What material should I make my conservatory roof from?

We get often get asked what is the best material to make a conservatory roof from. There are 2 options glass or polycarbonate. Glass is often selected for its aesthetic qualities. There are tinted and solar versions now available which make it more versatile. There are however limitations with glass which makes polycarbonate the more popular choice.

Polycarbonate is lightweight,strong ,versatile and comes in a range of colours and thicknesses.

Weight: 25mm polycarbonate weighs 3.4 kg/m2 compared to single glazed glass at 62.5kg/m2. This will make a weight difference of about 827Kg on an average sized roof. This means the structure has to be stronger which has a big impact on the cost.

Strength:Polycarbonate is virtually impossible to break and even the thinner 10mm and 16mm sheets have an impact strength which exceeds 27NM.

Versatility:It is easy to work with and handle. It can be treated in most cases like wood. It can be sawn,planed,drilled or screwed. You can use a power saw or a fine tooth hand saw to obtain precise sizes. If you plan to cut large sheets you are better coming to a company like ourselves who have specialist flatbed saws and can offer this as part of our standard service.

Variety: It comes in various thicknesses 4-35mm and 5 colourways clear ,bronze,opal,heatguard and bronze/opal. So there should be a variant that suits your needs. The colours have a practical value too in that help diffuse light. e.g. Clear 16mm sheets will transmit 82 % of light whereas bronze will only transmit 31% of light and heat guard only 16%. This is important if you are building a roof in a south facing location.

If you are trying to make a decision on colours and thicknesses or if you are perhaps considering PVC corrugated roofing sheets or any of our other roofing products and would like to see samples of polycarbonate please either phone or email our sales office and they would be happy to help.

Phone: 01769 574426
Email: info@omegabuild.com

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