Polycarbonate awnings for summer cottages

A dacha is a place where a city dweller comes to rest and breathe fresh air. After working in the garden, you don't always want to go into the house, but it would be great to sit somewhere in an open space, but it would be great under protection from the scorching sun. In this case, a polycarbonate canopy will come to the rescue.

Polycarbonate has both an army of fans and opponents. This is because, like any other material, it has both advantages and disadvantages in use.

Polycarbonate has many significant advantages.

• The polycarbonate canopy is the easiest to install.
• He is not afraid of drops of warmth - cold, he does not fade under the sun's rays and does not bend under rain and snow. It retains its original properties and attractive appearance for a long time.
• Polycarbonate has the property of thermal insulation, but not all types.
• It has the ability to bend, so a canopy made of this material can be given any shape. If you need a country shed of an unusual shape, then it is polycarbonate that will help in its creation.
• Flame retardant material.
• There is no need for additional surface treatment with special compounds against the appearance of mold and mildew.
• Polycarbonate structures are relatively lightweight, especially hollow sheets, which are most often used to create awnings.

There are also disadvantages.

• The use of this material is possible only for the construction of a stationary shed. Each parsing and new collection in a different place - the risk of damaging the plates, and they are quite fragile.
• The most "popular" types of polycarbonate for the construction of sheds often have a rather high price. And if a structure with a large area is planned, for example, for a pool or for a summer kitchen, then the material consumption will be large, as will the construction costs.
• It is undesirable to build a polycarbonate canopy where it is planned to place a brazier or tandoor, since the material expands greatly under the influence of heat. For such places, it is better to choose a metal frame (from pipes or profiles), and make the canopy from tiles, slate or corrugated board. In addition, it is imperative to make a smoke exhaust pipe. If there is no pipe, there is a high risk of poisoning from carbon monoxide or combustion products.

The canopy can be adjacent to one of the walls of the house or a free-standing structure. In addition, it can be stationary, that is, fixed in a certain place, and mobile - it can be disassembled and reassembled at another site. We are not talking about the latter in relation to polycarbonate, since, due to its fragility, it is unsuitable for frequent collection and analysis.

If we talk about the purposes for which sheds are created, then they can be divided into those intended for the pool, for the barbecue, the gazebo, or simply for equipping the recreation area. For gazebos, curved shapes are most often used - a tent, a dome, a semicircle. Bent polycarbonate sheets scatter sunlight, making it good to rest in such structures in the heat of the afternoon, early in the morning and in the evening.

To create a pool canopy, you will need a sliding structure (like a greenhouse). It completely covers the pool from edge to edge.

In order to equip a terrace, it is enough to create a wall canopy with a slope. A slight slope is needed so that precipitation in the form of rain and snow goes into the soil, and does not accumulate on the roof, creating an additional load on it.

If you plan to place a barbecue under a canopy, then the roof must be made in the form of an arch. This configuration provides good protection from precipitation and provides enough space to avoid smoke and strong food odors. The arch is also suitable for arranging a summer kitchen. The washbasin can be placed on one of the supports or, if the shed is near the house, on the wall.

To build an attractive canopy, you need to use a polycarbonate canvas. It is best to purchase cellular polycarbonate, since it weighs little, is fire resistant, and blocks ultraviolet rays well.

A hollow sheet is preferable, since it bends well, has the property of retaining heat. Monolithic sheets are more durable, but less budgetary. In addition, they have poor thermal insulation. The color the plastic has is also important. Colored is prettier, but transparent has better bandwidth. However, if a certain color scheme is observed in the design of the site, you should not violate it. The children's pool canopy may well be blue, yellow, or green. In gazebos, it is better to maintain a balance of transparent polycarbonate and metal profiles in order to create moderately diffused lighting, but at the same time not shade the place too much.

If it is planned to use not only polycarbonate sheets in the structure, but also a metal profile, it should be taken into account that the more metal in the project, the less light the finished product will transmit. That's why it is better to limit yourself to the frame, leaving as much space as possible for transparent sheets that protect from ultraviolet radiation, but let the sun through.

If the shape of the canopy is planned to be straight, without bends and unusual elements, then it is not necessary to use metal; you can replace it with profiled or glued timber made of wood.

The heavier the structure, the more solid its base must be. An arch or a canopy for a pool requires not just a metal profile, but a shaped pipe. In some cases, steel strips may be needed.

You can order the manufacture of a polycarbonate canopy in a specialized organization, or you can do it yourself. All that is required for this is a special tool and some experience with the material. The production of a canopy begins with the design, then the site on which it will be mounted is cleared, then the installation itself follows. After the canopy is mounted, you can proceed to its external and internal decoration. Everyone suits her, guided by their own taste.

If there is no experience in drawing up projects, you can turn to professionals for help, and build a canopy on your own based on the developed project.

Hinged systems are divided into several types (they are quite simple, therefore, with some practice, a person can make them himself).

• Straight polycarbonate awnings. This is the simplest structure - it is easy to design and manufacture. The angle between the supports and the roof in such a canopy is 90 degrees.

• Gable hinged structure. As the name suggests, such a structure has two slopes. To make it, it will take a little more time and effort.

• Semicircular (arched) canopy. In most cases, these are fairly large-scale structures - they are designed to protect the summer kitchen, barbecue area, pool. However, despite the large volume, it is quite possible to make them yourself.

• Undulating or domed canopy. Most often, such designs are used to equip gazebos, they look very attractive. However, they require a carefully thought-out project with competent calculations. In this case, you can make it yourself.

• Multi-level hinged structure. It can be open or closed. Such a structure can combine several roofing options. Only experienced craftsmen who have dealt with such hinged structures can make it on their own.

It is most convenient to mount the canopy on finished walls and foundations. Then no special preparation is required. If there is no foundation, building it will be the most time-consuming part of the job.

The site must be pre-prepared, marked. First, you need to dig holes in number by the number of supports. The depth of each is 0.5 m. The size is about 30x30 cm. First, a cushion of crushed stone is poured, then the support is installed strictly vertically, then the pit is filled with cement mortar. After that, you need to wait 14 days until the solution completely solidifies.

Polycarbonate sheets are best mounted on self-tapping screws with rubber washers. Rubber will prevent material cracking. The good thing about polycarbonate is that you can make a canopy of any size from it. But the frame must be strong and reliable; wood or metal is used for its manufacture.

Wooden parts of the canopy must be treated with special compounds against rotting and fungus, metal parts - against corrosion. The frame will have five support posts, their size is 9x9 cm.If you need a small canopy slope, then there should be a difference in height between the front and rear supports - about 40 cm.

The connection of the uprights is done using metal corners. After installing the rafters, you can tackle the roof sheathing. Self-tapping polycarbonate sheets must be fixed to the crate. How the exterior and interior decoration will look like - everyone decides for himself.

Polycarbonate sheets are laid up with the side that reflects ultraviolet radiation. It is easy to find - it has a labeled protective sticker on it. Each end of the web is closed with a special tape and end profile. If the structure is not autonomous, but wall-mounted, then from the side of the wall of the house the connection is made with special adjoining profiles.

Composite sheets are attached to the frame not only with roofing screws, but also with special thermo washers. They protect the structure from cracking and are not exposed to high or low temperatures.

How to decide on the choice of polycarbonate, see the next video.