The entrance to a store, house or other building should be neat and clean, creating a good mood among visitors. The aesthetics of the entrance design is expensive, and the best photos of canopies allow you to see this.
A visor can help decorate the entrance. It should be of a size that will allow you to shelter under it in case of rain or other bad weather. Under it, you can slowly open your umbrella or simply wait out some time while the elements rage.
Nowadays, polycarbonate is especially often used for canopies. This material has the amazing ability to give products made from it any shape in different sizes and colors.
Types of polycarbonate canopies
There are many photographs of polycarbonate visors on the Internet. Many people know that a canopy of this type can be one of two types - they can be constructed from:
- cellular polycarbonate;
- monolithic polycarbonate.
Much is determined by the purpose for which the product is created.
Cellular polycarbonate transmits light perfectly. If too much light is not required, monolithic polycarbonate can be used as a material. The advantages of products made from this material are ease of transportation and installation, high reliability, undoubted aesthetic qualities and long service life.
The material is very diverse. It is always possible to choose the color, degree of tinting and polycarbonate structure in each specific case. The frame for the porch canopy in this case can be constructed from any material. The ability to create the most bizarre shapes of the frame and the peculiarities of the pavement make it possible to erect very intricate structures for the facades of houses, which become real works of art, this can be easily judged by the numerous canopies over the porch of the photo.
Basic requirements for canopies and canopies
- The main requirement is the strength and reliability of the frame, because the canopies are subject to quite serious loads: snow, hail, wind.
- Correctly calculate the dimensions of the structure. The minimum parameters are 40 cm from the edges of the front door. The maximum size is not limited.
- Optimal shape. Here we mean both the possibility of precipitation drainage and the design of the structure so that it fits exactly into the exterior of the house facade.
This is also important to know: Polycarbonate canopies adjacent to the house - what are they?
Why polycarbonate?
This material meets a variety of requirements; it is reliable, durable and aesthetically pleasing. Making a canopy over a polycarbonate porch with your own hands will bring a lot of joy. The variety of colors and shades of the material allows you to make the right choice in accordance with the design of the building facade. Its technical characteristics are unique. Polycarbonate has excellent light transmission, can withstand severe mechanical loads, has sufficient strength, is environmentally friendly, and bends easily if necessary. It makes excellent porch awnings.
Porch awnings can be of any size. You can even cover the entire area of the yard with polycarbonate, creating a protected recreation area that can then be photographed.
Low prices for polycarbonate depend on the thickness of the material, its density and color. They make polycarbonate a sought-after material that is used for a wide variety of purposes. Awnings for the porch of a house are one of them.
First stage. Design selection
Making a polycarbonate canopy with your own hands is not such a difficult task - the main thing is to take this matter seriously. First of all, you need to decide on the type of structure. You need to decide whether the canopy will be made in the form of a metal or wooden structure. A metal frame is much more durable, and with appropriate craftsmanship it looks much more aesthetically pleasing than a wooden one. However, to create a decorative metal frame with your own hands, you will need to put in much more effort.
However, today it is quite possible to order or purchase ready-made metal frame elements of a wide variety of configurations at a hardware store. If you decide to make a metal frame with your own hands, you need, at a minimum, to be qualified as a welder. But if you want to create something extraordinary, for example, in the Baroque or Empire style, then you will need quite a deep knowledge of blacksmithing.
The simplest option is to make a canopy over the porch from wood. Of course, from the point of view of durability and its decorative qualities, this option is inferior to a metal frame. However, with appropriate skill in handling wood, you can make a structure that is quite strong, durable and beautiful.
In the same way, the size and shape of the frame depends only on your aesthetic preferences: whether it will be a small canopy directly above the entrance, or an extensive canopy along the facade of the house.
Shapes of visors
The strength of polycarbonate, along with its plasticity, allows you to experiment with the shapes of canopies over the porch. You can often see in the photo ordinary straight monolithic roofs, but there are also domed canopies over the porch. Canopies over arched porches are also very good and can provide protection from slanting rains. They can have elongated shapes or be supported by additional pillars and are often built with their own hands.
Canopies made of monolithic polycarbonate in the form of straight canopies are especially simple. They are often placed on consoles and attached to the wall. The slope of the canopy must be at least 10 degrees, this will allow it to withstand loads from precipitation and even blocks of ice flying from the roofs.
Do-it-yourself gable canopies, which are often placed above the entrance in private houses, are very practical. They perfectly match any architectural solutions. The canopy can even cover the entire area of the porch.
Dome canopies decorated with forged products are distinguished by great aesthetics.
Frames for visors
The frame for polycarbonate visors is:
- wooden;
- metal;
- combined.
The choice of material depends on the architectural appearance of the building and the features of the surrounding landscape. Last but not least, financial circumstances are taken into account. When creating a canopy, it is impossible not to remember the wind and snow load on the product. To take them into account, tables have been created that allow you to determine the thickness of the material and the installation pitch of the rafters.
A wooden canopy is one of the most budget options. The structure includes supports, rafters and cross members. It is very easy to build it with your own hands. The individuality of the design will be emphasized by wood carving. The durability of such structures requires treating the wood with antiseptics , then the product will last at least 20 years.
The metal structure for the visor is more complex to manufacture, but at the same time more durable. The material can be used as a metal pipe of any cross-sectional shape. If you have the appropriate skills, you can make a metal frame with your own hands.
Combination versions of polycarbonate visors are no less common. They consist of metal supports and wooden sheathing. These frames are able to create airy structures and look very modern.
Forged frames for the visor look solid and rich. A building with such a canopy seems prestigious and amazes with its luxurious finishes and sophistication of style. But it's incredibly expensive.
Frameless canopies, which are attached to the wall with brackets, have proven themselves to be quite good. Usually they are very small in size.
Frame design options: photos and advantages
Installation begins with the construction of the frame. When creating canopies or porches, the following materials can be used as a base:
- tree;
- aluminum;
- steel profile;
- steel pipes.
Visor and side panel made of transparent polycarbonate
The choice of material depends on the overall aesthetics of the building, its design, as well as the financial capabilities of the owner.
When choosing a wooden frame, you can gain in price and ease of assembly, but lose in durability and quality. This design has low performance properties, since wood is inferior to other materials in strength and service life.
In order for the wooden frame of the visor to last a long time, it should be treated with a special impregnation against rotting
The main elements of the aluminum frame for the polycarbonate canopy over the door are the aluminum profile and the polymer plastic itself. This option ensures ease of assembly, since the aluminum profile is easy to cut and bend. In addition, aluminum is a lightweight and durable metal, so it does not require special processing. The only drawback of arranging this version of a polycarbonate visor is its high price.
Stylish combination of transparent and bright green polycarbonate in the canopy design
The next popular frame material is steel. The steel frame for the canopy over the polycarbonate porch is quite heavy. It is possible to assemble such a canopy yourself, but the assembly technology is characterized by the complexity of attaching parts.
Polycarbonate is a very light and durable material
The presented photos demonstrate that a steel pipe is also an excellent option for a frame for a porch or canopy made of polycarbonate. The advantage of this design is low weight and high strength. The downside is the complexity of connecting the frame parts: the assembly of such a frame is carried out only by electric welding.
Canopy made of transparent polycarbonate with a frame made of steel pipes
An alternative to a steel tubular frame is kraft metal. As you can see in the photo, with its help you can assemble a beautiful openwork structure like a forged one. Frame parts with a square cross-section are sold already bent. And they can also be connected to each other by welding.
The illusion of a forged structure for a polycarbonate visor is successfully imitated by craft metal
Cost of polycarbonate visors
Products for the aesthetics of premises, housing or work places cannot be cheap. The price is determined by the thickness of the polycarbonate, its type and color, the complexity of the design and the frame material. Much depends on the manufacturer of the product. Everywhere in the country there are many companies specializing in the manufacture of polycarbonate products. As already noted in this material, the most expensive canopies are those with a forged frame and using monolithic polycarbonate. Manufacturing will cost at least 3 thousand rubles. But this is the minimum price, which is usually higher.
Small and important features
If the visor is assembled on your own, then some tricks should be known. To ensure that polycarbonate does not experience deformation when changing temperatures, holes for fastening in the material are made with sufficient clearance taking into account thermal expansion.
During assembly, you need to use rubber or plastic washers of sufficient diameter so that the metal does not come into contact with the material. This will allow the visors to only please their owners.
Any private estate, mansion, and even a modest country house will benefit from installing a canopy over the porch. Not only will the entrance area be protected from bad weather and bright sunlight, but also from gusts of wind in the off-season. Modern designs and finishing materials will make the house even more attractive. Carrying out the work will not require too much effort , and operating the canopy over the porch will not be too troublesome. The advantages of this approach are obvious.
Beautiful canopies over the porch made of polycarbonate
Material properties and types of polycarbonate
Polycarbonate is a polymer plastic made from polycarbonate granules and has high performance properties. This material is an excellent alternative to PVC panels and is used in various industries and in construction.
Sheet polycarbonate is a popular material for arranging canopies and awnings
The main characteristics that ensure its widespread use are the following:
- plastic;
- impact resistance;
- ease;
- optical transparency;
- resistance to temperature changes;
- high aesthetic possibilities;
- low cost;
- ease of installation and maintenance of structures;
- durability.
Stylish visor made of transparent polycarbonate
This high-tech synthetic material is now successfully used where more expensive natural ones were previously used: metal, wood and glass.
Types of polycarbonate and its scope
This polymer plastic is available in two types: monolithic and cellular.
Monolithic polycarbonate is a polymer sheet material with high transparency, impact resistance, fire resistance and fire safety. These properties ensured the use of this plastic in the automotive industry, in the design of military facilities, for the creation of equipment, in advertising, construction, etc.
Cellular polycarbonate is available in a wide range of colors
Cellular polycarbonate is an optically transparent or matte, durable and lightweight panel that has a multilayer construction. All elements are connected to each other by internal stiffeners like a honeycomb. The air inside the layers provides thermal insulation properties, and the ribs provide plasticity. Thanks to these properties, this material is widely used in construction, in particular in the construction of canopies and awnings over polycarbonate porches. Photos of these structures can be seen in various magazines on the construction of private houses.
The entrance to the house is decorated with a wide canopy made of sheet polycarbonate
Cascade polycarbonate canopy
The variety of color options from matte to transparent, as well as the ability to create complex geometric shapes, have ensured the particular popularity of cellular polycarbonate when constructing an open veranda, canopies over the door or canopies over the porch. Photos and videos of self-installation of such structures can be found on the Internet.
Wide canopy over the entrance to a modern house
Being an excellent replacement for glazing, polymer plastic has found its application not only in creating awnings and canopies, but also in constructing a polycarbonate porch in a private home. Photos and examples of such arrangement of the entrance to the house are available on many construction sites.
Canopy made of cellular polycarbonate with forged metal frame
Using the wide aesthetic possibilities, transparency and plasticity of the material, at the entrance to the house you can mount a modern porch with a polycarbonate canopy of any shape. The low weight of polycarbonate sheets ensures convenient self-assembly of such a porch. A beautiful canopy is installed over the porch using polycarbonate on a durable frame.
Wide polycarbonate canopy with aluminum frame
