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What Are Polycarbonate Sheets?

Lauren Bongers

By Lauren Bongers
Published February 12, 2024

Polycarbonate sheets are used for a variety of uses including greenhouse, canopy, and walkway roofing, skylights, car ports and more. Read about this lightweight yet resistant material to find out if it's a good fit for your project.

A clear polycarbonate sheet on a wood gazebo surrounded by trees.

What is Polycarbonate?

A person using a rubber hammer to show the impact resistance of a piece of polycarbonate.

Polycarbonate is a plastic material that's considered unbreakable. It's molded into sheets and used for a variety of applications including outdoor roofing around homes and gardens. An alternative to acrylic and plexiglass, polycarbonate is more durable and can withstand more impact. Polycarbonate sheets come in a variety of colors including clear, bronze, and off-white, with clear being the most popular option.

Benefits of Polycarbonate

An outdoor greenhouse made with polycarbonate sheets and wood.

The strength of polycarbonate is unmatched, making it ideal for areas exposed to the elements. It's not only impact-resistant but also resistant to heat, moisture and chemicals. Another benefit of polycarbonate is that it's an easy material to work with. You can easily cut a polycarbonate plastic sheet with a plastic cutting blade on a circular saw. You can also easily fasten polycarbonate with screws.

UV Stabilization

A greenhouse made with polycarbonate sheets.

When using polycarbonate for any outdoor application, whether that's a greenhouse, pergola, car port or other use, make sure to choose a polycarbonate designed with UV resistance. This not only ensures that the polycarbonate will block harmful UV rays from penetrating the skin, but that it will also resist yellowing. Polycarbonate sheets that do not yellow will look newer for longer, enhancing the beauty of outdoor home and garden projects.

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