How to make a polycarbonate veranda
Want to make an attractive continuation of the house? Then you certainly need to do the arrangement of the veranda. One of the inexpensive, but very durable materials used for this is polycarbonate. A little time and diligence and your family will have a unique place to relax and receive guests!
Polycarbonate sheets today are used in various areas of construction, including the construction of the veranda. Simple polycarbonate panels usually consist of two layers, between which stiffeners are located. They are located along the sheet. There is air in the voids, which serves as additional thermal insulation. More expensive polycarbonate is characterized by the presence of two or even three layers, which are also separated by stiffeners and voids. Such panels are easy and flexible, perfectly transmit the rays of light.
A polycarbonate veranda can be used to grow plants even in the cooler seasons. In no case can this structure be solid. There should be windows for timely airing.
How to determine the shape and type of veranda
If we talk about the types of verandas, then there are only two: built-in and attached. At the same time, built-in structures are almost always done at the stage of building a house, which implies the existence of a common foundation and roof. An exception may be a veranda, which is made on one porch. If this construction is being completed to an already erected and equipped house, then it is already considered to be attached.
As for the forms, they can be very different. Sometimes the veranda may resemble a peculiar belt due to its location around the building. But most often this construction is a passage between the entrance to the house and the street. However, if the veranda is planned and equipped as a winter garden, then it usually serves as an exit from only one room.
Terrace or open porch. The word "terra" is translated from Latin as "earth." This may be due to the fact that this structure is only slightly elevated above the ground and resembles a small-sized platform. Over it should be equipped with a roof.
Usually an open veranda or, as it is usually called, the terrace is located next to the house or is completely attached to it. Interestingly, such a constructive feature of the veranda visually increases the size of the house.
This type of design is ideal for the southern climate, where the warm season prevails. The roof can be made of polycarbonate. Green shrubs and ornamental plants can act as so-called walls. If the climatic conditions in your area are very harsh, then it is preferable to sheathe the building on all sides with polycarbonate sheets. These light walls, of course, will protect against gusting winds.
Veranda with sloping roof usually adjoins the house and serves as a kind of buffer between the building and the street. Due to the dense adjoining of the veranda to the mansion, a stable and rigid roof support is provided. As many believe, it is very convenient for two entrances to be built, one from the street and the second from the house.
Veranda in the shape of a semicircle - This is most likely the best option. The beauty of the greenery and the beauty of the garden flowers are framing the semicircular veranda, smoothly turning into it, creating a special panorama of the landscape. In this case, the foundation should be constructed of concrete blocks, turning the structure into a monolithic tape.
For the construction of the frame, you can use solid wood with a rectangular cross-section. In order to increase the rigidity, stability and reliability of the veranda, both the upper and lower trim must be made of the same beam.
Personal construction of a polycarbonate recreation area
Polycarbonate is a light material, respectively, and the veranda of it will not be ponderous. As a result, when erecting a structure, you can get along with a columnar or strip foundation. Being engaged in the manufacture of the base, you should first make sure that the design of the veranda was fixed on the foundation. As for the frame, it can be made of metal pipes, corners or channels, plastic material and wooden blocks are also relevant here.
Most often, the roof is made shed, having an angle of about 40 °. And, nevertheless, its configuration may be different. For example, if you decide to build a small veranda, the roof can be arched, especially since polycarbonate is very flexible and can be bent freely. The skeleton of such an extension should be made already taking into account what will be the roof in the future.
Fix the panel to the frame using screws and washers.
Under each puck, you definitely need to put a rubber gasket. In addition, holes should be drilled for the screws that do not exceed a screw diameter by more than 3 mm. Such values are not chosen by chance: under the influence of heat emanating from the sun, polycarbonate expands, and at low temperatures it narrows. These factors can sway, and accordingly, weaken the mount.
Typically, for the construction of a summer veranda use polycarbonate sheets having a thickness of 0.8 to 1.0 cm. If you plan to build a more durable structure, then use a polycarbonate sheet with a thickness of 1.4 to 1.6 cm. Works on the construction and arrangement of the area the rest of the polycarbonate sheet will take you relatively little time. However, the life of this material is quite long and often reaches 10 years. In order to relax on the veranda was comfortable, enough space in 16m2. But, if you often invite a lot of guests and like noisy parties, the veranda is better to do more.
So, do you already have experience building a polycarbonate veranda? What difficulties did you have during the work? What helped you cope with them? Maybe you made a veranda with some kind of individual technology? Share your experience, knowledge and skills with us! Write your comments!
We advise you to read:
- how to build a gazebo with their own hands cheap;
- frame pool do-it-yourself from pvc.
Video
How to make a polycarbonate visor can be seen in the following video:
A photo
