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donnachiang

15 years ago
What kind of glass did you use for the ceiling?
Outdoor Entertaining · More Info
Featured Answer
  • 14 years ago
    The unheated screened porch has two different ceilings. The end under the deck is made up of a system of waterproof under decking panels and collection gutters that chanel water to the outdoors thru an opening at the far end of the porch.
    The clear ceiling section is made of clear, single layer polycarbonate panels .The panels fit into the support frame , and are made watertight with the rubber sleeves that they fit into. Water is collected on the outside of the porch and chaneled away from the house via the outside gutter. The whole system is extremely strong, and withstands snow and ice beautifully.
    We use a large triangluar shaped sunshade cloth attatched at three points inside the porch, on the underside of the clear roof on days that are very hot ( usually, just a couple of days in August) The walls are screened on three side, so air circulates freely.
    I clean the clear roof section while standing on the deck above, and using a garden hose, and an extendable pole with a soft cloth attatchment. Very slick!
    thanks,

    Comments (18)

    • PRO
      14 years ago
      For a typical conservatory the glass roof make-up would be Tempered over Laminate. You can also add some reflective or shading qualities to the glass if you so choose!
    • 14 years ago
      Thank you!
    • 14 years ago
      Thanks for sharing your information. Its a beautiful living space.
    • 13 years ago
      love them.
      how do you seal the panels? trying to use the same for my house. thanks much
    • PRO
      12 years ago
      They were already coated when we got them so no additional sealing was needed.
    • 12 years ago
      Hi, just double checking, are the roof panels polygal/clear plastic or glass? We are considering a similar design (in Colorado). We want the 'clear' direct light of glass, but worried about the breakage/maintenance...if this is plastic, would be encourged to hear the product/manufacturer. If glass, great to hear it's holding up in Minneapolis!
      thank you in advance for clarifying the roof panels.
    • PRO
      12 years ago
      All new installs are glass. The thermal efficiency of glass performance has soared and cannot be beat. In 25 years, I will tell you, the only roof glass I have ever had to replace is once when a tree fell on the house and in a commercial application where tenants in a condo 4 stories up like to drop pool balls on the roof (not always breaking them either!).
      If I lived in CO (and my daughter does) I would want to see the moonlit nights and the the big storms that move in like freight trains.
      The reason PC is less popular now is because: it is opaque, you cannot see through it. It is also very noisy. It moves (shrink swell coefficient of 1" over 10'), and it does not last forever. On the average, about 10 years.
      Contact me, I will let you talk to my customers about their roofs. www.conservatorycraftsmen.com
    • PRO
      12 years ago
      This system was a Poly carbonate, not glass and yes it is doing really well with our snow loads. Best of luck in Colorado! I"m sure the system will preform great there.
    • 12 years ago
      I thought I would send 2 photos of the porch roof with a full load of snow. One is taken from the dining room window above the porch, and the other is out in the porch. We've had a beastly cold and snowy winter here, and as you can see, the roof continues to hold up very nicely. That snow cover is roughly 2 ft. deep.No leaks, and no sagging. I would highly recommend the polycarbonate roofing. Thanks,from the happy homeowner.
    • PRO
      12 years ago
      Thanks for posting these images! They are excellent. We are happy to hear the system is working so well 5+ years later with the freezing cold and 40+" of snow we have had this winter.
    • PRO
      12 years ago
      Kudos to all involved. And one can see from the photo, there is snow on the roof. Lots of people expect so much heat loss that it would melt right away. Not the case. Great insulator
    • 12 years ago
      Beautiful space! I'd love to replicate it for our screened porch project in Atlanta. We are located on a wooded lot and always have tons of tree debris on our deck (future site of screened porch). Do you have trouble keeping the panels clean? Or do you just live with them dirty most of the time? For this reason, I'm wondering if translucent (rather than transparent) may be a better option for us. What brand are the panels? I'd like to contact the manufacturer. Thanks!
    • 12 years ago
      Hi lytsout. I love the polycarbonate roof, and am happy to do a little extra cleaning to keep it nice looking. I have access to do the cleaning from the deck. The polycarbonate itself is not difficult to clean. I just use a soft mop on an extendable handle with soapy water, and rinse with the garden hose. I clean the roof 3 -4 times each summer. The process takes about 15 minutes.It's on the north side of my home, and there are no trees dirctly above the porch.
      I am not a professional designer, but might I recommend that you start out with clear panels, and plan on buying a solar shade system that mounts inside the porch. That would control heat, light, and you could close them if you can't get to cleaning as often as you'd like?
      I'm sorry that i don't have a particular brand name for you, but when you hire your designer, I'm sure that they can find something in your area.
      Good luck to you. I love my porch and would highly recommend the polycarbonate panels
    • 8 years ago
      last modified: 8 years ago

      Hello " kgibbs " I love your patio.!!! I am looking for ideas and I am searching the entire web for ideas and your patio looks so nice for my patio idea. I Live in North Houston, Texas ( very hot in summer and rainy in winter) . Could you please mention the brand of the polycarbonate panels? I will be very thankful for the info. Thanks a lot!

    • 8 years ago

      Hi lillidenver, I’m sorry that I cannot help you with a specific name for the polycarbonate panels. I think a qualified design professional in the Houston area would be able to do that for you.

      The polycarbonate would be great for a ceiling in Houston if you also installed a shade system to control heat and sun. It sounds like you might be happiest with walls of combination windows/screens to handle your rainy season . A really good design expert can help think through all the possibilities for your area.

      Good luck with your patio area!

      kgibbs

    • 8 years ago

      Thank you K Gibbs. I have been reading about some brands. I read that polycarbonate comes in different size/thickness/colors, also I read that one brand that makes roof windows makes some panels and they look very good. I would love some feedback on any particular brand. My only concern is in the future turns yellow. My area is small and it will be very similar to the job in the picture but my outdoor patio is "hip" style and the PC will be next to but I would love to have it on a wooden white pergola (maybe 14 x 16 ft ). thank you for your reply!

    • 6 years ago

      We bought a home in Sonoma with a polycarbonate roof over the sunroom. We've been in 7 years and the roof leaks, it has turned ugly yellow and the tubes have become darkened with mildew inside. Poly carbonate requires expert installation to prevent the leaks and mildew so make sure your professionals understand the requirements for installing this kind of roof. We plan to tear it off and replace it with something more durable and attractive, both from the inside and the outside.

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