What are polycarbonate sheets?
Polycarbonate is a thermoplastic polymer known for extreme impact resistance and glass-like clarity. Sheets are made in various thicknesses and profiles — solid, multiwall (hollow-core) and corrugated — and turn up everywhere: roofing, skylights, greenhouses, pergolas, carports, signage and safety glazing.
Why builders keep choosing it
- Impact resistance: polycarbonate is roughly 200 times stronger than glass — hail bounces off it.
- UV protection: quality sheets carry a UV-blocking coating, protecting people and furniture below and preventing the sheet itself from yellowing.
- Lightweight: far easier to transport and install than glass, which keeps structures — and costs — lighter.
- Weather and heat resistance: it handles baking summers and cold snaps without cracking.
- Transparency: solid sheets give near-glass clarity where you want the light.
- Fire behaviour: classified flame-retardant and self-extinguishing in many building codes.
The three main types
Solid sheets
High clarity, maximum strength — the glass alternative for skylights, safety glazing and feature roofs.
Multiwall sheets
Internal honeycomb walls add insulation and cut weight — the choice for greenhouses and covered walkways where temperature matters.
Corrugated sheets
The wavy profile adds stiffness and sheds rain naturally — standard for carports, patio roofs and industrial roofing.
Where we use it
At AL Patio Solutions we fit polycarbonate as complete patio and walkway roofs, integrate panels into fixed aluminium IBR roofs so daylight still reaches the rooms behind, and bend it into the curved canopies we call Funky Polycarbs. Clear, bronze or opal — the tint decides how much light and glare you get.
The bottom line
Polycarbonate delivers a rare mix: strength, light transmission and design freedom, at a sensible price. If your patio, carport or walkway needs a roof that doesn't turn the space into a cave, ask us for a free quote — we've been fitting it across Cape Town and Johannesburg for decades.