Glazing

[Welderpaul]

Anyone had much experience of various glazing materials?

I am pondering a little job, which is currently specified as 12mm laminated and heat soaked glass.

I want to use a plastic material mainly for ease of handling on site. Polycarbonate and Acrylic (Perspex) seem the main options. I understand polycarbonate isnt as opaque as glass and therefore may not be suitable, but acylic is both as clear as glass, and whilst not as strong as the polycarbonate, it is still stronger than glass.

Anyone any experience of using acrylic? Couple of worrying webpages saying that UV light causes it to degrade quickly. Its external glazing, so hmmmm, that would be notsogood..

 

[Hitch]

Lots of info on UHM about Perspex/acrylic Paul. Might be of use.

Used it a few times, not for anything much.
Used polycarbonate aswell, deffinatly the easier to work with id say.



Both of the plastics seem to weather eventually, and you have top be very careful about cleaning etc.

For quality installation, stick with the glass imho. You can always tell plastic a mile off, especially after a year.

 

[Paul.]

Used loads of polycarbonate Lexan, Macrilon, etc, on machine guards. Acrylic I find a bit brittle by comparison, both will scratch very easily, if the original spec is 12mm laminated and heat soaked is that to meet a fire resistance requirement, if so plastic wont be much good,

 

[Welderpaul]

No, no fire spec for this job. Its out of the way so it wont get scratched - operation and maintainance manual would be our **** coverer by stating cleaning methods.

 

[Hitch]

What sort of glazing is it the Paul?

 

[Welderpaul]

Basically a big steel framed cycle shelter. Open structure with the glazing set on stubs (Like the last lot we have just done)!

 

[Hitch]

Cycle shelter.... polycarbonate id say then, it can take a real hiding.

 

[Paul.]

Plastic would need a lot more support then, even at 12mm thick, thermal expansion might be a problem as well, I've seen polycarb bow in guards when they get warmish,

 

[Welderpaul]

Plastic would need a lot more support then, even at 12mm thick, thermal expansion might be a problem as well, I've seen polycarb bow in guards when they get warmish,

I think the supports are at around 750 x 750mm grid - quite close centres. The roof is quite high up - even the kids would do well to get anything up there!

 

[Paul.]

Are they flat, I know someone who could make the panels for you.

 

[Hitch]

You can get proper clear polycarbonate Paul, glasses lenses are polycarbonate iirc....

 

[Welderpaul]

Are they flat, I know someone who could make the panels for you.

Flat yes, all square cuts apart from two panels which have raking cuts