What Colour Polycarbonate Sheets Should I Use?
Our vast range of polycarbonate sheet sizes are offered in five colour options: bronze, clear, opal, solarguard and bronze/opal. Although all five colours share most of the same characteristics such as being flexible, lightweight, and strong, they also offer unique properties which are worth being aware of and considering before purchasing sheets for your application.
Bronze Polycarbonate Sheets
Bronze sheets will provide the most shade and let the least amount of light through compared to opal and clear. The darker tint also means that more heat will be absorbed and therefore the area beneath will have a warmer temperature, especially when installed in an area of direct sunlight. Combine these properties with the increased shading from glare and the brown colour looking great on wood structures, and you have the perfect polycarbonate sheet for conservatories and BBQ huts!
Clear Polycarbonate Sheets
The most popular and versatile option, clear polycarbonate sheets feature the highest amount of light transmission and allow the most sunlight to come through whilst also boasting UV ray protection. Clear sheets are used for a wide variety of indoor and outdoor applications and are especially ideal for use on areas that you want to receive a lot of sunlight. Examples of applications that clear sheets are commonly used in include canopies, covered walkways, carports, conservatories & children’s play areas.
Opal Polycarbonate Sheets
Opal is a translucent sheet with a white tint, which is difficult to see through. This makes opal the perfect choice for applications on overlooked areas or those which require privacy. Light is still able to make its way through the opal tint, but the temperature of the area below will be kept much cooler than that of a bronze sheet thanks to the lack of solar energy that is able to penetrate the sheet. The white tint of opal also makes it the best match against our range of polycarbonate glazing bars.
Solarguard Polycarbonate Sheets
Solarguard polycarbonate sheets are perfect for south-facing conservatories. These are opal sheets that are covered with a grey metallic surface in order to keep heat build up to a minimum inside the given structure. This is done by deflecting solar radiation which has been tested to solar heat gain by up to 50%. Our bronze/opal polycarbonate sheets share many of the same properties as solarguard.
So technically there isn’t a “best” colour of polycarbonate sheet, at least not overall. Instead, some colours are more appropriate than others for certain applications. We hope that with the information above, you are now more informed about which type of polycarbonate sheet would be most appropriate for your project but if you have any questions that are still unanswered, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us.
