Corrugated plastic roofing is a good way to protect your decks, sheds an walkways from rain and the elements while at the same time allowing in a fair amount of sunlight. Plastic roofs are a great substitute for tradition roofs. Even though they may be a little weaker, they more then make up for it with their ease of installation and affordable pricing. In addition, these roof can be easy to maintain and keep clean. When properly taken care of, these roofs can even last as long or longer than other traditional roofs. Corrugated plastic roofing material can even be used to make fantastic green houses.
Plastic roofs are made out hard plastics. Their ridged shape allows them to be even stronger. In addition the ridges help to channel off rain water and make the shingle more resistant to the wind.
When installing these types of roofs, here are four things you should always remember;
- Make sure that you install them on a slope of at least 1 inch for every foot they are long. This will ensure proper drainage.
- Before installing the screws, it is a good idea to pre-drill the holes in the plastic. Doing this will keep the shingles from cracking and will save you a couple of them. You may also want to use a washer to hold the screws in place and keep them from drinking through.
- When installing side by side panels. Make sure to overlap. You also want to caulk the sees to prevent water from getting trapped in between the shingles. Start at the bottom and then work towards the top so that the shingles can overlap on the way down.
- Be careful not to walk on the plastic roofing material. It may look safe enough, but a roof of this type is not designed to take your weight. For this reason, it may be a good idea also to regularly clean it off if you have heavy pin needles fall on it or if you get more then 6 inches of snow.