Glass roof in the house

Not so long ago only wealthy people could afford the installation of a glass roof. In private construction, they almost never used. Panoramic roof was found only in museums, expensive hotels with VIP-apartments and in large greenhouses. Thanks to the rapid development of technology, the glass roof in the house has ceased to be a luxury item. Now they are available to every average home owner. Roofs of glass are found in the design of country houses, and in suburban construction. Verandas, winter gardens, artists' workshops are increasingly being built with glass roofs.

This article will discuss how to choose the right shape and type of roof, what types of materials are used for such structures.

Glass Roof Types

Below are the most famous forms and types of roofs:

1. Flat horizontal roofs.
2. Many-sided pyramids.
3. Single and gable roofs.
4. Glass domes.
5. Arches.

Although most often these types of roofs are still used in the construction of monumental buildings, they are successfully installed in the construction of private houses. The glass roof in the house is aesthetically attractive, practical, functional, provides excellent lighting.

Glass domes or skylights allow the light to pass easily into the house, and windows and roofs play a role. Among the design features, you can note the tightness, sound and heat insulation, durability and strength, high safety, minimal heat leakage, energy savings. This design can be used in the construction of a winter garden or greenhouse, hallway room. The translucent design of the dome fits into any interior, combined with various architectural solutions.

Glass arches will make the room more airy and lighted. With the right approach and skillful design registration arch will emphasize the dignity of the house. If you make it in the appropriate place, the arch will allow you to admire the natural landscape and beautiful views.

Types of profiles for the construction of a frame frame

The complexity of the installation of a glass roof depends largely on the type of frame frame. It determines the characteristics and strength of the resulting structure. The frames can be made of steel, aluminum or a combined profile (aluminum and wood). Wood has specific properties, so it is not always suitable for roofing. For example, in the greenhouses, a special wet microclimate is created that is necessary for the proper development of plants. In such conditions, wood can start to rot quickly, which is why the glass roof will be short-lived.

The frame in the greenhouse can be made of aluminum with your own hands. The material has a low weight, which reduces the load on the load-bearing walls and increases the strength of the roof. The main disadvantage of the aluminum profile is high thermal conductivity, which increases heat loss during the cold season. The strength characteristics of aluminum are sometimes insufficient, which is why a steel profile can be used for mounting the supporting structure.

It has the highest strength properties. But at the same time, steel has a lot of weight, which will create a large load on the walls and the foundation. In addition, steel is susceptible to corrosion, and this implies an additional care for it, namely, the timely processing of metal with anti-corrosion agents.

The combined profile has several advantages. It combines the lightness and durability of aluminum with decorative and low thermal conductivity of wood. This material is ideally suited for the terrace and hallway, and as mentioned above, it is not worth using it for the winter garden and the greenhouse.

Note! PVC profile has a low strength, so it can not be used when installing the frame for a glass roof.

Features glass roofs

Glass roofs, although they are particularly attractive, have a number of features that can hardly be called advantages. Therefore, if you decide to install a glass roof, you should consider some facts:

1. In the hot season, the roof of glass is exposed to strong heat, because of this, in the room it will be difficult to maintain a comfortable microclimate. And this means that even at the design stage, care should be taken to isolate the insulation that mutes the sunlight. An alternative option is air conditioning.
2. All seams should have enhanced sealing and insulation, because the roofing material does not overlap when mounting a glass roof.
3. Glass is a fragile material, so this should be taken into account when installing the roof. For roofs, glass is used, which, when broken, does not leave sharp edges and fragments. Alternatively, choose a shockproof material.
4. Glass roof may be dusty. It is necessary to provide access for its periodic cleansing.

Types of glass packs

As a rule, a single-chamber double-glazed window is used for glazing the roof. This results from the fact that two-chamber double-glazed windows considerably will increase construction weight. Before you make a glass roof, make sure that the finished design is safe. Prefer tempered glass. Of course, they will cost more, but the design will be more reliable.

A good option for glazing is considered to be a structural glazing. Its peculiarity is that the outer glass is larger than the inner one. For installation of these glasses a special profile is used with the use of glue resistant to temperature extremes.

Note! At installation of a structural double-glazed window external clamping levels are not used.

The finished surface looks absolutely smooth. The house looks unusual and elegant. Precipitation does not linger on the surface of such a roof.

To improve the impact resistance of the structure, 18 mm thick polycarbonate panels can be used instead of glass. They do not miss the light and withstand serious loads.

Note! Polycarbonate is a great alternative to glass. A gap of up to 5 mm should be left between the frame and the edge of the sheet, since the material has a high coefficient of thermal expansion.

Design of glass and polycarbonate roofs

If you plan to install a roof of transparent materials, even at the design stage, make sure that in winter the roof does not overgrow with huge snow drifts and does not become covered with ice layers. This implies financial costs, since it will be necessary to install a glass heating system. A more economical option is to increase the angle of the roof to 30 or more degrees. In this case, the precipitation will spontaneously descend from the roof.

To create a reliable waterproofing joints, use stekloizol. The material is a glass fabric, covered with additives from bitumen polymers and coarse-grained dumping.

Before insulating joints with glass insulation, it is important to carry out a high-quality installation of a glass roof frame, which at this stage should already be reliably connected to the main roofing material.

Although the construction of a glass roof is not easy, you can do it yourself. The results of this work are simply amazing, as evidenced by the many photos. If you have no idea how to properly build a glass roof frame, it is appropriate to view the corresponding video tutorial. If you still have questions on the topic, then write comments to the article. We are always happy to help casual visitors and regular users of the site!

Video

Glass roof can be movable:

A photo