Advantages and disadvantages of a polycarbonate fence, the design of the fence and its varieties, the purpose of various types of fence, detailed installation technology. A polycarbonate fence is a lightweight fence for use in the local area. A translucent hedge will create a presentable view of the site for many years. We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the device of a fence made of this material and the technology of its installation.
Features of a polycarbonate fence
Polycarbonate is a synthetic material with special properties, from which beautiful fences are made. A fence made of this material is sold as a set of supports, canvas and fasteners. Stone or brick structures can also serve as a frame. It is not necessary to make a foundation for a lightweight structure, but it is often built as a decoration.
Two types of polycarbonate are suitable for fences: cellular or monolithic. In the first case, the product has a special structure, with low weight. It is made of two canvases connected by partitions. Honeycomb panels are usually transparent and do not interfere with your neighbors' view of your site. The sections look spectacular together with metal, wood and stone fences. They have one-sided UV protection.
Monolithic sheets are characterized by high strength and durability. They protect the territory well from indiscreet glances, dust, snow. Fences based on them are able to withstand heavy loads and are often used in places with strong winds. The disadvantages of monolithic blocks include high weight and high cost. Therefore, it is more rare to find a partition with such a modification of polycarbonate.
The fence comes to shops in sections or in a disassembled state. In the first case, to create a fence, it is necessary to fix the finished parts to the supports. In the second, a rigid frame is first made, and then the blanks are fixed to it. This option has advantages over ready-made fragments, because it is possible to make a partition of any shape and size.
Advantages and disadvantages of a polycarbonate fence
The material is popular among users due to its many advantages:
- The product is lightweight and does not require reinforcement of supporting structures.
- A polycarbonate fence retains its qualities for a long time.
- It does not corrode, it resists temperature extremes well.
- The canvas is easy to process - it is well cut with a jigsaw and bends into an arc. It can be fixed in any position.
- The fence lets in sunlight, which will allow you to plant plants next to the structure. Gardeners appreciate the material for its ability to trap ultraviolet radiation, which is harmful to vegetables.
- Due to its complex structure, synthetic material absorbs street noise and provides peace and comfort on the territory.
- The canvas is never painted. To return the surface to its original state, it is enough to rinse it with water.
- You can build a polycarbonate fence with your own hands, without the services of professionals. But the help of family members or relatives is still needed.
- On sale there are blanks of various sizes and colors, as well as various accessories - plugs, brackets, corners, which allows you to create a structure of any complexity.
- The transparency of the material allows you to control the situation around the fence.
Consumers should also be aware of the negative sides of a polycarbonate hedge:
- Cloths are easily scratched, they burst from sharp blows. If a stone is thrown into the canvas, it will burst. Therefore, it is recommended to use the fence only for decoration. If there is a possibility of mechanical stress, use more durable structures. For the same reason, for the reliable fastening of the sheets, it is necessary to build a strong frame.
- The panels must be reinforced along the entire perimeter. If the edges are not framed with metal, the result will be disastrous.
- Polycarbonate sheets are not rigid and cannot be used as load-bearing structures. Therefore, the structure of the fence must have a rigid frame on which the panels are hung.
Polycarbonate fence mounting technology
Installation of a polycarbonate fence is carried out in stages. First, the frame is prepared, and then the canvas is attached to it. Let's take a closer look at each stage.
Preparatory work
Before making a polycarbonate fence, follow the procedures related to preparing the site for work and choosing blanks with the required characteristics.
Cellular polycarbonate goes on sale in the form of canvases with dimensions of 2, 1x6 m or 2, 1x12 m. The thickness of the product is 4, 6, 8, 10, 16, 25, 32 mm. Monolithic ones are produced in sizes 2, 05x3, 05 m with a thickness of 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 mm.
For the fence, sheets with a thickness of at least 10 mm are suitable. Thinner products require frequent positioning of support posts and contours. Do not think that the more massive the workpieces, the more reliable the fence. The thicker the better principle is hardly applicable to polymers.
The choice of the length of the sheets is also influenced by the bending radius of the fence and the pitch of the posts.
When buying, you will have to solve a rather difficult question related to the color of the polycarbonate. Coloring is chosen depending on the plantings or buildings that are on the site. Green is suitable for a garden. Blue - for enclosing a courtyard with a swimming pool. You can find interesting solutions to match the walls or roof of the house.
Store the boards indoors or in the shade. You can also cover them with a thick cloth to protect them from the sun. Place the weight on the top sheets.
Clear debris and plants from the area where the fence will be built. Level the surface horizontally. Examine the composition of the soil.
Installation of racks and pouring the foundation for the fence
The design of the construction supports depends on the soil, the purpose of the fence, the preferences of the site owner and some other factors. Fence posts on stable soil are simply driven in to a depth of 1.2 m. On unstable soils, they are concreted. You can also build a brick base or buy 60x60 mm profile pipes.
To determine the length of the post, it is necessary to take into account the underground and aboveground parts of the fence. For a hedge with a height of 1.8 m, pipes with a length of 3 m will be needed.
The installation of supports on solid ground is performed in the following sequence:
- The corner posts are fixed first. Drill a small hole in the corner of the enclosed area.
- Place a mark at a distance of 1.2 m from the bottom end of the pipe.
- Place it in the hole and hammer in with a sledgehammer.
- Check the verticality of the support.
- Place the plug on the pipe.
- Fill the cracks around the pipe with soil and compact it.
- Repeat the operation for the second corner post.
- Pull one cord between them, along which the supports will line up. Align the second cord horizontally to check that the stands are protruding from the ground. Using the threads as a base, install the remaining pillars in increments of 2 m.
Build a foundation under fences made of monolithic polycarbonate blocks. To do this, follow these steps:
- Dig a trench 0, 8-1, 2 m deep. Its size depends on the freezing point of the soil in the area. For the European part of the country, it does not exceed 0.7 m. However, it is better to dig a trench with a margin so that the fence does not collapse under the influence of suddenly rising groundwater or after swelling of the earth in spring.
- Fill the bottom with a gravel-sand pillow 10-15 cm thick.
- If a high foundation is required, fit the formwork of the appropriate height. To do this, prepare concrete from cement, sand and crushed stone in a ratio of 1: 3: 3. Instead of rubble, you can use broken brick or expanded clay.
- Fill the hole with concrete and leave to harden.
For difficult soils, be sure to build a full foundation. It should be more than 1 m deep and more than 0.3 m wide. The hole for the posts should be dug even deeper, 4, 5x4.5 m wide. Reinforcement of the foundation with reinforcement with a diameter of 10-16 mm is welcomed. Reinforcement should be continuous and wireframe. This design is used to create a polycarbonate fence of complex configuration and design. He will be able to withstand the movements of the earth and will not allow the appearance of cracks. Install the pillars in the finished trench, set them up as in the previous case, and fill them with concrete.
If the fence is made of cellular polycarbonate, only dig holes for the supports. They are placed every 3 m, according to the size of the product panels. The depth of the pit is at least 80 cm.
Next, do the following:
- Put rubble and sand on the bottom and tamp the pillow.
- The posts must be protected from corrosion before installation. To do this, cover the lower part of the supports with bitumen, and then wrap with roofing material in 3 layers.
- First, install the corner posts in the pits, set them in a vertical position using a plumb line and temporarily fix them with wedges.
- Fill the holes with concrete.
- Pull a cord between the profiles, along which the supports are aligned. Place the second cord at a distance of 5-10 mm above the tops of the posts, place it on the horizon and fix it in this position. On it, the racks are set vertically.
- Concrete all racks by placing them along the cords.
- Install plugs on top of the pipes.
Fastening contour lines for a fence
Attach the crossbars to the posts, which will create the frame. They are fixed at a distance of 0.5-1 m from each other. Fasten the lower beams at a distance of 10-15 cm from the ground, the upper ones at the same distance from the end of the post. The rest should be located in the middle of the fence.
During installation, make sure that the working surfaces of all contour lines are located in the same vertical plane.
If the fence is no more than 2 m high, 3 lags are enough. They are made from a corner or a profile with a section of 40x20 mm. The bars are fixed by welding or self-tapping screws. After installation, cover them with anti-corrosion compounds.
Fasten the lags in a position in which a gap remains between them and the outer surface of the supports, equal to the thickness of the polycarbonate panel. Thus, the coincidence of the surfaces of the sheets and racks is ensured.
Fixing polycarbonate
Measure the distance between the supports and, according to the results obtained, cut the canvases from the blanks. For this purpose, it is recommended to use a jigsaw with a cutting tool for wood, with fine teeth. You can also use a circular saw with the following parameters: sharpening angle - 150 degrees, angle of inclination of teeth - 30-250 degrees, cutting speed - 200 m / min, feed speed - 1800 meters per minute, material thickness - at least 5 mm.
Do not remove the transport tape from the material before use. It will protect the surface from scratches and abrasions.
Seal the cellular polycarbonate sheets. To do this, put special U-shaped plugs made of aluminum alloy on the ends of the elements. They will keep water and debris out of the product.
The gaps in the canvas can be sealed with aluminum foil tape. Cover the lower ends with perforated tape, which allows water to pass through and does not allow dust and dirt inside.
It is necessary to remember about the large coefficient of thermal expansion of polycarbonate, so the hardware should not be tightened too much. There must be a gap of 4 mm between adjacent sheets.
Fasten the panels to the crossbars with self-tapping screws and plastic sealing washers. To do this, make holes in the sheets and horizontals in advance. The pitch of the holes is 30-40 mm, from the edges - 40 mm. In polycarbonate, their diameter should be 2 mm larger than that of the fasteners. To avoid damaging the material, screw the fasteners until the heads come in contact with the panel.
After installing the polycarbonate fence, remove the protective covering from the panels. You can decorate the fence with decorative elements - forging cast iron, decorative brick plinth. Use a high pressure hose to clean the fence.
How to make a polycarbonate fence - watch the video:
It is quite simple to build a polycarbonate fence on your own, and it is not necessary to turn to professionals for help. The main thing is to calculate everything and think over every step.
