Compare Roof Materials: Glass VS Polycarbonate VS GRP

The options offered to you when choosing a carport or veranda for your home can be a little daunting and we understand that making the right decision is very important to you as you need to choose a product that ticks all your boxes. That’s why we have put together a handy little comparison guide, so you can compare the roof options and decide for yourself which option meets your requirements.

The most prevalent carport and veranda roof options on the market are currently polycarbonate, glass and GRP.

Polycarbonate

Advantages:

  • Very high impact resistance – virtually unbreakable
  • Available translucent, opal or bronze
  • Up to a 25-year life expectancy
  • Many varieties offer high UV protection
  • Cost effective
  • Excellent structural performance
  • Maintains strength and colour over time
  • Self-extinguishing properties
  • Effective resistance to all weather
  • Keeps the area underneath cool on hot days

Disadvantages:

  • Unlike glass, you will not have a clear view of the sky, unless you choose solid polycarbonate which is clear
  • The polycarbonate will resonate during downpours and can become quite noisy

Glass

Advantages:

  • Good acoustic properties – less noise in heavy rainfall
  • Clean polished finish
  • Completely clear – perfect for star gazing and bird watching
  • High-class appearance

Disadvantages:

  • Slightly costlier
  • Safety risk only if the panels are not high quality, toughened glass (ours are toughened)
  • Little or no UV protection (ours can be fitted with a UV filter upon request)

GRP (also known as FRP)

Advantages:

  • Similar appearance to Glass
  • Can be translucent or opaque, plus multiple colours available too
  • Can be covered with a UV stabilized layer to provide UV protection

Disadvantages:

  • Sunlight can cause clear GRP roofs to discolour and coloured panels to fade and deteriorate
  • Lower impact resistance than Polycarbonate
  • Shorter life span than some other options – approx. 10 years
  • The surface of this material is often rough, therefore difficult to clean and needs more maintenance than other roofing materials.

Please remember that all companies use different manufacturers for their roof materials so it’s important you ask the spec for their options as they can vary from company to company.

Download your free copy of the Good Veranda Guide to discover more decisions that you will need to make when it comes to purchasing your carport or veranda.

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