Polycarbonate is a hard, colorless polymer plastic, which is used in the form of granules. Due to its heat-insulating properties and impact resistance, this material is widely used in construction. If you decide to use it, you should first find out whether it is necessary to remove the protective film from the polycarbonate.
This material has already become quite widespread and popular not only in the construction market, but also in other areas of human activity. But, before we begin to describe the advantages of the material, it is worth noting that, unfortunately, it is not without its disadvantages. And although there are many more of the former, the latter are also worth considering when choosing a material.
Advantages
- Durability and high fire resistance. This material practically does not burn, and its resistance to mechanical stress 20 times higher than glass;
- It should also be noted thermal insulation properties material, which are provided due to its structure;
- Polycarbonate is manufactured in sheets, which are available in a wide range color scheme and are protected with a film that must be removed before use. Buyers can purchase material from standard yellow, to exclusive colors such as metallic and bronze. If you do not find among the wide assortment color shades suitable, then in this case it will come to the rescue color film, which can be glued to glass. True, over time it may peel off or lose its color. It’s better to stick with polycarbonate, because its production uses special dyes that do not change their color over time;
- Polycarbonate can be compared with metal, since in terms of strength it is not much inferior to it. But, at the same time, compared to metal, this raw material is much lighter, does not corrode and easily takes the required shape.
Flaws
Not without its shortcomings. These include:
- Capriciousness of the material during processing and fear of scratches. And although the resulting damage is most often not very noticeable and does not create any particular interference during work, this is not a very pleasant quality;
- The material is afraid of ultraviolet rays, which can lead to its destruction. To prevent this, during the production of raw materials, a special protective film is extruded, which fits tightly to the sheet. The important thing here is to know how to identify the sides of polycarbonate before using it;
- Another property of the material is its ability to shrink and expand. This should be taken into account when using polycarbonate and when installing structures, provide for a “thermal gap”.
Service life
Service life depends on many factors. Most often, manufacturers provide a ten-year guarantee, which applies to primary material made from high-quality raw materials. But when correct operation this period can be significantly increased. This material is not cheap, but you can choose more cheap option, when polycarbonate is obtained by mixing primary raw materials and secondary ones obtained by processing deteriorated sheets, as shown in the photo. Cheap varieties do not guarantee you a long service life, so when choosing, you need to decide what comes first for you - price or quality, especially if you are going to build a greenhouse.
Sheet bending
During installation, bending of sheets of any type of polycarbonate should be avoided. The only thing that can be done in case of emergency is to bend strictly along the line of channels, that is, along the long side of the sheet.
Removing the protective film
All sheets are protected with a special film that protects the material from scratches during loading and unloading, transportation and installation. It is recommended to remove it immediately after installation to prevent it from sticking tightly to the material, which in the future will make the process of removing it quite problematic.
Parties
It is important to determine the faces of the polycarbonate in advance. This is not difficult to do, since it is on them that the protective film is located, as can be seen in the photo. There are several options for fastening the material:
- a transparent film is applied on both sides - the material is completely protected from exposure to ultraviolet rays;
- The film is applied only on one side, and markings are applied on the other. It’s easy to determine which side to lay polycarbonate - to sun rays such a sheet should be directed with the marked side, as can be seen in the photo;
- The markings are applied on both sides - the material is perfectly protected from ultraviolet radiation on both sides.
Let's sum it up
To appreciate all the advantages of polycarbonate, it must be purchased and used for construction work. By listening to our advice, you can be sure that the material will last a long time and will be worth every penny spent on it.
What errors occur during installation?
- Incorrect orientation in order to save material, especially when cutting polycarbonate panels for spherical and broken roofs. The panels should be oriented in the direction of the slope or bend.
- Improper sealing in order to save money or lack of it.
- For vertical glazing, if it is necessary to fasten the panels in the transverse direction, they should be cut. You cannot fasten the panels “through and through” as over time or immediately, leaks will appear at the fastening points.
- It is necessary to correctly select the thickness of the material corresponding to the purpose of the structure, following the recommendations of the manufacturer and specialists.
- Failure to comply with thermal expansion tolerances.
- Failure to comply with the conditions for fastening the edges of the panels.
How to cut cellular polycarbonate?
Sheets can be cut easily and accurately using standard equipment ( circular saw, hand saw or a hacksaw). The protective film must remain on the sheets when cutting. Sawdust should be blown out of the channels with compressed air.
Which side should the protective film be placed on?
When installing, the sheets must be placed with the side with the protective film containing the markings facing out. It is on this side that a protective layer against UV radiation is applied. Do not walk directly on the sheets.
What gap should be left when fastening a sheet with a screw connection?
When fastening panels with a screw connection or self-tapping screw, the diameter of the hole D1 should be 2 mm larger than the diameter of the screw or self-tapping screw D2. There is no need to tighten the screws; leave a gap for free movement.
How much clearance should be left for thermal expansion?
Due to the fact that polycarbonate expands in size when heated, it is necessary to leave gaps for thermal expansion. For a transparent sheet, the gap should be 2-3 mm, for a colored sheet - 3-4 mm.
After purchasing polycarbonate, many people ask themselves the question: is it necessary to remove the film from it after installation, because it makes the structure look more colorful and attractive? You can see very colorful film coverings in some areas of private houses, on which fruits, vegetables or other objects are depicted. When a person assembles a structure from of this material for the first time, he is cast into doubt by her handsome appearance– remove the film or leave it for decoration? On the one hand, the film is pleasing to the eye, and on the other hand, whether it will cause any harm. So the correct answer to this question is, of course, it is necessary, otherwise some problems may arise with the material later. By the way, if you need polycarbonate, follow this link http://unistframe.ru/catalog/monolitnyy-polikarbonat/.
The film on the sheets is exclusively for transport purposes; it protects their surface during transportation and storage in the warehouse. Once the film has already been purchased and installed in its place, it is no longer needed. Sometimes people who are not very knowledgeable in this matter mistake the transport protective layer for a film designed to protect the sheet from ultraviolet radiation. For reference, the UV-retaining layer is transparent, very difficult to see with the naked eye and very difficult to erase. Therefore, you should not worry that along with the protective film you will also remove the protection from UV rays.
Cellular or monolithic polycarbonate on the inside and outside
Cellular or monolithic polycarbonate has an outer surface and an inner one. On the outside, as a rule, the brand name, manufacturer, product warranty and data on available protection against UV rays are printed. This side is always colored, sometimes even decorated with drawings.
If you do not remove this colored film, the dark areas of the pattern applied to it will firmly stick to the polycarbonate, dismantling the film, covered in rags, darkened and losing all its appearance, becomes quite problematic. In this situation, the sun protection can also be removed along with the protective film; the film will stick tightly to it and damage it. In addition, in winter period it will slow down the snow, whereas on a clean surface it would easily slide off.
Do I need to remove the film from polycarbonate? inside sheet? Here the coating is most often completely transparent, but it also needs to be removed, since the film blocks light. If you leave it, then in a couple of years it will ruin the appearance of the product.
Polycarbonate is a hard, colorless polymer plastic that is used in the form of granules. Due to its heat-insulating properties and impact resistance, this material is widely used in construction. If you decide to use it, you should first find out whether it is necessary to remove the protective film from the polycarbonate.
This material has already become quite widespread and popular not only in the construction market, but also in other areas of human activity. But, before we begin to describe the advantages of the material, it is worth noting that, unfortunately, it is not without its disadvantages. And although there are many more of the former, the latter are also worth considering when choosing a material.
Advantages
- Durability and high fire resistance. This material practically does not burn, and its resistance to mechanical stress is 20 times higher than that of glass;
- It is impossible not to note the thermal insulation properties of the material, which are ensured due to its structure;
- Polycarbonate is manufactured in sheets that come in a wide range of colors and are protected with a film that must be removed before use. Buyers can purchase material from the standard yellow color to exclusive colors such as metallic and bronze. If you do not find a suitable one among the wide range of color shades, then in this case a colored film will come to the rescue, which can be glued to the glass. True, over time it may peel off or lose its color. It’s better to stick with polycarbonate, because its production uses special dyes that do not change their color over time;
- Polycarbonate can be compared with metal, since in terms of strength it is not much inferior to it. But, at the same time, compared to metal, this raw material is much lighter, does not corrode and easily takes the required shape.
Flaws
Not without its shortcomings. These include:
- Capriciousness of the material during processing and fear of scratches. And although the resulting damage is most often not very noticeable and does not create any particular interference during work, this is not a very pleasant quality;
- The material is afraid of ultraviolet rays, which can lead to its destruction. To prevent this, during the production of raw materials, a special protective film is extruded, which fits tightly to the sheet. The important thing here is to know how to identify the sides of polycarbonate before using it;
- Another property of the material is its ability to shrink and expand. This should be taken into account when using polycarbonate and when installing structures, provide for a “thermal gap”.
Service life
Service life depends on many factors. Most often, manufacturers provide a ten-year guarantee, which applies to primary material made from high-quality raw materials. But with proper use, this period can be significantly increased. Such material is not cheap, but you can choose a cheaper option when polycarbonate is obtained by mixing primary raw materials and secondary ones obtained by processing deteriorated sheets, as shown in the photo. Cheap varieties do not guarantee you a long service life, so when choosing, you need to decide what comes first for you - price or quality, especially if you are going to build a greenhouse.
Sheet bending
During installation, bending of sheets of any type of polycarbonate should be avoided. The only thing that can be allowed in case of emergency is to bend strictly along the line of channels, that is, along the long side of the sheet.
Removing the protective film
All sheets are protected with a special film that protects the material from scratches during loading and unloading, transportation and installation. It is recommended to remove it immediately after installation to prevent it from sticking tightly to the material, which in the future will make the process of removing it quite problematic.
It is important to determine the faces of the polycarbonate in advance. This is not difficult to do, since it is on them that the protective film is located, as can be seen in the photo. There are several options for fastening the material:
- a transparent film is applied on both sides - the material is completely protected from exposure to ultraviolet rays;
- The film is applied only on one side, and markings are applied on the other. It is easy to determine which side to lay the polycarbonate - such a sheet should be directed towards the sun's rays with the marked side, as can be seen in the photo;
- The markings are applied on both sides - the material is perfectly protected from ultraviolet radiation on both sides.
Let's sum it up
To appreciate all the advantages of polycarbonate, it must be purchased and used in construction work. By listening to our advice, you can be sure that the material will last a long time and will be worth every penny spent on it.
Do I need to remove the film from polycarbonate?
When purchasing polycarbonate, the buyer often asks the question: is it necessary to remove the film from the polycarbonate?
Sometimes we see on summer cottages or even on construction sites in the city, how there is such colorful polycarbonate, covered with film with drawings of such cute tomatoes. And a person who encounters this plastic for the first time begins to doubt - should he get rid of the film or leave it all, so beautiful with inscriptions, because with it the design seems to be more pleasing to the eye?
The correct answer is that you need to remove the film, otherwise there will be problems.
This is just a shipping film that protects the sheets during transport and storage, so it is worth removing it when you no longer plan to move the sheets. Some summer residents confuse the shipping film with a protective UV layer, which protects the sheet from ultraviolet radiation. The UV layer is invisible and does not come off, you won’t accidentally remove it, so don’t worry about it.
The film coating must be removed from both sides and done immediately before installation. It is important for you to remember or even mark with a marker on which side of the sheet the UV protection is located (this information is on the shipping film you remove) and lay this side outwards, towards the sun.
In fact, this is the most important thing - not to confuse the side with UV protection. In a hurry and in the bustle of the dacha, you just need to get a little distracted and mix up the sides, then you can forget about the long service life of polycarbonate and its warranty.
What happens if you don’t remove the film from polycarbonate? Nothing good will happen, we’ll talk about it below.
Film on the outside of polycarbonate
On the outside of the sheet on the film coating, the brand, manufacturer, warranty, as well as information about UV protection are indicated. That is, it is colored, or even with drawings.
If you do not remove the film from outside polycarbonate, then it will literally stick to the polycarbonate sheet with dark areas of the design and it will be difficult to remove it later, which has already become ugly and in tatters. And, moreover, by leaving the outer film on the sheet, you jeopardize the safety of the layer of protection from UV rays - it will stick to it and then come off only with it.
In winter, the film left behind will retain the snow, but without it it would slide off the polycarbonate sheet much more easily.
Film on the inside of the sheet
On the inside of the sheet, the film is usually completely transparent. It should also be removed to increase the light transmittance of the sheet. Well, if you don’t remove it, then in two years it can ruin the appearance of your nurse or shed.
In general, don’t put yourself in unnecessary trouble; feel free to remove the shipping film from the polycarbonate.
Do I need to remove the film from polycarbonate?
When purchasing polycarbonate, the buyer often asks the question: is it necessary to remove the film from the polycarbonate?
Installation instructions
When installing polycarbonate, we usually deal with with three types of designs:
- arched (in this case the sheet bends to a certain radius);
- vertical;
- horizontal.
Arched structures require particularly careful and careful installation. Each sheet thickness has its own minimum bending radius, which should not be exceeded in any case, otherwise, when the linear dimensions change under the influence of temperature, the sheet may crack at the fastening points, or burst at the bend.
Horizontal and vertical (as well as inclined) installation is carried out taking into account:
- significant thermal expansion polycarbonate sheet;
- the need to install sealing elements;
- the location and nature of protection from ultraviolet radiation (it can be film - one-sided or double-sided - and protection in the mass, created using special additives before extrusion).
Wherever it is necessary to drill a hole for fastener, the area without a protective film (if any) should remain minimal. In addition, it is necessary to ensure that when placing UV protection on one side, the film is located on the outer surface of the sheet.
Polycarbonate sheets are attached to the frame using ordinary self-tapping screws, which are complemented important element- thermal washer, internal diameter which is larger than the outer diameter of a screw or other fastening element. The washer allows you to compensate for the thermal expansion of the material: by contracting and expanding, it remains securely fixed.
Taking into account the gap between the edges of the sheet and the frame elements limiting it from the sides (if any) is also very important - the gap is left again so that the polycarbonate has room to expand when heated.
Is it possible to bend sheets of cellular polycarbonate?
Bending of cellular polycarbonate panels is allowed only along the channel line, i.e. along the long side of the leaf. The bending radius should be 175 times the thickness of the sheet being bent.
Why cover the ends of polycarbonate?
In order for your polycarbonate to remain clean and transparent, you need to cover the ends of the sheets. The ends are closed as follows: the upper open ends - with sealing tape and an end profile to prevent the ingress of water, dust and snow, the lower ends - with a special perforated tape, which does not interfere with air circulation and an end profile.
Do I need to remove the protective film?
You remove the protective film from the surface of the sheet after installation is completed.
It is necessary to protect sheets during loading and unloading, transportation and installation. If you leave it, then under the influence of the sun after some time it may stick to the leaf, and tearing it off in the future will be problematic.
Which side should the cellular polycarbonate be attached to the sun?
The front side of polycarbonate is determined by the factory protective film on a sheet.
There are several options:
- the film is transparent on both sides - the sheet is evenly protected from ultraviolet radiation throughout the mass;
- the film is transparent on one side, marked on the other side (sheets made in Russia) - with the marked side facing the sun;
- the film is transparent on one side, marked on the other side (brand LEXAN, Austria) – the sheet is protected on both sides;
- The film is marked on both sides - the sheet is protected on both sides.
Is it necessary to remove the protective film from cellular polycarbonate?
When a greenhouse is made from it.
Yes, you need to take it off. This protective film protects polycarbonate from mechanical damage during installation. But we must not forget that cellular polycarbonate has one side protected from ultraviolet radiation, and the sheets must be mounted with this side facing outwards, otherwise the polycarbonate will be destroyed over time by ultraviolet radiation. Typically, the side with UV protection is covered with a blue film, and the side without protection is covered with white film.
The installation protective film must be removed, otherwise it will be very, very difficult to remove it later, but this should only be done after delivery and installation, there is no need to remove it before.
Initially, this protective film was applied only to protect against scratches during loading and transportation.
The protective film on cellular polycarbonate is designed to protect it during transportation. After installation, this film will need to be removed.
Otherwise, it may simply “solder” to the surface in the sun and then it will become more difficult to remove.
There is no need to worry about the polycarbonate itself, of course, if you bought a good one of high quality. Because good cellular polycarbonate has a protective layer against UV radiation (front side), which protects the polycarbonate itself from fading, drying out, yellowing and cracking.
Is it necessary to remove the protective film from cellular polycarbonate?
Yes, you need to take it off. This protective film protects polycarbonate from mechanical damage during installation. But we must not forget that cellular polycarbonate has protection on one side
