When it comes to cladding an external roof, many people struggle with the selection of the material. It is common for people to search; Can I use plastic cladding on an external roof.
The simplest answer to this question is yes, you can use plastic cladding on an external roof.
However, it depends on the type of plastic, roof design, and local building regulations. Without considering these factors, you can’t finalise whether you can use this type of cladding on your external roof or not.
In this blog, our goal is to educate you about what this type of cladding is, what types of plastic you can use, and what benefits as well as drawbacks you may face. By reading this blog, you will have a clear idea of whether you can use plastic cladding on an external roof or not.
What is Plastic Cladding for Roofs?
These are synthetic panels or sheets made from different materials like polycarbonate, PVC, or fibreglass. You can use them to cover your roof externally and protect the original roofing structure from intense weather.
Plastic claddings will work as a barrier between the original roofing structure and external elements like rainwater, wind, UV rays, and others. Being lightweight, they won’t impact the strength of your roof and keep it protected with almost no damage.
The best thing about plastic claddings for the roof is their versatile installation options. It means that you can use them for residential and commercial buildings without any limitations. Unlike traditional or metal roofs, it is easy to install plastic claddings to handle and maintain them in their original condition.
However, the effectiveness and durability of plastic claddings depend on the material used for their manufacturing. Here, we have given a brief overview of widely used materials in such claddings.
Polycarbonate
These roofing sheets are popular for their exceptional strength, clarity, and impact resistance. Using these sheets, you can allow the natural light to pass through the roofing structure with the blockage of UV rays.
This is what makes these plastic claddings perfect for external sheds and allows the pure sunlight to shine beneath them.
Along with this, they are highly resistant to weather conditions as well as have a lightweight structure, which makes them one of the most used roofing cladding materials.
PVC
Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC cladding is considered the most affordable roofing option. It is a lightweight cladding type that you can use over sheds, garages, and temporary structures. These plastic claddings have an extensive life because of their corrosion resistance.
Additionally, it is easy to maintain these plastic claddings, which makes it a perfect option for almost every user. However, PVC is less effective in continuous heat exposure, which also reduces its lifespan.
FRP
Another common type of plastic cladding material is Fibreglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP). These sheets are kept flexible like plastic and strong like glass fibres. With this, these claddings become strong enough to stay for years and flexible enough to adjust to almost every structure.
In simple words, you can say that FRP can be used on the external roof of every structure with little customisation. FRP panels also offer good light diffusion and durability, making them an excellent option for both functional and aesthetic roofing needs.
Advantages of Using Plastic Cladding on External Roofs
So far, you have got the answer to, “Can I use plastic cladding on an external roof or not?” We have also shared a brief overview of these claddings and materials used in them. You may have made up your mind to choose these claddings made with particular materials.
However, it is suggested to explore the list of advantages that you will get by using plastic claddings on external roofs. It will help you learn how these claddings are better than traditional ones.
- Plastic claddings are lightweight and easy to install, which makes them suitable for normal roofing structures too.
- These claddings are durable and weather-resistant. It means that the original roofing structure will remain protected from weather conditions.
- Plastic roofing sheets are energy efficient and allow natural light to pass through. You can use them on external sheds because of this facility.
- No need to focus on expensive or extra maintenance services as plastic claddings require low maintenance.
Disadvantages of Using Plastic Cladding on External Roofs
Along with prominent benefits, there are some potential disadvantages of using plastic cladding on external roofs. Before using these claddings, you should be aware of these drawbacks too. Let us share them quickly here for your better understanding!
- These claddings are susceptible to heat damage, which means that continuous exposure to heat may damage them and impact the original roofing structure.
- Plastic claddings have limited fire resistance, which means that they will burn quickly. The reason behind this is the property of melting due to fire.
- Plastic has thermal expansion properties, which means that this material expands because of continuous heat. Therefore, plastic claddings can become larger or wider and leave a prominent pressure on your roof.
- Plastic claddings have reduced sound and thermal insulation. It means that you may get the impact of temperature within your home if you have applied them to the roofing structure.
Final Wrapping
By reading this blog, you have got the answer to “Can I use plastic cladding on an external roof?” Now, you can easily decide whether these claddings are suitable for you or not. However, it is recommended to keep the above advantages and disadvantages in mind.
With this, you will be able to get confident about your decision and ensure that you are not choosing the wrong type of cladding.