Polycarbonate (one of the types of plastic) is used in many areas of construction and the national economy. This material is an excellent solution for the manufacture of coatings for greenhouses, swimming pools, all kinds of sheds, summer gazebos and transparent roofs.
Polycarbonate is especially popular with landlords involved in the cultivation of vegetable crops. As a material for a greenhouse, polycarbonate is simply irreplaceable, since it has increased strength, perfectly protects plants from the harmful effects of direct sunlight, and is also relatively inexpensive.
Types of polycarbonate
Today there are two types of polycarbonate on the market - cellular and monolithic. Cellular polycarbonate is a polymeric hollow material that has a multilayer structure. The strength of this material is ensured by longitudinal bridges - the so-called stiffeners.
Monolithic polycarbonate has a solid structure and resembles glass in appearance, but it is much stronger and almost twice as light.
Durable, transparent and lightweight
The strength of polycarbonate is provided by its unique chemical composition, which is based on polyesters. Without going into scientific terms, we can say that such a material (unlike the same glass) can easily withstand a direct hit from a stone at close range. First of all, farmers are satisfied with the material, whose polycarbonate greenhouses can finally withstand the strongest gusts of wind and withstand a thick layer of snow.
In its transparency, polycarbonate is superior to glass, since the structure of this material allows up to 90% of sunlight to pass through. For ordinary glass, this indicator is much lower. Continuing the theme of greenhouses, we can say that this newest type of plastic protects plants from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation much more effectively.
Lightness is another parameter by which polycarbonate gives odds to many materials. For example, if you weigh two identical pieces of cellular polycarbonate and glass, it turns out that the latter is six times heavier. The monolithic appearance of this material is two times lighter than glass.
Ease of installation and processing
Polycarbonate sheets are fastened to each other using special profiles, which ensure the strength of the structure of any complexity. The material can also be attached to all kinds of frames with ordinary self-tapping screws.
Polymer plastic is extremely easy and convenient to process, and it is not at all necessary to use special tools for this, since you can cut a sheet of the required size using an ordinary drywall knife.
