Polycarbonate sheets are considered among the most versatile materials for construction today, and are a popular choice due to their ability to provide strength, clarity, impact-resistant properties, and withstand severe weather conditions. Polycarbonate can achieve an equal balance of strength and style, giving a great possibility for design, including agricultural structures to commercial spaces and adding value to residential areas that are not achievable with traditional materials, such as glass and acrylic.
Below are the five top areas in which polycarbonate sheets will outperform other building materials by creating long-term benefits for the building owner.
1. Greenhouses & Nurseries
Polycarbonate sheets are the typical product of choice for use in the greenhouse because of their high light transmission and excellent insulating characteristics. Polycarbonate is a much more economical option than glass, which can easily break and creates additional energy losses in the form of excess heat. Therefore, using polycarbonate in a greenhouse can lead to increased plant growth and extended growing seasons and can provide protection from extreme weather conditions. Polycarbonate panels also have a UV layer that helps plants get the proper amount of light without exposure to harmful UV radiation.
In the commercial nursery and agricultural site, polycarbonate panels can help reduce electricity costs and maintain proper relative humidity within the growing environment. Furthermore, the lightweight nature of polycarbonate makes it a cost-effective and quick-to-install building material.
2. Outdoor Patios, Gazebos, And Pergolas
Polycarbonate sheets provide an option to cover outdoor patios, gazebos, and pergolas that are both durable and waterproof. They keep you cool from the sun while allowing natural light through, which makes outdoor living spaces (whether at home or in a restaurant setting) much more enjoyable during the day. When compared to metal and other traditional dark opaque roof materials, polycarbonate sheets allow you to shield yourself from the sun's ultraviolet rays without preventing the natural light from entering the space.
Polycarbonate sheets are also water-resistant, can tolerate snow loads and heavy impact, making them suitable for use throughout Canada and throughout the various climate zones of Canada. Therefore, homeowners and the food service industry have opted for polycarbonates as an outdoor dining surface or as cover for covered walkways, awnings, and canopy extensions.
3. Industrial Skylights And Roof Panels
Polycarbonate sheets are used as roof panel material in most industrial and commercial buildings to allow natural sunlight to enter large areas of these buildings. The fact that polycarbonate roof panels have a very high resistance to accidental breakage makes them a much safer alternative to traditional glass skylight panels in buildings that employ large amounts of equipment and/or machinery.
When installed as skylight material, polycarbonate panels provide a way for industrial and commercial facilities to reduce their dependence on the use of artificial lights and, therefore, lower energy costs. Polycarbonate panels are very resilient to hail, have a high wind rating, and are able to expand and contract with temperature changes, making them an ideal choice for large factories and warehouses, as well as workshops and storage facilities.
4. Agriculture and Cannabis Controlled Environment Agriculture Facilities
With the increase in controlled environmental agriculture, polycarbonate sheets are an ideal selection for cannabis cultivation facilities. The thermal insulating and UV filtering features (the attributes of polycarbonate) assist in creating and sustaining ideal lighting and thermal environments in facilities for cultivating cannabis plants.
Polycarbonate is durable and easily sanitised, both traits that are conducive to supporting the required strict hygienic conditions for processing and cultivation areas associated with cannabis cultivation facilities. In addition, the product's resistance to mildew and other moisture-related issues is a great aid in maintaining a clean, sterile environment, helping to keep cannabis facilities compliant.
5. Commercial and Residential Interior Design
Aside from outdoor applications and agriculture, in recent years, polycarbonate sheets have been used for various types of modern interior design. These sheets provide a beautiful and functional solution for partitioning spaces, decorative panels, and office dividers in order to achieve the desired level of privacy and diffusion of light. Polycarbonate can be produced as textured, coloured, or frosted, allowing for a variety of combinations that can fit with the intended current aesthetic design of the interior space it is in, yet maintain the strength and durability of the original material.
In a commercial setting, polycarbonate partitions are light, easy to install and durable to impact, making them the preferred solution in high-traffic retail establishments, public buildings and offices.
Conclusion
With all of the many different applications that polycarbonate sheets can be utilised in, such as greenhouses, skylights, outdoor buildings and canning facilities, as well as interior design applications, their ability to provide durable material that provides multiple properties (i.e. impact resistance, UV protection, insulation), makes them a very reliable option for many different applications.
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