I found Roofrite. The whole process was well managed from start to finish. Someone did the quote with an estimated start date as well as ensuring the dimensions of the new gutter would comply with building code. Then someone else came to measure up the job. The tradies arrived on the date they said they would and did the job, to a very high standard and took away the old Guttering. Finally the office sent me photos taken of the job and a VBA certificate. I can definitely recommend these people who were very professional and friendly. I no longer need to race for the buckets when there is a downpour! Update I was waiting for a really bad storm to hit before doing a follow up review to my original August 2022 post above. Well we got that recently. I am happy to report that after the morning storm that hit Melbourne last week there were no leaks. Excellent quality workmanship is all I can say. Damon

Cathy Harris

We had a large job to replace existing boxed in gutters, fix leaks and replace asbestos lining. The team at Roofrite did a great job to sorry out all the issues, even the ones found after starting the job. They kept us informed of start dates, progress and any issues found. Communication from all of the team was exceptional. We feel like we have had a very high quality job done and feel assured if we have any issues, we can call them to come back anytime. Would definetly use again and recommend for trustworthiness and good value.

Rosemary Jones

Excellent workmanship, communication and lovely people. Highly recommend every part of the organisation.

Bec Wood

Roofrite were great to deal with every step of the way, from the quote through to install. The admin team were equally lovely and responsive, our whole experience was extremely positive and we'd definitely recommend them and use them again in the future.

David Brown

Roofrite re-did the roof at the front of our house and installed 9 skylights. They are an extremely well run organisation who communicate very well. The workers are neat, tidy, polite and extremely high quality. We had no problems with anything they did and they took great pride in their craft. Absolutely love our seemingly leak proof and bright new home!

Tatiana Mauri

Jamie and the team did a wonderful job installing our skylight. We have used Roofrite a number of times and have been very happy with the outcome. They're very professional and we highly recommend them. Karen and Tatiana

Erin Paterson

2. Just wanted to provide some feedback -; From the outset I felt great confidence with Kym, he certainly knows his stuff and made me feel assured that what we wanted could be achieved and actually delivered. It wasn’t as simple as putting on the cladding but we had various issues with leakage and the lack of water proofing by the correct placement of flashing's etc. Then the day finally came were the boys showed up to do the job. The “boys” consisted of Jamie, Jermain, James and ( Chris on occasion). I have to say as a business owner, all of them are very impressive, punctual, hardworking and good at what they do… In particular Jamie is excellent as the leader of the gang and his knowledge and eye for detail is impeccable, he is an absolute asset to your business. I was so impressed by him and his ability to communicate with me what some of the issues were and how he was going to fix them. So overall I am beyond happy with the work and the outcome and it was my pleasure dealing with the boys. Kind regards, Erin.

Polycarbonate or Multiwall Roofing – Which should I use?