corrugated plastic sun panels anyone use them?
- Thread starter rustycarr
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Hank McMauser
Well-known member
if you do it go the extra expense and get the polycarbonate leave the fiberglass alone it gets brittle after a few years
tatra
Well-known member
make sure the contours match each other..........
Tman
Well-known member
Hail just loves them!
Joe Reed
Well-known member
I used the polycarbonate ones in a shed at my last house. They were in place for probably 10 years with no problems at all - even survived a pretty bad hail storm.
kbkna
Well-known member
Put them on the side wall as I did. Leave the roof metal. You will get great lite and not have the headaches of replacing roofing panels every few years.
Justanoldguy
Well-known member
I have been installing polycarbonate sheets for many years and never had to go back and replace any.
You must be using cheap *** **** stuff.
kbkna
Well-known member
I have been installing polycarbonate sheets for many years and never had to go back and replace any.
You must be using cheap *** **** stuff.
Poster said plastic corrugated panels. If he is going to use them, then the roof is not the place.
Karnage
Well-known member
I'm Torn between keeping mine and getting rid of them. Admittedly we have a different climate here. While the free lighting is absolutely fantastic, my problem is that I find I get sunburnt and also that the slab of the shed get heated and as such my workshop becomes an oven, saw 50C (122F) most days over summer.
Durability, mine are about 2 years old and have been through 3 hail storms so far, but they aren't old and brittle yet.
Durability, mine are about 2 years old and have been through 3 hail storms so far, but they aren't old and brittle yet.
wasnt sure on the materials but this post is eduacating me, i would def go with the best material. thanks for all the info keep it coming.
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That is also a concern, here in south texas it can get in triple digits for months at time, what about the tinted panels?
Karnage
Well-known member
The ones I'm using having a 20% tint and that pic was taken about 4pm in the afternoon
Artists interpretation of my workshop during summer
Artists interpretation of my workshop during summer
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The ones I'm using having a 20% tint and that pic was taken about 4pm in the afternoon
Artists interpretation of my workshop during summer
wow crazy photo, dont really want heat, thats why i built a shop in the first place!, maybe ill just put a few pieces in my eve area, i do have 4 windows in the closed end , probably dont need the plastic panels anyway... ..
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barney rubble
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- Mar 2, 2010
- Messages
- 282
I've got a small 12X22 approx. garage that has 2 of the fiberglass panel that I put in the roof almost 20 years ago. I'm located in so. Indiana and they have turned a little a deteriated to look at them but never a problem with them. I put a line of silicone around them when I put them in and have never had a leak. If they would go bad or start to leak I would replace them with some more just like them I've had no problems as I said and I like the free light they added.
Justanoldguy
Well-known member
Poster one never mentioned the word "plastic" as far as I can see...
fwiw...title
Justanoldguy
Well-known member
ah yes.. I guess if you can see through it then people will call it plastic.
I bet that wasn't the intent though.
Polycarbonate is the way to go.
I bet that wasn't the intent though.
Polycarbonate is the way to go.
rburke65
Well-known member
Polycarbonates are technically a plastic. They are used in greenhouses because of their temperature and impact resistance. Very strong.
logical
Well-known member
"Polycarbonate" is plastic. "Fiberglass" is slang as far as I'm concerned...they are Fiberglass-Reinforced-Plastic(FRP). There is good and bad quality panels in either of these catagories and even plain old unreinforced resin panels...which you guessed it, are also PLASTIC. Could be polyesters, vinylesters, PVCs, etc...or blends. Some thermoset, some thermoplastic.
You need to dig a bit deeper. FRP in general is more stable (shrinks/grows less) in hot or cold temperatures. This may or may not be important.
UV resistence (to brevent them getting brittle after sun exposure) can be done with additives, certain resins or a coating applied to one side of the panel. For polycarbonate panels, it's usually done with a coating so you need to get them right side up when installing. Very sunny areas need to pay extra attention to how the panel resists UV.
Pink insulation is fiberglass...but not pure. Boats are not fiberglass, they would sink...they are fiberglass-reinforced whatever resin. Corvette body panels are fiberglass reinforced plastic (polyesters mostly along with a healthy dose of limestone filler), not "fiberglass bodies". Fiberglass isn't even the highest percentage ingredient. Same with fishing poles, skis, etc., etc.
And don't get me started on "carbon fiber".
Seriously????????? You've never felt the heat standing next to a window exposed to the sun. Never seen a dog or cat curl up near a window on a sunny winter day. The fact that the metal heats up more does not mean it is transmitting more heat. But yeah...regardless, venting would likely help if done correctly.
You need to dig a bit deeper. FRP in general is more stable (shrinks/grows less) in hot or cold temperatures. This may or may not be important.
UV resistence (to brevent them getting brittle after sun exposure) can be done with additives, certain resins or a coating applied to one side of the panel. For polycarbonate panels, it's usually done with a coating so you need to get them right side up when installing. Very sunny areas need to pay extra attention to how the panel resists UV.
Pink insulation is fiberglass...but not pure. Boats are not fiberglass, they would sink...they are fiberglass-reinforced whatever resin. Corvette body panels are fiberglass reinforced plastic (polyesters mostly along with a healthy dose of limestone filler), not "fiberglass bodies". Fiberglass isn't even the highest percentage ingredient. Same with fishing poles, skis, etc., etc.
And don't get me started on "carbon fiber".
Seriously????????? You've never felt the heat standing next to a window exposed to the sun. Never seen a dog or cat curl up near a window on a sunny winter day. The fact that the metal heats up more does not mean it is transmitting more heat. But yeah...regardless, venting would likely help if done correctly.
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I just ripped out all the transluscent fiberglass panels between the roofs of my "monitor" style building and replaced them with real windows. They started out nice, but after 5 years in even a shady site, the panels had a yellow tint to them that really made the light coming through look weird. I also noticed they were kind of brittle when removing them, which surprised me because other fiberglass material I have used wasn't like that. Maybe it was just a low quality product and better ones are out there.