Thermal washer. How to properly install polycarbonate.
Thermal Washer for Polycarbonate
When working with cellular or solid polycarbonate, the fastening technologies and methods typical for conventional roofing systems are not suitable. In our video today, we'll show you what a thermal washer is and why it's necessary for building greenhouses, gazebos, and other small architectural structures.
Polycarbonate Features
To understand why it's necessary to use only specialized fasteners for securing polycarbonate, consider the following:
• Polycarbonate is not a natural material; it's an artificial material produced using organic synthesis;
• Polycarbonate has higher strength characteristics than other materials, so specialized fasteners and processing technologies are used.
In the latter case, thermal washers are used for fastening. These are universal fasteners used for point-by-point fixing of polycarbonate sheets. Thermal washers are used for any supporting materials in structures, including wood, metal, and plastic elements.
Thermal Washer Construction
If you look closely at the video of a thermal washer's construction, you'll see that it consists of three parts.
1. Leg. This element is typically 16 mm long, but longer versions are sometimes available.
2. Seal. This element secures the polymer. The seal also plays an important role in preventing moisture from entering the sheet's cells. If it rains or condenses, the water will "flow around" the seal and not penetrate.
3. Plug. The topmost element of the thermal washer. The plug serves several purposes. One is to add an aesthetic touch to the structure's design. The second purpose is that the plug, like the seal, prevents moisture from entering. The third purpose is that the plug acts as a protective barrier against negative external influences.
Thermal insulating washers are a mandatory fastening element when installing cellular and solid polycarbonate.
Types of Thermal Washers
Leading manufacturers of cellular polycarbonate also produce thermal washers. Poligal is renowned for its excellent quality, producing not only polycarbonate sheets but also thermal washers, including those made from:
• Stainless steel;
• Polypropylene;
• Polycarbonate.
Stainless steel thermal washers are considered the most effective and efficient for installing cellular polycarbonate. The fastener's service life is at least 100 years. Polycarbonate thermal washers are second in strength, with a fastener service life of approximately 20-25 years. However, thermal washers made of polypropylene are considered ineffective, with a service life of 5 years at best, but typically 2-3 years.
Metal thermal washers are widely used in our climate zone. The material is resistant to strong wind and snow loads, can withstand significant loads, and is not damaged by precipitation. This is the ideal solution for thick panels. The cap diameter reaches 33 mm, and the maximum thickness is 0.8 mm. This thermal washer is equipped with a polyurethane insert/gasket, which also serves as a seal. Even in this case,