Polycarbonate sheets are mostly available in three colours. The most common is Clear followed by Opal, and lastly Bronze. So, what is Bronze Polycarbonate and why is it still used?
Bronze Polycarbonate is a translucent plastic sheet that has a brown-coloured tint which creates a tinted effect whilst still allowing some daylight light to still shine into the building.
In this article, we discuss why bronze polycarbonate sheet is used and its benefits.
There are different benefits of Opal Polycarbonate which we will explain further in a separate article.
3 Benefits of Bronze Polycarbonate:
- Bronze Tint Created Shading From Glare
- Bronze Polycarbonate Absorbs and Attracts Heat From Sunlight
- Bronze Colour Matches Dark Wood Colours
Bronze Tint Creates Shading From Glare
When you are installing glazing sheets and want some light in the building, in some situations, the brightness of the sun’s light can be too dazzling. Choosing a bronze tint polycarbonate sheet option will mean that the bright glare of the light will be lessened.
Bright sunlight glare can be much more noticeable where a roof is positioned in direct sunlight such as a south-facing roof in the Northern Hemisphere. However, shading from the glare of the Sun is not the same thing as reducing the Sun’s heat. If you want to reduce the heat from the Sun’s solar energy then you need to choose an Opal Polycarbonate option.
Bronze Polycarbonate Absorbs and Attracts Heat From Sunlight
The Sun’s solar energy is a great source of not only light but also solar energy in the form of heat. Creating a glazed roof above an enclosed room below has the effect of allowing this heat to quickly enter the room and then get trapped with the greenhouse effect resulting in the room becoming warmer.
Choosing Bronze Polycarbonate can increase this effect as the darker shade of Bronze will increase the solar energy absorption and heat up quicker. This is why Bronze Polycarbonate is more common in countries with colder climates.
Some areas benefit from gaining as much heat as possible so, in these cases, Bronze polycarbonate can be the perfect option.
Below is an illustration of how the various parts of the Sun’s solar energy will act on a typical glazed roof application.
Bronze Colour Matches Dark Wood Colours
Bronze Polycarbonate is also popular for use in conjunction with timber rafters where the bronze tint colour compliments the various brown shades of timber rafters or brown glazing bars.
When looking at glazing from the inside the bronze polycarbonate can look great against the timber rafters, or if you are using a brown-coloured glazing bar.
Similarly, from the outside, if the building colour scheme is brown then bronze polycarbonate is a natural choice as it will provide an excellent matching aesthetic finish.
What types of Bronze Polycarbonate are there?
There are two types of Bronze Polycarbonate which are twinwall or multiwall polycarbonate and solid polycarbonate.
The multiwall and twin wall bronze polycarbonate is generally used for roofing applications. This is because multiwall polycarbonate sheets are lighter weight and also provide greater levels of thermal insulation. Twin wall polycarbonate also is more rigid and therefore has a greater spanning distance than solid polycarbonate.
Solid bronze polycarbonate is mostly used in applications where either a higher level of impact strength is required, or where a fully translucent view is required; as solid polycarbonate doesn’t have the flute lines that twinwall does.
Multiwall bronze polycarbonate is available in both twinwall sheets such as 10mm twinwall, or thicker multiwall sheets such as 16mm, 25mm or 35mm thickness.
For solid glazing sheets, bronze polycarbonate roof panels are available in at least two thicknesses, which are usually 3mm or 5mm sheet thickness.
Sometimes people ask for grey-tint polycarbonate, however, grey polycarbonate is not common nowadays and it’s most likely that they have seen what they thought was grey, but actually, it was bronze. Sometimes Bronze tinted polycarbonate can look like a grey tint in certain lighting conditions.
We manufacture other tinted polycarbonate sheet options that may be of interest such as black, patterned and opal.
What is the most popular thickness of Bronze Polycarbonate?
16mm bronze polycarbonate is the most popular thickness of any type of bronze-tinted sheets. If you opt for a solid polycarbonate sheet then 5mm is the most common.
The popularity of 16mm is primarily because of its mix of strength and cost effectiveness. A 10mm bronze twinwall polycarbonate sheet is also a common choice for projects with smaller budgets.
Need Help with your Polycarbonate Project?
If you have any further questions regarding bronze polycarbonate why not reach out to our Live Chat Teams who will be very happy to assist you. Alternatively, you can email shop@clearamber.com where our super-friendly Teams will provide you with all the advice and support you require for your projects.
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