A PLEXIGLAS® carport roof protects against hail, rain, and heat
Car drivers are plagued by the weather all year round. In winter, you often have to scrape off the ice of the windows before starting to drive. In summer, the interior heats up unbearably if the car is parked in the sun. And in the fall and spring the car is at risk of damage from storms and thunderstorms. A carport with PLEXIGLAS® roofing allays these concerns.
PLEXIGLAS® for reliable protection against damage
If you’re planning to construct a carport and have decided on a PLEXIGLAS® roof, you can choose between three different forms of sheeting: multi-skin, corrugated, or solid sheets.
All the sheet variants have high material thickness and so are extremely stable, hard-wearing, and impact-resistant. This roofing reliably withstands hail and even falling branches, protecting cars, bikes, or bicycles parked underneath from dents and scratches. Another plus: the lower weight of acrylic sheets as compared with glass—particularly for multi-skin and corrugated sheets—means that supporting structures do not need to be as sturdy.
Individual solutions
Because not all carports are the same, PLEXIGLAS® solid sheets, multi-skin sheets, and corrugated sheets are available in a number of variants. PLEXIGLAS® Resist, for example, is particularly impact-resistant and withstands hail better. If the carport faces south or south-west and is exposed to early afternoon and evening sun, it might be worth considering suitable thermal protection, as provided by PLEXIGLAS® Heatstop. After several hours of sunlight, very high temperatures may be generated in the interior of a car standing under the carport roofing. PLEXIGLAS® Heatstop (for which technical information is available in the download area) reflects the thermal radiation of the sun; as a result, heat development under the carport roof is reduced by up to 75 percent as compared with conventional double glazing. This special finish is available for multi-skin and corrugated sheets.
PLEXIGLAS® sheets retain their attractive visual appearance long-term
Heat generation apart, direct sunlight may also give rise to another problem: It causes many other plastic roofs to yellow rapidly, giving them an unsightly appearance. In contrast, carport roofs of PLEXIGLAS® solid, multi-skin, and corrugated sheets retain their appearance thanks to the natural UV protection in the material, also known as NATURALLY UV-STABLE technology. The branded acrylic remains brilliant even after decades and does not yellow—and, as for almost all clear PLEXIGLAS® sheets, this claim is backed by a 30-year warranty.
Many PLEXIGLAS® multi-skin sheets are also available with Anti-Adhesion-Application (AAA). This coating, in combination with sunlight, breaks down algae, mosses, and dirt particles. In addition, the NO DROP technology in PLEXIGLAS® multi-skin sheets ensures that raindrops run off into a thin water film, simply washing off dirt.
A matter of appearance
The decision in favor of a particular form of sheet does not depend solely on the desired properties. Visual appearance also plays a role here because, quite apart from the look of the sheet, differences in assembly lead to differences in the overall appearance of the roof. Multi-skin sheeting with web spacing of 64 millimeters offers transparency comparable to that of glass. For open roofs, however, basically all three types of sheeting are suitable and in each case are available as transparent or translucent variants as well as in various colors and surface textures.
