The entrance to the house, shop or other institution should always be clean and tidy, attracting the views of visitors or customers. The more aesthetically decorated the entrance, the more pleasant it is to visit this place. An obligatory element of registration of the entrance should be a visor, the dimensions of which should be sufficient so that in case of bad weather you can calmly stop under it and open an umbrella or wait out heavy rain. Recently, more and more often, polycarbonate is chosen as the material to make the entrance visors, which makes it possible to give the product the most diverse appearance in color, shape and size.
Types of canopies and their advantages
Visors can be of two types, depending on the type of material: made of cellular or monolithic polycarbonate. The choice depends on the purpose of the visor. For good light transmission it is better to use cellular polycarbonate. In other cases, canopies are made of monolithic polycarbonate. The advantages possessed by visors and canopies above the entrance from polycarbonate are easy transportation and installation, reliability, aesthetics and durability, if a monolithic material is chosen.
A variety of color solutions, the degree of toning and structure of polycarbonate, the possible materials for the manufacture of the visor frame and their shapes make it possible to create real works of art from the appearance of the facades of houses.
The frame of the visor can be made of wood, metal, wire structures. A real delicacy are forged metal frames, distinguished by their uniqueness.
Why polycarbonate?
Polycarbonate meets the most diverse requirements for aesthetics and reliability. Its color and shades can be selected according to the appearance of the facade - in tone or in contrast. It is unique in its technical characteristics: it has excellent light transmission, resists severe snow and wind loads, is durable, environmentally friendly, easily bends and takes the form necessary for design. The size of the visor can be from the most modest to respectable sizes, up to covering the area of the entire yard in front of the house, in order to install, for example, a car or to shelter a rest area from the weather.
The low cost of polycarbonate, determined mainly by its thickness, density and color of the material, determines its widespread use for various purposes, including for the manufacture of visors above the entrance area of the house. If you decide to make this design element yourself, it is better to choose polycarbonate with a thickness of 4 to 16 mm, and in the price of the visor provide for the sum on the connecting and end profiles, silicone gaskets and thermowells, with which the sheets are attached to the frame.
Visor shapes
The ductility and strength of polycarbonate make it possible to produce visors of any shape. The most "used" are a simple straight roof made of monolithic polycarbonate, visors with a single and double slope, canopies of a dome shape that protect from oblique rains and strong winds, arched canopies of an elongated shape with additional support on poles and other types.
The simplest in execution are visors made of monolithic polycarbonate, which are made in the form of a direct canopy. Usually it settles down on consoles with fastening to a wall. In order for it to withstand not only the load from precipitation, but also blocks of ice and snow falling from the roof, the slope of the slope should be more than 10 degrees.
A visor with a gap is more convenient due to which the best protection against precipitation is provided. In addition, you can set the name of the organization, the store’s sign, advertising materials, or just a colorful picture adorning the facade in the control itself.
Very convenient, especially in private households, a gable roof in the form of a house roof adjoining the end face to the wall above the entrance. Such visors made of polycarbonate above the porch fit perfectly into the architectural appearance of the cottage building. The visor can be carried out on a large area and close the entire porch with steps, relying on specially installed poles.
The dome visor is very aesthetic, especially made in the form of a multi-layer complex structure, additionally decorated with forging elements.
Frame options for visors
Considering how to equip polycarbonate visors above the porch, you need to take into account the general architectural appearance of the building facade and the style of the surrounding landscape. Naturally, the financial component also plays an important role. When developing the frame structure, it is necessary to take into account the wind and snow load in the region. For this, there are special tables that allow you to determine the required values of the polycarbonate thickness, material and step of manufacturing rafters in the frame of the visor.
The most budgetary option for private households is a wooden frame, including supports, crossbars and rafters. It is easy to do it yourself. For individuality of execution it is possible to decorate support columns with a carving. For the durability of the construction, all wooden parts must be carefully treated with antiseptics and hydrophobic impregnations before installation. A correctly installed and carefully crafted wooden frame of a polycarbonate canopy will serve you well for up to twenty years.
A more difficult option to manufacture, but also more durable is a visor made of polycarbonate with a metal frame, which is welded from profiled pipes of square, rectangular or round cross-section. Often combined frames are used, consisting of metal supports and crossbars with a wooden crate. Polycarbonate-coated metal or combination frames create an airy impression and give the building a modern look.
The most impressive are the visors made of polycarbonate above the porch with a forged frame. This is an expensive pleasure. But they give the facade of the building a prestigious and luxurious look, sophisticated style. Forged frames are made by specialized forging organizations. It can be assembled from commercially available stamped elements. Of course, the cost of hand forging will cost you the most.
There are also frameless visors mounted on brackets to the wall. But such products can be made only in small sizes - up to two meters.
Visors made of polycarbonate: price
The cost of products for the aesthetic design of your home or place of work can never be wasteful. It depends on many factors - the type, thickness and color of polycarbonate, the material and the complexity of the design of the brackets and frame, and finally, from the manufacturer. In any area of our country there are companies specializing in the production of products such as visors and canopies above the entrance. As already mentioned, the most expensive version of the visor is a forged frame of complex design with monolithic polycarbonate. In any case, the cost of manufacturing the described product to order will cost at least 2-3 thousand rubles. The price may increase at times depending on the factors listed above.
However, you can significantly reduce the cost if you make a visor yourself. It is not so difficult if you choose a not very complex design, deal with manufacturing technology and carefully complete all the steps.
Little secrets
When self-assembling polycarbonate products, several tricks should be remembered. In order to prevent polycarbonate from warping due to changes in air temperature, the mounting holes in it must be made with sufficient clearance, taking into account the difference in the coefficients of thermal expansion of polycarbonate and the material of which the frame is made. In order not to damage the polycarbonate during assembly, it is necessary to use large diameter plastic or rubber washers (1.5-2.5 cm) so that the screws and metal washers do not come into contact with the polycarbonate. Then your visors made of polycarbonate above the porch at any time of the year will be pleasing to the eye.