Cellular polycarbonate is a fairly inexpensive, practical and beautiful material, which determines its extraordinary popularity. They use transparent sheets of this variety for assembling greenhouses, building gazebos and verandas, installing canopies, etc. Of course, it is important to make the right calculations before buying 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. Cellular polycarbonate transmits the sun's rays no worse than glass. That is why it is often used in the construction of greenhouses. In terms of strength, this material surpasses glass by almost 200 times.
Among other things, cellular polycarbonate is elastic and can be bent in the direction along the partitions of the cells. Therefore, it is easy to assemble complexcurved designs. It can be arched greenhouses and canopies, round arbors, etc.
The disadvantages of this variety of polycarbonate include only the ability to expand and contract with temperature changes, as well as instability to ultraviolet radiation. In order for the sheets not to collapse in the sun, manufacturers have to cover them with a special transparent protective film.
Length, width and thickness of material
The sizes of polycarbonate sheets sold in hardware 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 exactly it is supposed to be used. The most popular at the moment are sheets with a thickness of 4, 6, 8 and 10 mm.
Using 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 shed or gable roof. At the same time, polycarbonate with a thickness of 6 mm is considered more preferable. The fact is that too thin material requires very frequent crates, which makes the construction more expensive. Sheets of 8 mm usually go to a gable or shed roof. Also, the walls of semi-professional greenhouses are made from this material, in which vegetables are grown, including in winter. The roof of such structures is usually made of polycarbonate 10 mm thick.
For even more serious buildings, including gazebos and porches, subject to heavy snow and wind loads, you can use material with a thickness of 16, 20, 25 and 32 mm. The cell size of cellular polycarbonate does not exceed 16 mm. Therefore, there may be several layers in thick sheets.
What should be the frame of a greenhouse or 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 cellular polycarbonate, it must be taken into account that the thinner the sheets, the smaller the step of the support crate should be. The dependence of these two parameters is presented in the table below.
| Cell polycarbonate thickness (mm) | Crate spacing (mm) |
| 4 | 500 x 500 |
| 6 | 750 x 750 |
| 8 | 950 x 950 |
| 10 | 1000 x 1000 |
| 16 | 1000 x 2000 |
Thus, when drafting a greenhouse or gazebo, and in particular when developing frame drawings, one should take into account not only the size of the honeycomb polycarbonate sheet, but also its thickness. Otherwise, a reliable construction will not work.
Weight of cellular polycarbonate
So, what are the usual sizes of polycarbonate sheets and their thickness, we found out. Howeverwhen buying this material, you should definitely pay attention to some other indicators. For example, be sure to find out what weight the material has. The fact is that some manufacturers, in an effort to save money, make stiffeners and lintels in 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 4mm thick sheet is 0.8kg/m2. Material 6mm weighs 1.3kg/m2, 8mm weighs 1.5kg/m2, 10mm weighs 1.7kg /m2, 16mm – 2.7kg/m2. Such sheets provide maximum reliability of the erected structure.
Light is usually marked on lightweight material. Cellular polycarbonate of this type is cheaper. But at the same time, of course, it is also less durable than the standard one, and therefore, it serves less. The standard dimensions of lightweight polycarbonate sheets are no different from the length and width of a regular full-weight material.
What could be the cell structure
Stiffening ribs are the most important structural element of polycarbonate sheets. They determine the bearing capacity of the material. At the same time, their reliability may depend not only on the thickness, but also on the shape of the cell they form.
To create arched structures, a material with an orthogonal honeycomb structure is usually used. Such sheets are strongly deformed under loads, but do not break and quickly return to their original shape.
Material with X-shaped and diagonal ribs is most often used to create rectangular greenhouses with a shed or gable roof. Such sheets are of low plasticity and practically do not deform. However, their maximum load ratings are usually somewhat lower.
The fewer walls and partitions inside the sheet, the higher its heat-preserving qualities and the worse strength. When buying material, this is also worth considering.
Whatever the shape of the cell, the dimensions of polycarbonate sheets (width 210 mm, length 6-12 m), of course, will remain standard. In terms of weight and thickness, the material may vary.
Why is the material width fixed
So, 210 cm is the standard size of a polycarbonate sheet. It is clear how the width of this material is measured - according to one of the outer sheets. But why it is exactly like this and no other - this issue already deserves more detailed coverage. And the point here is this: polycarbonate sheets, as already mentioned, are able to greatly expand at elevated air temperatures and shrink at low temperatures. With a very wide material, therefore, the difference in oscillation would be too noticeable. A narrow sheet is not particularly convenient for installation. 210 centimeters, thus, is the best option. A sheet of this size is convenient to install. Structures from it are obtained reliable and accurate.
How sheets are cut
Standard dimensions of a polycarbonate sheet when drawing up a gazebo frame orgreenhouses must be taken into account. However, sometimes for some reason it is not possible to use the entire material. For example, there may be too little space on the site for a greenhouse, etc. In this case, cut the outer sheets. The cutting operation is also obligatory when arranging arched structures or having some other complex shape.
In order not to spoil the material when cutting, you should follow certain rules. Recommendations for cutting sheets of cellular polycarbonate are as follows:
- The center line of the piece to be cut should be parallel to the sides of the sheet.
- Be sure to take into account allowances (about 5-10 cm).
- The procedure should be done as carefully as possible, trying not to damage the protective layer.
- Appearing sawdust from the channels should be removed.
- It is also necessary to take into account the fact that polycarbonate bends only in the direction of the channels.
The type of tool used when cutting cellular polycarbonate depends mainly on the thickness of the sheets. Thin material is usually cut with sharp scissors or a utility knife. Thick sheets are cut with a hacksaw.
As we found out, the standard size of a polycarbonate sheet, or rather, its fixed width is 210 cm. This gives the owners of gardens and orchards another important advantage. From sheets of this size, it is possible to cut ends wide enough for a capacious and comfortable arched greenhouse. The material itselfthis is spent as economically as possible.
Installation rules
The size of the polycarbonate sheet for the greenhouse allows you to cut the material with maximum convenience. However, the cut out elements, among other things, must also be installed correctly. Otherwise, a durable and neat construction will not work. When installing cellular polycarbonate, experts advise you to follow the following rules:
- Channels after fixing should be vertical. In this case, the condensate that accumulates in them will flow out.
- Channels of vertically arranged sheets are closed with a special polycarbonate profile. The fact is that the moisture that has appeared in them will contribute to the loss of color and transparency by the sheets. Sometimes moss even starts to grow inside the wrong material.
- When drafting a structure made of cellular polycarbonate, it is imperative to take into account wind and snow loads.
- When attaching sheets to the frame, use special self-tapping screws with thermal washers. Polycarbonate, as mentioned, is a good thermoplastic.
So, we answered the question about the size of a polycarbonate sheet in sufficient detail. On the greenhouse, and even on a small gazebo, it usually does not need too much. Moreover, cutting can be done as economically as possible. Therefore, despite the relatively high cost, with too much desire to collect in the yardthe owners of the site will not have to spend much money on such a construction.
