Whether you are building a conservatory, creating a lean to roof or roofing your garden pergola, polycarbonate sheeting will likely be one of the top roofing options you will consider. As a lightweight and stronger alternative to glass, polycarbonate is a cost-effective glazing solution that is easy to install whilst creating a stunning finish.
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Buying polycarbonate sheeting online or in-store can be overwhelming so in this buying guide we are going to cover everything you need to know when purchasing polycarbonate roof sheets for your project. We are going to cover common questions about choosing polycarbonate for your project, comparing alternatives, installing polycarbonate and more!
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Polycarbonate Sheeting Overview
Polycarbonate Sheeting is popular compared to other lower grades of plastic sheets, such as Pet G and Acrylic, due to its durability and installer-friendly properties. Polycarbonate is a thermoplastic sheet that was first discovered in the mid-s but only really came into more mainstream use in the early s when more modern technologies allowed it to be manufactured with crystal clear clarity! Prior to this polycarbonate was made with a brown tint, or cognac coloured as they called it.
Fast forward to today and polycarbonate sheeting is one of the most popular plastic sheets manufactured and used in millions of applications globally every year.
Due to Polycarbonate&#;s unique mix of qualities, it is one of the most versatile materials you will find. It can be used in a wide range of applications both at home and commercially, from canopy glazing to carports to cloches! Since the spread of Covid, people will have been used to seeing it being used as cough screens and protection barriers in shops, offices and public areas more regularly, however, polycarbonates most common use is a roofing sheet. Popular places where polycarbonates sheet is used include:
Polycarbonate sheeting also is used on many other glazing projects such as stadium dugouts, screening, car wash bay screens and a host of more unique uses! This is why it is unbeatable as a glazing sheet option.
Broadly speaking there are two main types of polycarbonate sheets which are solid polycarbonate and multiwall polycarbonate. When considering multiwall polycarbonate, it is often split into Twinwall polycarbonate sheets and multiwall polycarbonate sheeting, however, in essence, these are the same, just different quantities of internal walls!
Both types of polycarbonate sheeting as equally as durable and easy to install meaning the choice between them is more about looks, budget and strength.
In a nutshell, solid polycarbonate is a plastic sheet that looks like glass but is a stronger and lighter alternative. At up to 200x stronger than standard glass of the same thickness, solid polycarbonate has the &#;glass look&#; but is virtually unbreakable and only weighs half as much as glass.
Solid Polycarbonate sheets come in a range of thicknesses from 2 to 12mm with the 6mm thickness tending to be the most popular and widely used. To suit different applications, solid polycarbonate is manufactured in a range of tints including clear, bronze, opal, black and patterned.
Multiwall polycarbonate sheets are manufactured from various layers which create a honeycomb type structure. Ever popular, multiwall sheeting is the most common type of polycarbonate sheeting due to its affordable cost and superior thermal insulation. Much like Solid Polycarbonate sheets, multiwall polycarbonate comes in a range of tints including clear, bronze and opal. The most popular thickness of multiwall polycarbonate is 16mm, however, we also manufacture multiwall bigger thicknesses of 25mm and 35mm.
Twinwall polycarbonate is identical to multiwall polycarbonate but just has two layers rather than multiple layers &#; as the name suggests! Twinwall polycarbonate is available in a range of three thicknesses including 4mm, 6mm and 10mm giving different strength options for different types of roofs.
Primarily used for smaller projects, the Twinwall polycarbonate comes in clear mainly but also opal and bronze in the 10mm thickness. It is worth noting that 4mm and 6mm polycarbonate sheets are not recommended for roofing projects but rather as cost-effective plastic sheeting for smaller garden applications like cloches and cold frames.
Polycarbonate Sheeting Pros & Cons
Both solid and multiwall polycarbonate roofing sheets provide a wide range of benefits for installers making them an excellent choice for a variety of roof projects.
Virtually unbreakable: A key benefit of polycarbonate sheets is their robustness and impact resistance which means they are virtually unbreakable! Be aware most plastics are not like this as, unlike acrylics and other plastic sheeting, polycarbonate can be hit with a base bat or football and survive! Homeowners can comfortably install polycarbonate, more so solid sheets, without worrying about the fragility to hail or a stray football coming from the garden!
Lightweight: Ease of installation is a key consideration when you are choosing a roofing sheet to use and a big part of that is weight. Heavy options like glass can cause handling challenges, especially when high up on a roof. Solid polycarbonate is around half the weight of glass of the same thickness and multiwall polycarbonate around is 1/10 the weight of glass of the same thickness! For example,
Easy to cut and drill: Another area polycarbonate shines in is how easy it is to cut and drill. Polycarbonate is undoubtedly the easiest plastic sheet to cut and drill. No need for installers to worry if a sheet is needing to be trimmed down as it can be down easily and neatly. Read on to find out how to cut polycarbonate and how to drill polycarbonate in later sections. Clear Amber Shop can also cut to size for you if you are still unsure.
Long-lasting clarity: UV Protected: Proper UV protection is important on clear roofing sheets to ensure long lasting clarity and light transmission. All our polycarbonate sheets, Twinwall, multiwall and solid, are UV protected on one or two sides to give a great roof lifespan! UV protected sheets are not to be confused with UV stable or UV resistant which are seen on some sheets (like PVC) and aren&#;t as effective. You may well have noticed cracked and mouldy bus stops and bike shelters in your area when non-UV protected plastic has been used and the difference is stark!
Insulating: Polycarbonate naturally retains heat very well and so has great thermal insulation qualities. Multiwall polycarbonate in particular provides great levels of thermal insulation, making it ideal for lean to home extension and conservatories. In general, the bigger thicker gauge multiwall sheets offer higher insulation levels.
Sustainable: Polycarbonate has a great lifespan and the plastic roof panels are fully recyclable once finished!
Fire-resistant: Polycarbonate is fire resistant and unlike acrylic is self-extinguishing.
A well-maintained polycarbonate roof can last between 10 and 20 years! Ensuring your roof will last its full expected lifespan is dependent on using the correct glazing bars and installation methods. It is well worth investing a little more time and money into purchasing the correct fixtures and fixings before starting your project.
Yes, multiwall and solid polycarbonate comes UV protected as standard. We often get asked: &#;Why is UV protection required on plastic sheets?&#;. UV protection is essential to protect roofing sheets from going brittle or yellowing over time.
All our Solid Polycarbonate Sheeting is UV Protected on both sides to give a high-quality finish. Our Multiwall Polycarbonate is UV protected on the outer side so it should always be installed with that that side out towards the sun.
There are honestly very few disadvantages to polycarbonate sheets which is why it is a popular roofing solution for DIYers and trade. The only disadvantage is that it can scratch if not handled carefully. This isn&#;t a deal breaker because solid polycarbonate sheets come with sheet protective film on both sides to help protect it whilst you are installing. Once installed you simply peel the protective film off.
No! Polycarbonate is a very robust plastic so is virtually unbreakable. The Solid type of polycarbonate is often used in high impact scenarios such as vandal-proof shelters, riot shields and prisons etc. There is no need to worry about your roof panels shattering when installing polycarbonate on your roof!
Yes, polycarbonate sheeting can be bent and installed on a curved roof. It is quite easy to install with curved glazing bars on a wide range of radii. Common curved installations include bike shelters, barrel roof lanterns and greenhouses. As a rule of thumb, the thinner gauge sheets bend more easily.
Choosing Polycarbonate Sheeting
Glass is still a popular glazing choice for many projects due to its high clarity and clean modern style. However, if you are looking to achieve the clean &#;glass look&#; on your glazing then there are actually glazing sheet options two options: solid polycarbonate or glass. Solid polycarbonate sheeting is increasingly becoming a more popular alternative to glass panels due to its similar style but wider range of benefits.
Polycarbonate
Glass
High clarity High clarity Virtually unbreakable - 200x stronger Fragile Light - 50% less or more Heavy Easy to Cut and Drill Difficult to cut and drive Low to medium cost High cost Wide range of sizes Limited sizes on standard delivery Vulnerable to scratches (if badly handled!) Scratch Resistance Degree of flexibility Rigid
Weighing up the pros and cons of glass versus solid polycarbonate roofing sheets, it is clear to conclude that for domestic projects solid polycarbonate is the better choice. Reduced installation challenges and ease of handling make polycarbonate a no-brainer for home and garden projects like pergola lean-tos, verandas and oak gazebos.
Even on commercial projects, solid glazing sheets have become a viable alternative to the inconveniences and costs of installing glass sheets.
Deciding between multiwall and solid polycarbonate sheets is easy as they have distinct pros and cons. Generally, solid polycarbonate glazing is considered a more premium option for a quality finish and multiwall is a more economical option for those on tighter budgets. Both are an installer&#;s dream, being easy to install, cut and handle.
Solid Polycarbonate
Twinwall and Multiwall Polycarbonate
££
£
High Clarity (glass look)
Medium Clarity
Limited thermal insulation
Great thermal insulation (especially thicker gauges)
5 tint options
3 tint options
Medium Weight
Lightweight
For exterior options, if you are looking for a first-class finish that will elevate your home then solid polycarbonate offers unbeatable value.
Twinwall and Multiwall polycarbonate sheets are the same types of sheet, however, as the name suggests have varying quantities of internal walls. The reason sheets are made with internal walls is to enhance their strength and insulation factor.
Twinwall Polycarbonate Sheeting is extruding with two external layers and internal connectors. On the other hand, multiwall polycarbonate sheets have two external layers and then multiple internal layers, ranging from 3 layers total upwards.
The thicker the sheet the more walls they tend to have. 4mm, 6mm and 10mm thickness are considered to be Twinwall and 16mm, 25mm and 35mm are Multiwall. Thicker gauge sheets have better thermal insulation (lower U Value) Also thicker multiwall sheets tend to have greater sound reduction compared to the thin 6mm and 10mm, although this is less of a factor.
We manufacture Twinwall and Multiwall polycarbonate sheeting in a range of thicknesses including 4mm, 6mm, 10mm, 16mm, 25mm, and 35mm. Solid Polycarbonate is available in a wider range of thicknesses including 2mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 8mm, 10mm and 12mm. There is plenty of choice no matter the application!
The best thickness of polycarbonate sheet for your roof entirely depends on the type of roof you are constructing. However, as a guide, our 6mm Axgard Solid Polycarbonate sheets and 16mm Multiwall Polycarbonate sheets tend to be the most popular thicknesses of each type.
In the next section, we give a few common application types for each thickness as an approximate guide.
When choosing a polycarbonate sheet thickness there are two main factors to bear in mind; strength and insulation. Quite simply, the thicker the sheet the greater the strength and higher the thermal insulation. It is worth noting that thermal insulation is more of a consideration when using multiwall type sheets. Here are some common uses for each thickness:
Solid Polycarbonate
2 mm &#; Wall protection, Secondary glazing
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3 and 4mm &#; Screens, Bike shelters, curved dugouts, shed windows
5 and 6mm &#; Oak Pergolas, canopies, lean tos, gazebo glazing
8,10 and 12mm &#; lean tos, verandas
Multiwall Polycarbonate
4mm &#; cloches and temporary glazing (not suitable for roofing applications)
6mm - cold frames and greenhouses (not suitable for roofing applications)
10mm &#; potting sheets, pergolas
16mm &#; lean to, gazeboes, canopies, carports
25mm &#; lean to extension, garden buildings
35mm &#; conservatory roofs, orangeries, extensions
At the end of the day when choosing the best sheet thickness for your project it is always dependent on your project&#;s factors, such as the location, wind loading, exposure, structure etc, so you are always best to make a judgement based on your project!
When choosing what colour polycarbonate is best for you roof the three points to considering are the light transmission, heat rejection and visual appearance.
Light transmission simply means how much light is let through by the sheets. Clear sheeting has the greatest light transmission (and clarity) which is why it tends to be most popular. Then Bronze has less and opal the least light transmission.
Bronze and opal sheets are opposites with bronze reducing sun glare and creating shader and opal sheets providing some heat rejection and a clean white glow. Check the overview tables below for a complete comparison.
To learn more about the solid Axgard Glazing Sheet tint options compared to glass please read our &#;Glass or Plastic Sheets &#; Which is Best?&#; Blog.
Where to buy polycarbonate sheeting
Installers often search for polycarbonate sheets near me however, with the fast paced improvement of ecommerce your best option for ordering polycarbonate sheeting is online. With the widest range of sizes and rapid delivery direct to your door Clear Amber Shop makes ordering your roofing sheets hassle free.
To order, simply choose from our range of Multiwall or Solid sheets, add the required glazing bars for your project and then place via our checkout. With a nationwide delivery network your order will be with you in a couple of days from placing the order!
Have an unanswered question about polycarbonate sheets?
Simply jump on our Live Chat or via where our Teams will provide you with all the advice and support you require for your project.
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I&#;m often asked about good lens options for M4/3 & Sony E-mount cameras. Most people are hoping to save quite a lot of money when building a vintage set, so this guide will concentrate on affordable lenses with a price tag no higher than $300 per lens (I&#;ll also share a full set option for under $500 at the end of this guide). It&#;s important to note that this guide is written with M4/3 & Sony E-mount users in mind (these lenses will not work well on Canon EF cameras without expensive mounts).
There are certainly quite a few vintage lens options to choose from including the various M42 lenses like Carl Zeiss Jena, Helios / Mir as well as Olympus, Minolta, Pentax lenses, but I don&#;t think that there are many better choices for mirror-less cameras than Canon FD Lenses. I personally use them on daily basis and find them to be the best value for money lenses for both Sony E and M4/3 mount cameras. Their character is not too clinical (unlike that of many modern lenses) and also not too crazy (I love Helios 44-2 but it can be too much for some stuff), so they are perfect for all kinds of projects from general corporate to shorts and music videos. One of the best things about Canon FD lenses though is that they can be used on any mirror-less cameras, from full frame ones like Sony A7S and all the way down to BMPCC which has a Super16 sensor. However, when it comes to building a whole set of vintage lenses for M4/3 cameras like Panasonic GH4 & even more so for BMPCC, wide angle lenses present the biggest challenge. There was no need for such wide lenses back in the days when Canon FD lenses were produced. Back then even a 28mm lens was wide enough for most situations, but fortunately there is a way to help our M4/3 cameras get wider without breaking the bank. Personally I&#;m using a really cheap &#;ROXSEN&#; focal reducer to help things out on my BMPCC and a Zhongyi Lens Turbo II focal feducer on my Sony E-mount cameras (from now I&#;ll refer to Focal Reducers as FRs). The LT2 is a very impressive FR for the price (see my comparison to Metabones Speedbooster here) and I&#;m pretty happy with my Roxsen M4/3 FR on BMPCC too. I&#;m sure it&#;s not perfect, but I also tried it on GH4 and was happy with real life footage I shot using it. We&#;ll talk about the FRs a bit more at the end of this guide, but now let&#;s get into the actual lenses. (just to make it clear, this is not the ultimate Canon FD lens guide listing all the FD lenses that exist, but a guide to FD lenses that fit into a $300 price bracket).
To find the current lenses listed on ebay, just click the highlighted links, which will take you straight to the relevant searches on ebay.
Affordable Canon FD Lenses for Sony-E & M4/3 | Buyers Guide
Let&#;s get into it, starting from the wide end:
20mm F2.8 (14.5mm F2 with FR) &#; Probably the most expensive lens in this set and also the widest Canon FD option for under $300. There is a 17mm F4 but it&#;s too expensive to make it into this set. Unfortunately 20mm not something that you&#;d call ultra wide on M4/3, but FR certainly helps. If you really need to get wider, then Tokina 17mm F3.5 (12mm F2.5 with FR) is a really good option, which can be bought for around $150-$200 on ebay. There is also a Vivitar 17mm F3.5 which is even cheaper and a Vivitar 19mm F3.8 (14.5mm F2.7 with FR) for those of you who might find the Canon FD 20mm a bit too expensive. It&#;s important to know that Canon FD lenses including 17mm, 20mm, 24mm, 28mm do not work with LT2 FR as the back element of the lens touches the front optical element of LT2 when focusing towards infinity. LT2 though works absolutely fine with Tokina 17mm F3.5 (haven&#;t tried the Vivitar alternatives), so if you need a very wide lens for Sony-E mount cameras and want to use it with LT2, then Tokina 17mm is the lens of choice. Roxsen M4/3 FR works fine with all the lenses though, so no limitation there.
24mm F2.8 (17mm F2 with FR) &#; 4mm makes a big difference in price when it comes to vintage wide angle lenses. 24mm with a focal reducer on a Super35 sensor camera will produce pretty wide shots, but on M4/3, especially on GH4 in 4K mode or BMPCC, I wouldn&#;t expect this lens to be used as the widest lens in the set. Never the less it&#;s a nice option if you decide to skip either the 20mm or 28mm.
28mm F2.8 (20mm F2 with FR) &#; Another 4mm up reduces the price even more. Unlike the 20mm, this is one of the cheapest lenses in the set. It will only cost around $50. There are also the F3.5 and F2.0 versions of this lens, but F3.5 is only $10-20 cheaper and F2.0 will usually cost almost $250 so I think F2.8 is the best value for money option here.
35mm F2.8 (25mm F2 with FR) &#; Another really affordable option, can be bought for as little as $50 on ebay. Same as with the 28mm, there are also the F3.5 and F2.0 versions of this lens, but again, F3.5 is only $10-20 cheaper and F2.0 is significantly more expensive. If you have the budget, F2.0 versions of 28mm and 35mm are of course better lenses, but if the budget is tight, F2.8 versions are definitely good enough and certainly fast enough with a focal reducer.
50mm F1.4 (36mm F1.0 with FR) &#; This is my current 50mm of choice. I love the images it produces and best of all it will cost no more than $100 on ebay. It&#;s a great low light, portrait/close up lens. This is not the only FD 50mm that fits into the $300 price bracket though. There is of course a dirt cheap $20-40 F1.8 (F1.2 with FR) version, which is definitely not bad for the price if you are on a very tight budget and you can even sometimes snap up the F1.2 (F0.9 with FR) version for under $300, but I think the F1.4 is best value for money option out of the 3.
85mm F1.8 (61mm F1.2 with FR) &#; Also a very, very sexy lens if you have the budget for it. It&#;s not the cheapest in the set but for around $150-200 it&#;s definitely worth it!
100mm F2.8 (72mm F2 with FR) &#; Very cinematic lens for little money. If the 85mm is a bit too expensive, then this is a nice alternative producing similar looking images. At F2.8 it&#;s a nice match to the wider F2.8 primes. There are also F2.0 version of this lens, but it can rarely be found for under $300, so a bit too expensive to be recommended in this guide.
135mm F2.8 (97mm F2 with FR) &#; Great telephoto option (especially on GH4/BMPCC). You won&#;t need to go higher for most shooting situations. I love the look 135mm lenses produce, similar to 85mm and 100mm for less money. If you are willing to spend a bit more, then there is also F2.5 version which is very nice and if you only have $20-30 to spare, then there is a mage cheap F3.5 version too!
200mm F2.8 (144mm F2.0 with FR) &#; If you need that extra push on the telephoto side, then this is the one! Still within the $300 bracket; still F2.8. Incredibly cinematic images can be produced with this lens. A solid and steady tripod as well as a lens support are pretty essential for this lens to avoid camera shake when focusing.
35-105mm F3.5 (25-75.5mm F2.5 with FR) &#; I wanted this guide to be about prime lenses so this is the only zoom I&#;ll recommend. Sometimes you just need that flexibility to work fast. It&#;s still pretty a fast lens for a zoom with such range and it has a handy MACRO function too. Best of all it&#;s very cheap, so definitely a &#;must have&#;, especially when you are starting to build a set and need to cover wide range of focal lengths.
I&#;ve mentioned a MACRO function on the 35-105mm, but it&#;s not really a competitor to a proper MACRO lens and if you happen to really need one as part of your set, you&#;ll be pleased to know that there are actually to Canon FD options for under $300 to choose from, the 50mm F3.5 and 100mm F4. Now I admit, they are not the fastest lenses in this guide, but being MACRO lenses, they usually need stepping down quite a lot anyway to get enough depth in focus, so slower apertures should not be a problem for MACRO users.
Now, let&#;s come back to Focal Reducers for a bit. Canon FD lenses themselves are great as they are, especially on FF frame cameras like Sony A7S, but to make them amazing on smaller sensors, a focal reducer is an absolutely essential addition. There are quite a few FD focal reducers our there. I don&#;t claim that the ones I use are the best out there but both do great job transforming FDs into faster & wider lenses, which makes a massive difference on cameras like GH4 and BMPCC, so I&#;d definitely recommend to get one. Improvement for the price is amazing!
I&#;ve listed a lot of lens options about, but if your budget doesn&#;t allow you to buy a full set, then to start with get the Tokina 17mm F3.5, Canon 35-105mm F3.5, FD 50mm F1.4 & 135mm F3.5 together will a focal reducer. Such set will cover almost any shooting situation. Together with a focal reducer you will effectively have a 12mm, 25-75.5mm and 97mm, all rated at F2.5, plus a 36mm F1.0 for low light situations. Looking at such specs, it does sound like this would be a very expensive set, but these 4 lenses together with a focal reducer will cost you just $500 which is pretty incredible for a full set of lenses that will cover just about any focal length you might need.
I have a pretty similar set to the one I recommended to you (see below) and I wouldn&#;t recommend something that I don&#;t like myself. I do hope you found this guide useful and it will help you save some money on your future lens choices! Eventually I will do a more in-depth guide to Canon FD lenses but I hope this a good start! &#;
I do my best to make this website a great resource for people interested in vintage lenses for video use, so I hope you&#;ve enjoyed this & other posts. I hope they will help you save some money on your future lens investments too. I&#;ve joined the ebay affiliate program to help me run this website, fund my tests & lens giveaways, so if you found this content useful and would like to help me produce more similar content, please use the ebay links in this post if you&#;re planning to buy one of these lenses or bookmark or use this link if you want to buy anything else on eBay.com or this link if you shop on eBay.co.uk. You will not be spending a penny more using these links, while still helping as eBay will pay out a small percentage from any purchase or successful bid, which in turn will support new content on www.vintagelensesforvideo.com. Thank you.
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