Buy weatherproof and waterproof panels for outdoor use
Posted on Nov 23, 2016
We have taken a close look at our weather-resistant, weatherproof and waterproof plastic sheets for outdoor use to give you an overview
Panels for outdoor use should meet a number of requirements. Fluctuating temperatures, constant changes between humidity and dry air and, last but not least, the destructive effect of UV radiation, are certainly the skin-tight criteria that a weatherproof panel must withstand to be suitable for outdoor applications.
But application-related requirements such as material colour, scratch-resistant surfaces, as well as light transmission or transparency of the panels, also play a decisive role in the choice.
As you can see, there is a lot to consider here and we at S-Polytec have made it our business to assist you in choosing the right plastic sheet.
Weather-resistant panels for outdoor use
Conventional panels that are usually used for outdoor applications, such as wood panels, screen-printed panels or metal panels, are only suitable for outdoor use to a limited extent without appropriate surface treatment and will fail in the long term.
Wood absorbs moisture and can swell or even rot as a result. The moisture in the wood also very often produces fungal growth, which is logically not conducive to good health. For this reason, boards made of wood must be protected at regular intervals with an appropriate surface treatment using a wood preservative stain or a wood preservative varnish.
Metal panels are usually not only quite expensive, but also quite heavy. Metal panels, not including very expensive stainless steel, usually require extensive pre-treatment, otherwise there is a risk that the metal will rust. Even aluminium gets corroded under certain conditions, because aluminium also rusts. However, the oxidation of aluminium is much faster than rusting, which is why an oxidation layer forms more quickly on aluminium. When using metal panels, the load-bearing substructures should also be designed for the significantly higher weight, which also entails higher costs.
As a specialist dealer in plastics, adhesives and sealants, our recommendation is to use plastic panels for outdoor use. Basically, it can be said that moisture does not affect plastic sheets, as most plastics are waterproof and hardly absorb moisture. However, it becomes more difficult in terms of weather resistance and temperature expansion. Here you already have to make the right choice, because not all plastic sheets are equally suitable for outdoor applications.
Transparent plastic sheets for outdoor use
If you need transparent plastic sheets for outdoor use, there are basically only two possible variants that have the necessary UV and weather resistance. One is impact-resistant polycarbonate and the other is scratch-resistant transparent acrylic glass.
Polycarbonate sheets
Impact-resistant and shatterproof plastic sheets with high transparency
Polycarbonate is not UV and weather resistant in its natural form. The polycarbonate sheets offered in our shop, on the other hand, are a UV-stable, weatherproof version that can be used outdoors without any problems. Polycarbonate can be used at temperatures from -40°C to +130°C. Polycarbonate is extremely impact resistant and does not break. Even when hit hard with a baseball bat, polycarbonate plastic sheets will not break. However, polycarbonate is quite scratch-sensitive and is priced a little above the price level of acrylic glass.
Our transparent polycarbonate sheets for outdoor use
Acrylic glass sheets
Scratch-resistant acrylic glass in transparent design
Acrylic glass, known to most people under the brand name Plexiglas, is characterised by its enormous light transmission, which is higher than that of conventional glass. Transparent acrylic glass is very hard and brittle and therefore has a much less scratch-sensitive surface than polycarbonate, but it can also break more quickly. The temperature ranges of our weatherproof acrylic glass are between -40°C to +90°C.
Our transparent acrylic sheets for outdoor use
Translucent plastic sheets for outdoor use
It is not always desirable to use transparent sheets, even if you do not want to do without good light transmission. The only weatherproof plastic sheet that combines high light transmission with good privacy is acrylic glass in an opal version.
Acrylic glass plates opal
Opaque plastic panels in high-quality frosted glass look
Our opal acrylic sheets, like almost all of our plastic sheets for outdoor use, can be cut directly to the size you need. Opal acrylic sheets combine the good properties of transparent acrylic glass, such as high surface hardness and scratch resistance, with good privacy protection, without sacrificing high light transmission. The weatherproof acrylic sheets in high-quality frosted glass look, can be used in a temperature range from -40°C to +90°C.
Our opal acrylic sheets for outdoor use
Polycarbonate sheets tinted
Tinted polycarbonate panels in grey
The tinted polycarbonate sheets in grey are transparent, but due to their grey tint they have a reduced light transmission which, depending on the thickness of the sheets, is between 40% and 55% compared to normally transparent polycarbonate sheets and are therefore excellently suited as impact-resistant, break-proof roofing for outdoor use.
Our tinted polycarbonate sheets for outdoor use
Opaque plastic sheets for outdoor use
But which sheets should be used when it comes to privacy protection, or flat, opaque cladding? There are also special plastic sheets for such requirements. Depending on the intended use, a distinction must be made between the stability of the surface of an individual segment or the optical motives. In our online shop, we have a whole range of plastic sheets that are opaque and opaque and can be used for outdoor applications.
HPL sheets
The most stable with approval for commercial use
If your application requires very stable and rigid boards, you would be well served with HPL boards. HPL (High Pressure Laminate) are panels made of fabric material that is soaked in resin and pressed into panels under high pressure. HPL boards are available in our online shop in various colours in 6mm or 8mm thickness and are delivered in millimetre-precise cuts according to your specifications. HPL panels have building inspectorate approvals so that they can also be used in the commercial sector and have an extremely scratch-resistant and impact-resistant surface that is also very easy to clean.
Our HPL sheets for outdoor use
Aluminium composite panels
High-quality plastic panels with aluminium face sheets
.Aluminium composite panels, which are probably known to most people under the brand name Alu Dibond™, are panels in sandwich construction in which a polyethylene core is pressed on both sides with an aluminium top layer of approx. 0.2mm. These panels have a very high stiffness and a very low thermal expansion. The thermal expansion of aluminium composite panels is about one tenth of a normal plastic. For this reason, these sandwich panels are ideally suited as large-area cladding panels. In our online shop, we offer aluminium composite panels in a wide range of colours, some with a matt or glossy surface. Aluminium composite panels with a brushed stainless steel look are also available in our shop. Aluminium composite panels can also be used as privacy screens, but the freestanding surfaces should not be too large, otherwise strong winds could cause the surfaces to become permanently deformed.
Our aluminium composite panels for outdoor use at a glance
Polyethylene sheets
Impact-resistant, food-safe plastic sheets for outdoors
.Plastic sheets made of polyethylene are available as non-weatherproof versions, or as UV- and weather-resistant sheets for outdoor use. Even in our shop, not all polyethylene sheets are suitable for outdoor use. However, our Plastic sheets for playground construction, which are available in 19mm thickness and different colours, are all waterproof and weatherproof, so you can use them for outdoor use without hesitation. Polyethylene is impact resistant and has excellent chemical resistance, and is also approved for use in food and drinking water applications.
CAUTION: Not all of our polyethylene sheets in our online shop are suitable for outdoor use! Weatherproof polyethylene sheets are always marked with (UV stabilised).
Our polyethylene sheets in the Übersicht
Rigid PVC sheets
Inexpensive, weatherproof sheets made of rigid PVC without plasticisers
.PVC sheets are hard, dimensionally stable and have normal impact strength, as well as high rigidity. However, not all PVC plastic sheets can be used outdoors, so a distinction must be made between weather-resistant and non-weather-resistant types. In our online shop, we carry PVC sheets in white, which are not affected by UV radiation and weathering, so that these sheets neither become brittle nor yellow. The PVC sheets made of rigid PVC are free of toxic plasticisers and, depending on their thickness, comply with various fire protection standards and approvals.
Our white PVC sheets for outdoor use cut to size
.Our light grey PVC sheets for outdoor use in cut to size
Weather- and waterproof plastic panels made directly to measure
Our weatherproof plastic panels for outdoor use can be bought in our online shop at favourable prices, directly in the size you need. Thanks to constant stock-keeping and the most modern panel saws with CNC control, the cuts are carried out with millimetre precision within the shortest possible time.