WTB: translucent corrugated plastic for car-port roof

[Mungo Henning]

Hi Folks, Emmm, the (too) long Subject covers it all: does anyone know or have experience of buying corrugated plastic sheeting for a new car-port roof?

Some web sites state "thick" or "thin", but these relative terms ain't of much use to an ignoramus like me!

And what about fixing centres? My new car port will be three metres wide by six metres long.

Since the car port is close to a house window, I fancy using some sort of translucent/transparent sheet material to keep the light level up.

Advice requested please; thanks in advance

Mungo Henning

[geoff]

In message , Mungo Henning writes

If I were you, I'd go for twinwall or something like that. Corrugated sheets have a life of about 5 years and start to go brown and brittle.

[Mungo Henning]

Hi Geoff, Ta for the reply.

What's the life of twinwall in comparison then?

How easy is it to lap-joint these panels (the corrugated panels will nicely self-register due to the wave profile)?

Ta again

Mungo

[geoff]

In message , Mungo Henning writes

Well I've just replaced my old corrugated roof on the extension which lasted about 5 years. The twinwall I bought is guaranteed for 10 years

Slightly different principle here. You have an inverted "T" from aluminium which butts up to the two pieces you are joining. There is then a mushroom shaped top which slots into the "T" with barbs. You can buy the stuff in 6 metre lengths, so there is no need to overlap down the length. I bought mine from PolyPlastics in Enfield (which is where Screwfix buy it from (I think)), but there must be other distributors oop norf. I'll take some photos over the weekend for you.

[Michael McNeil]

Make sure the first four or five feet out have plenty of support then. Your crawl boards will need securing on any slope too. I think the box section acetate stuff is the same as the material used in crash helmets and is bullet proof to some extent.

A problem with poor fitting practice is creepy crawlies. So always get the end barriers and use them.

[Mungo Henning]

Ta again Geoff,

Since I want to drain the rainwater down to the end of the carport, I'd guess that a 6 metre length would be the way to go (presuming I can get the twinwall in 6 metre length)?

Any non-obvious web-site you know of that Google doesn't (I will look, I haven't yet :-) ?

Appreciated; thanks.

Mungo

[Mungo Henning]

Hi Simon, Ta for the reply.

Emmm... it won't be *that* close. The house has a leylandii hedge (clipped to about 3 metres high) which is about 5 metres from the house window. The carport will be about 2 metres away from the house, but I don't want an ugly covered structure so I thought a transparent roof would be the best.

Good point. With Geoff's reply I'm considering twinwall instead.

Mungo

[Tony Bryer]

Polycarbonate not acetate. Hopefully the bullet resistance is not of importance to the OP

You need to seal them with silicon: the problem my mum found (too late) is that if the cavities are not airtight you get condensation which then leads to unsightly mould growth

[Mungo Henning]

Hi Michael, Ta for the reply.

Not required here. The carport is free standing. My current plan is to use six posts to support the carport (the carport footprint is three metres wide by six metres long). Span from post to post is therefore three metres (hence the question about how often do I need to support the roof sheets).

To hide the (presumed) ugly corrugated roof I plan to use wood as a sort of "barge board" or "pelmet" all around the top of the carport.

Since I don't want to make the carport stick out like an ugly structure, anyone got advice on what colour to paint the wood? I was thinking about green, but sky blue might be better?

Thanks in advance

Mungo

[geoff]

In message , Mungo Henning writes

Yes, I bought two 6 metre lengths butted together

[Simon Avery]

Hello Mungo

Ah, gotya. Sorry, didn't read properly.

Better, definately. If those hedges are above the level, I suspect you may have an algae problem on whatever transparent stuff you use - but easily sorted once a year with a long brush and a hose.