The standard dimensions of polycarbonate sheets for the greenhouse. The size of cellular polycarbonate sheet

Cellular polycarbonate - the material is fairly inexpensive, practical and beautiful, which determines its extraordinary popularity. Use transparent sheets of this variety for building greenhouses, building gazebos and verandas, installing visors, etc. Of course, it is important to make the right calculations before buying the material. And for this you need to know the dimensions of polycarbonate sheets.

Material Features

Cellular polycarbonate is called transparent sheets, inside of which there are small cells with long partitions. This structure gives the material truly unique properties. Solar beams cellular polycarbonate passes not worse than glass. That is why it is often used in the construction of greenhouses. On strength, this material exceeds glass by almost 200 times.

Among other things, honeycomb polycarbonate is flexible and can be bent in the direction along the partitions of the cells. Therefore, it is easy to assemble complex curved structures from it. It can be arched greenhouses and canopies, round gazebos, etc.

The disadvantages of polycarbonate of this variety include only the ability to expand and contract in the event of temperature changes, as well as the instability to ultraviolet radiation. To ensure that the sheets are not destroyed in the sun, manufacturers have to cover them with a special transparent protective film.

Length, width and thickness of material

The dimensions of polycarbonate sheets sold in building stores are standard. Their width is 210 cm. The length can be 6 or 12 meters. When buying, it is important to pay attention not only to these parameters, but also to the thickness of the material. The choice of polycarbonate for this parameter depends mainly on where it is intended to be used. The most popular at the moment are sheets 4, 6, 8 and 10 mm thick.

Use of polycarbonate of different thicknesses

The first two types of material (4 and 6 mm) are most often used in the assembly of arched greenhouses or walls of structures with a gable or gable roof. In this case polycarbonate 6 mm thick is considered more preferable. The fact is that too thin material requires a very frequent crate, which makes the construction more expensive. Sheets of 8 mm usually go to a gable roof or a saddle roof. Also from this material are the walls of semi-professional greenhouses, the cultivation of vegetables in which is also produced in winter. The roof of such structures is usually made of polycarbonate 10 mm thick.

For even more serious buildings, including gazebos and verandas, subjected to large snow and wind loads, you can use material thickness of 16, 20, 25 and 32 mm. The cell size of cellular polycarbonate does not exceed 16 mm. Therefore, in thick sheets of layers there can be several.

What should be the frame of a greenhouse or a gazebo

So, the dimensions of the polycarbonate sheet are fixed. Its length is 6 or 12 m, width - 2 m 10 cm. This material is mounted on a pre-assembled frame. When assembling any structure from honeycomb polycarbonate, it should be taken into account that the thinner the sheets, the smaller the step of the supporting crate. The dependence of these two parameters is presented in the table below.

Thus, when drafting a greenhouse or gazebo, and in particular when developing skeleton drawings, one should take into account not only the size of the cellular polycarbonate sheet, but also its thickness. Otherwise, the building will not work.

Weight of cellular polycarbonate

So, what usually are the sizes of polycarbonate sheets and their thickness, we have found out. However, when buying this material, you should pay attention to some other indicators. For example, it is necessary to find out what weight the material has. The fact is that some manufacturers, striving to save money, make the stiffeners and lintels in the honeycombs very thin. Of course, in this case the weight of the material is reduced. The same applies to strength characteristics.

For example, the weight of a standard 4 mm thick sheet is 0.8 kg / m ² . Material 6 mm weighs 1.3 kg / m ² , 8 mm - 1.5 kg / m ² , 10 mm - 1.7 kg / m ² , 16 mm - 2.7 kg / m ² . Such sheets provide maximum reliability of the erected structure.

Lightweight material is usually labeled with Light. Cellular polycarbonate of this type is cheaper. But even so, it is, of course, less durable than the standard one, and therefore it serves less. The standard dimensions of lightweight polycarbonate sheets do not differ in any way from the length and width of the usual full weight material.

What can be the cell structure

Stiffeners are the most important element in the design of polycarbonate sheets. They determine the bearing capacity of the material. At the same time, their reliability can depend not only on the thickness, but also on the shape of the cell they form.

To create arch structures, a material with an orthogonal honeycomb structure is usually used. Such sheets under load strongly deform, but do not break down and quickly take the original form.

The material with X-shaped and diagonal ribs is most often used to create rectangular greenhouses with a single-pitched or gable roof. Such sheets are low-plastic and practically not deformed. However, the limits of the maximum permissible load are usually somewhat lower.

The smaller the walls and partitions inside the sheet, the higher its heat-saving qualities and the less strength. When buying a material, it is also worth considering.

Whatever shape the cell has, the dimensions of polycarbonate sheets (width 210 mm, length 6-12 m) will, of course, remain standard. In weight and thickness, the material can be different.

Why the width of the material is fixed

So, 210 cm is the standard size of polycarbonate sheet. How to measure the width of this material, it is clear - one of the outer sheets. And that's why it is exactly this and no other - this issue deserves more detailed coverage. And the point here is this: polycarbonate sheets, as already mentioned, are capable of greatly expanding at elevated air temperature and shrink at a lowered temperature. For a very wide material, therefore, the difference in variation would be too noticeable. A narrow sheet is not particularly convenient to install. 210 centimeters, so - the option is optimal. A sheet of such dimensions is convenient to install. The structures from it are obtained reliable and accurate.

How to cut sheets

The standard dimensions of the polycarbonate sheet when compiling drawings of the frame of a gazebo or a greenhouse are taken into account necessarily. However, sometimes for any reason the whole material can not be used. For example, there may be too little space on the site for a greenhouse, etc. In this case, the edge sheets are cut. Mandatory nesting operation is also in the arrangement of arch structures or having some other complex form.

In order not to spoil the material during cutting, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules. Recommendations for cutting sheets of cellular polycarbonate are as follows:

• The center line of the workpiece to be cut should be parallel to the sides of the sheet.
• It is necessary to consider allowances (about 5-10 cm).
• The procedure should be carried out as carefully as possible, trying not to damage the protective layer.
• Emerging sawdust from the channels should be removed.
• It should also be taken into account that polycarbonate is bent only in the direction of the channels.

The variety of tools used for cutting polycarbonate honeycomb depends mainly on the thickness of the sheets. Thin material is usually cut with sharp scissors or a clerical knife. Thick sheets of quarry with a hacksaw.

As we found out, the standard size of polycarbonate sheet, or rather, its fixed width is 210 cm. This gives owners of gardens and vegetable gardens another important advantage. Of sheets of this size, it is possible to cut wide enough for the device of a roomy and comfortable arch greenhouse. The material itself is used as economically as possible.

Mounting rules

The size of the polycarbonate sheet for the greenhouse allows you to cut the material with maximum convenience. However, the cut elements, among other things, need to be properly installed. Otherwise, durable and neat construction will not work. When installing cellular polycarbonate, experts advise to observe the following rules:

• Channels after fixing should be located vertically. In this case, the condensate accumulating in them will flow out.
• Channels of vertically arranged sheets are covered with a special polycarbonate profile. The fact that the moisture that has appeared in them will contribute to the loss of color and transparency. Sometimes moss begins to grow inside the wrongly installed material.
• When drawing up a project of a structure from cellular polycarbonate, it is necessary to take into account wind and snow loads.
• When fixing sheets on the frame, you should use special screws with thermal washers. Polycarbonate, as already mentioned, is a good thermoplastic.

So, we have sufficiently developed answered the question about what the size of a polycarbonate sheet is. On a greenhouse, and on a small pergola, it usually does not need too much. Especially that cutting can be made as economically as possible. Therefore, despite the relatively high cost, with too much desire to collect in the courtyard of such a construction site owners especially will not have to spend.