Fastening polycarbonate to metal. Galvanized tape for fixing polycarbonate

Panels made of cellular or solid polycarbonate, because of their practicality, have found application in many spheres of construction and industry. In particular, plastic sheets are widely used in the arrangement of various structures and structures, forming a reliable roof covering. If a suitable polycarbonate mount is chosen, the material will provide optimum strength and protection against mechanical influences. Fixation can be made to any material, but metal frames and surfaces assume the greatest responsibility in choosing the fastening method.

Polycarbonate installation procedure

The work consists of several stages. First of all, measurements of polycarbonate, required for laying on a concrete surface or frame, are performed. Next, you need to prepare the sheets of the specified parameters. One of the main advantages of polycarbonate is the ease of processing. You can cut it with an ordinary hacksaw, and with construction scissors. Then, the polycarbonate is directly attached to the frame by means of fixing elements. At the final stage, the quality of the work is analyzed: the places of plastic sheet joints, the fastening of fasteners and the state of honeycombs (cells of ribbed polycarbonate), which must be clean, are checked.

How to mount a monolithic polycarbonate?

For the installation of sheet (monolithic) polycarbonate special hardware, profiles and galvanized tape are used. From honeycomb plastic this variety is characterized by high density and rigidity. In terms of the use of fasteners, these qualities are a plus, although technically they make the process of drilling and introducing elements a little more difficult. The most common fixing polycarbonate screws, but to obtain a stable and durable design is also recommended to use profiles and a special tape. If there are no special requirements for the construction, then you can limit yourself to conventional hardware, but on condition that the installation will be accompanied by the use of thermowells.

Features of fastening cellular polycarbonate

Panels of this type are fixed by the same elements as monolithic analogues. But cellular polycarbonate has its own design features, which are important to consider when installing the material. Open cells can be clogged with dirt, water and insects, which affects the technical and aesthetic qualities of the coating. Prevent clogging allows special tapes, which are glued to the cellular polycarbonate. The fastening of the protective strip allows to isolate the internal space of the material. There are steam-transmitting and sealing tapes. It is preferable to stop the selection in the first variant, since it minimizes the possibility of clogging the cells, but does not create a barrier to the removal of condensation and ventilation. Sealing tapes, in turn, provide the maximum obstacle to any contact of honeycombs with the external environment - including they do not allow to penetrate air and moisture.

Galvanized tape

This is a new way of fixing polycarbonate sheets, in which metal strips that have undergone anticorrosion treatment are used. Elements of fasteners are tie clamps, the standard width of which is 20 mm, and the thickness is about 0.7 mm. Thanks to galvanizing, this material is not subjected to chemical destruction by rust, and also ensures the strength of the structure. If the polycarbonate is fixed to the metal in the greenhouse, it is recommended to provide for the possibility of an integrated fixation of belts that will ensure the screeding of several sheets of material at once.

Galvanized tape fastening technology

The main advantage in the installation of such tapes is the absence of the need to intrude into the structure of the polycarbonate itself. That is, it does not need to be drilled or to make special perforations for concrete fasteners. Tapes provide a fairly tight fit of the material to the elements of the frame. Use this method is desirable on arc and arch structures. At the same time, in the supporting arcs of the same greenhouses, you do not have to create holes for hardware, since the galvanized tape for securing the polycarbonate acts on the principle of contraction.

The installation process begins with fixing the position of the plastic sheets. The stacking of several elements is carried out overlap. Then it is necessary to divide the tape into two parts - each of them is initially fixed at the base of the structure. The segments are laid exactly along the line of convergence of the panels and fixed with nuts. Thus, the tape for securing the polycarbonate provides a tight connection of the sheets, which does not involve damage to the material and creates a rather attractive appearance of the entire structure.

Nuances of exploitation of galvanized tapes

Although this method of fastening is the most technological and has many advantages, there are certain disadvantages in it, which should be taken into account. Basically, they are due to the fact that the fixation is realized in an open form. Accordingly, if the greenhouse with polycarbonate is unattended for a long time, there is a risk of its quick and unnoticeable dismantling - unscrewing a few screws will not be difficult for an attacker with pliers. In addition, the fastening of polycarbonate with a metal band for 2-3 cm outward, which often causes inconvenience in close contact with the surfaces of the greenhouse.

Termoshayba

Before the appearance of the thermowell and the galvanized tape, the polycarbonate was fixed with regular self-tapping screws. This is a simple and cheap method, in which relative reliability of the structure is ensured. Disadvantages of using such hardware are due to the physical and operational properties of polycarbonate, which make its structure variable at temperature differences. The use of a thermowave negates negative factors - the element naturally adapts to external conditions, evenly distributing the clamping force. It is also practiced combined polycarbonate attachment to metal, in which self-tapping screws and a thermowave are twisted through a galvanized tape. This achieves the maximum reliability of the skin of the metal frame and eliminates the drawbacks inherent in the single use of band-yokes. On the other hand, this is the most costly and time-consuming technology for installing polycarbonate, which in some cases does not justify itself.

Profile Mounting

These are special devices designed for fastening or joining polycarbonate sheets. The design of these profiles contains two elements - the base and the lid. With their help, a two-sided clamping of the edges of the material is provided, which does not require drilling and direct twisting of the sheets. Only the database is fixed in the appropriate places where the installation is planned. Such fastening of polycarbonate is advantageous, first of all, reliability and tightness, but in addition the owner receives and impeccable appearance of the coating. Since the profiles are usually made of the same polycarbonate, they are visually merged with the main sheets. It is enough to choose suitable elements for color.

There are also aluminum profiles, which have a similar design. They provide the same connection quality as the galvanized tape for securing the polycarbonate, but at the same time eliminate flaws in the clamping method of the installation. That is, to untwist this system is not so easy - the presence of self-tapping screws and a strong profile clamp make this task difficult for an attacker.

Double-sided and perforated fastening

The choice of the method for installing polycarbonate is influenced by the location of the attachment points. There are two approaches to installation - run and double-sided. The first option is used in case the polycarbonate covers a large area. To exclude possible deflections of sheets, several fastening runs should be made across the location of the edges of the material. Depending on which polycarbonate mount is used, the step can be 40-50 cm. The use of a double-sided installation is advisable if a small area is being lined - in this case, the fastening lines are made along the longitudinal sides of polycarbonate sheets.

Running method of fixing focuses on the number of fixation points, so it makes no sense to use expensive installation tools. Conversely, the two-way variant assumes only two lines of installation, so to implement such fasteners it is necessary to use combined or profile mounting methods.