Polycarbonate Corrugated Panels is one of the most versatile and commonly used building materials currently on the market. Horticulturists, in particular, have made excellent use of multiwall sheets for greenhouses thanks in large part to their numerous qualities.
Similar to glass in terms of appearance and capabilities, greenhouse polycarbonate sheets facilitate year-round healthy plant and vegetation growth in all sorts of climates. They also serve as an excellent replacement for glass across many different industrial and commercial applications. Glass is incredibly heavy, fragile, difficult to handle, completely rigid, and expensive to transport—especially long distances. All of these negative qualities make glass challenging, inconvenient, and expensive to manage.
The only redeeming qualities of glass are its appearance and durability, but even those are outshone by the incredible ease of use demonstrated by multiwall panels for greenhouses.
Here are seven reasons why you should choose multiwall sheets for greenhouses.
Excellent Light Transmission
Plants need varying amounts of light to thrive. Some plants need more consistent exposure to natural sunlight than others. For some plants, excessive sun exposure can burn their leaves and dry them out too quickly. Multiwall sheets for greenhouses provide the same amount of light transmission—up to 80%—and they can withstand a wide range of weather conditions and extreme temperatures without cracking under the pressure. Polycarbonate sheets also provide 100% UV protection, which prevents plant damages and protects anyone who spends a lot of time working in a greenhouse.
Lightweight
Polycarbonate multiwall sheets for greenhouses weigh about 250 times less than glass sheets. This makes them a lot easier and more affordable to transport, carry, and install. Where glass requires multiple people simply to move it from the delivery truck to the jobsite with exceptional care due to its fragility, polycarbonate sheets can be carried by one person. Glass is also a lot riskier to install. All it takes is a single misstep for someone to drop and damage it. Multiwall polycarbonate sheets are so lightweight, easy to carry, and durable that they can be transported and installed with minimal manpower and effort required.
Malleability
Polycarbonate is a thermoplastic material. When heated up to a certain temperature, thermoplastics become extremely malleable and can be reconfigured or molded into whatever shape, size, or dimension that your construction project requires. No other building material is quite as versatile and flexible in application as polycarbonate multiwall sheets. Polycarbonate is durable and malleable enough to endure being heated up and reshaped multiple times without deteriorating or damaging the material.
Scraps that are cut off from the reshaping process can also be heated up and combined to form a new amalgamation that can be recycled or reused for different projects to minimize material waste as much as possible. You definitely can’t do that with glass!
Durable
Polycarbonate multiwall sheets are designed to withstand all kinds of usage and weather conditions. This makes them the ideal choice for year-round outdoor structures such as greenhouses. Multiwall sheets consist of two external smooth layers of plastic with a honeycomb-shaped sheet sandwiched in between. The middle layer provides ample strength, flexibility, and reinforcement to protect the structure from the risk of damage caused by external environmental factors. These layers are impervious to snow, ice, water leaks, cold and hot temperatures, as well as projectile objects thrust upon them from heavy winds during storms.
All three layers are scratch, chemical, and corrosion-resistant for long-lasting structural integrity. They’re also completely fire-retardant up to a certain degree to protect your plants from fire damages.
Affordable
Compared to glass and other similar materials, the costs associated with polycarbonate multiwall sheets are significantly lower in every sense imaginable. Since polycarbonate sheets are made of thermoplastic resins that can be melted down and reconfigured to a variety of shapes and sizes, it’s incredibly versatile. Plus, its lightweight nature and incredible durability increase fuel efficiency and easy storage during the transportation process. Minimal manpower and materials are required to lift, carry, and install polycarbonate sheets during the construction phase. Installation can be completed in a matter of several hours, which cuts down work hours and saves a lot of time and money for construction crews.
Lastly, polycarbonate sheets are extremely low maintenance. Once in a while, they need to be carefully cleaned with a damp soft cloth and a lukewarm soap and water mixture. Other than that, there really isn’t much to it when it comes to keeping your multiwall sheets clean and presentable at all times.
Shading Coefficient
Shading coefficient is the amount of heat that passes through a transparent material. Compared to glass, polycarbonate sheets have a much lower shading coefficient level. Polycarbonate sheets are fully customizable and available in a number of tinting options so that you can choose the one that’s most suitable for your light and heat transmission requirements. Darker shades retain less heat, while lighter shades retain more heat. The amount of heat retention your greenhouse should allow depends on the types of plants you plan on growing and what their ideal humidity levels are on a regular basis.
Solar Heat Retention
Multiwall polycarbonate corrugated panels sheet have excellent solar heat retention capabilities. Depending on the shade and thickness combination you choose, you can have more control over how much solar heat energy passes through the walls. Once again, this will impact the humidity levels in your greenhouse. Ideal humidity levels should be determined based upon the types of plants you intend to harvest in your structure. Tropical plants such as a Mandarin Tree, fig tree, peach tree, etc. all require warmer climates whereas cool weather plants such as green leafy vegetables thrive in colder environments with limited direct sunlight.
Where to Get High-Quality Multiwall Greenhouse Polycarbonate Corrugated Panels in the GTA
When you need expertly crafted, engineered, and fully customizable polycarbonate multiwall sheets for a greenhouse construction, you can trust the experts at Canada Plastics & Belting Inc. to deliver. We have a wide range of polycarbonate sheets that are perfectly suitable for all kinds of indoor and outdoor commercial, industrial, or residential applications. Contact us today to learn more.