There are many options available if you are thinking about covering or replacing your pergola with polycarbonate.

Gone are the days when only one choice existed – the heavy fibreglass option that went milky over time.

Today the choices available are aimed at different budgets and offer a variety of finishes with varying degrees of UV protection and solar heat gain.

Top of the range solid polycarbonate products are used for architectural applications. They mimic the look of glass but offer the safety and UV benefits that ordinary glass cannot.

SBF’s Sunglaze range comes at two price points with Solar Smart being at the higher end and offering improved solar heat gain with varying degrees of light transmission.

Moving up the scale to the mid price-point which are the versatile twin wall and multi wall polycarbonate products. These products are best described as flat, hollow, structured polycarbonate plastic. They feature a cellular structure with at least two “walls” and connective ribbing. The cells create an insulating air space that then reduces thermal heat transfer which offers substantially better energy efficiency than the single layer polycarbonate products.

A super light product, the SBF Sunlite range of twinwall and multiwall comes in a variety of thicknesses starting from 4mm and ranging up to 40mm. The beauty of multiwall is it is not limited to roofing but can be utilized for a range of purposes including partitions and skylights. For roofing purposes, it can even be bent to form a curved roof.  Installation on a roof requires an aluminium joining system that clamps the sheets in place.