Ready canopy over the porch with monolithic polycarbonate. How to make a canopy over the porch with your own hands? Production of a straight-type frame from a metal profile

A canopy or canopy over the porch is a modern design solution for creating the entrance group of a building. Such designs made of polycarbonate are reliable and look very elegant. They make the entrance group light and airy. Sun awnings are the best solution for protecting your front porch from the sun and rain. Ready-made polycarbonate visors can be bought at a discount at a price of 3,700 rubles per piece. Prompt delivery from a warehouse in Moscow or MO.

Prices and manufacturers

Canopies over the porch

Various types of architectural and facade structures of buildings reliably protect them from atmospheric precipitation and give the exterior an exquisite appeal.

Advanced technologies make it possible to make porch canopies from various roofing materials of any complexity. The use of modern materials ensures long-term service of the product. Today canopies made of monolithic and cellular polycarbonate are in high demand. A polycarbonate visor can have a wide variety of shapes: arched, arched, inclined, domed and combined.

Lightweight, transparent and durable polycarbonate allows you to create any arched structure according to the complexity of manufacturing. The main advantage of this material is a high degree of strength and flexibility. As a rule, structural or stainless steel is used for the manufacture of the frame. Peaks above the entrance will decorate a country house or cottage, shop or office with their unique look. Products can be ordered in finished form, or order production by providing the required dimensions.

Sun and rain protection

Such sun visors are installed during the installation of the entrance groups of shopping malls and business centers, it has also become fashionable to install them in country houses. Facade became especially popular translucent peaks and canopies from polycarbonate.

What are their benefits and why are they so commonly used in commercial and private construction? They are light in weight. The mass of one visor, to which fasteners and sealant are also attached, is about 4 kg. These structures consist of lightweight polycarbonate sheets and a frame made of durable polypropylene, they practically do not create a load.

The main characteristics of the visors

• Bandwidths: A unique solution for the facades of private houses (in good weather they let the sun's rays through, and in wind and rain they protect the house). If you want to avoid the rays of the sun, you can choose from us matt polycarbonate in two colors silver and bronze, which provides shade and coolness.
• Aesthetics and beauty: The charm of any architectural and landscape design will not be spoiled by a visor, because the material can be very successfully combined with metal, concrete, brick, wood and many other materials.
• Long term operation: This material is distinguished not only by its long service life, but also by the fact that its appearance practically does not change over time. High mechanical stability allows him not to be afraid of icing, hail, snow and wind, he is not afraid of temperature changes, he will not deform or crack in the Russian climate.
• Availability: This is one of the main features that made it a popular and affordable material used over the porch. At a very low cost of the visor itself, using the enclosed detailed installation instructions, you can quickly and easily install it yourself.

The canopy above the porch, mounted using polycarbonate sheets, is a practical and at the same time stylish solution for protection from all kinds of natural surprises. At the same time, along with purely practical functions, it also plays an important aesthetic role, as one of the elements of the decorative design of the building. The photo shows some of the amazingly beautiful decorative polycarbonate visors that give a unique look to the entire appearance of the house.

Advantages of protective polycarbonate structures above the porch

Polycarbonate canopies installed above the porch carry a number of functions that make them an important element of the entire structure of the house.

Let us analyze in more detail all the stages of manufacturing such an external visor on the porch or entrance doors to the house.

Types of polycarbonate

On the modern building materials market, there are several varieties of this polymer that can be used to make a visor.

Cellular. The most common and popular variety, widely used in the economy. Structurally, it consists of two thin sheets interconnected by longitudinal bridges. The result is a structure that looks like a honeycomb from the inside, hence its name. The main advantage of cellular polycarbonate is its low cost and practicality in use. The standard dimensions of such sheets can be either 2 x 6 or 2 x 12 m. The thickness of the sheet can vary from 4 to 16 mm. Such sheets are painted in a variety of colors, which makes them a great option for decorating the facade of a building.

Monolithic. As the name says, such a sheet consists of a one-piece molded polymer that does not contain air voids inside. It differs from the previous type in increased strength and resistance to various mechanical damage. At the same time, in terms of transparency, it is practically not inferior to glass. Its only disadvantages are higher cost and more complex processing.

Wavy. It is a kind of monolithic polycarbonate, differing in a wavy shape. This makes it even more durable due to the waves, which are stiffeners. A visor made of such material can easily serve you for decades. But its cost, unfortunately, is even higher than that of a monolithic polymer.

First stage. Design choice

Making a polycarbonate canopy with your own hands is not such a difficult task - the main thing is to take this matter seriously. First of all, you need to decide on the type of construction. It is necessary to decide whether the visor will be made in the form of a metal or wooden structure. The metal frame is much more durable, and with the appropriate craftsmanship, it looks much more aesthetically pleasing than a wooden one. However, to create a decorative metal frame with your own hands, you will need to make much more effort.

However, today it is quite possible to order or purchase ready-made elements of a metal frame of various configurations in a hardware store. If you decide to make a metal frame with your own hands, you need to at least be qualified as a welder. And if you want to create something extraordinary, for example, in the Baroque or Empire style, then you will need a fairly deep knowledge of blacksmithing.

The easiest option is to make a canopy over the porch of wood. Of course, in terms of durability and its decorative qualities, this option is inferior to the metal frame. However, with the appropriate skill in handling wood, you can make the structure strong enough, durable and beautiful.

In the same way, the size and shape of the frame depends only on your aesthetic preferences: whether it will be a small visor directly above the entrance, or an extensive canopy along the facade of the house.

Second phase. Visor drawing

The next step is drawing up a drawing of the future design. To do this, using a tape measure, we remove all the necessary dimensions of the porch and transfer them to paper in the scale we need. Using this drawing of the porch, we determine the amount of materials we need - polycarbonate, wood or metal. After that, we purchase everything necessary and proceed directly to the manufacture of the visor.

Third stage. Making a frame with your own hands

After that, again relying on the drawing, we begin the preparatory work for creating a visor. First of all, you need to mark up and cut the material according to the prepared dimensions. The metal frame is best made from profiled pipes of square or rectangular section. You can also use forged finished frames - they do not require additional supports, and are attached directly to the wall of the house. Another option is a frame, one side attached to the house, and the opposite side resting on the supporting pillars. This design, as a rule, is used for sufficiently large canopy sizes.

Installation of supports

If you took up the device of the canopy over the porch with your own hands, then you will need to choose the type of installation of the supporting pillars. Supports for the canopy over the porch can be made from any material. Suitable wooden poles, metal or asbestos-cement pipes. They can be attached to the surface of the porch, or directly mounted on the ground. In the first case, wooden supports can be attached to the porch with anchor bolts. To install metal poles on the surface of the porch, you will need to weld embedded plates with bolt holes to the bottom of the pipe, with which they will be attached.

Another option is a structure separate from the porch, resting directly on the ground. To do this, dig holes 30-50 cm deep, at the bottom of which a gravel cushion 10 cm thick is arranged. Then metal or asbestos-cement pipes are installed in them, which are poured with concrete. From above, on the resulting supports, the visor frame is mounted by welding or bolts.

Canopy frame

Types of canopy over the porch can be completely different - arched, straight shed or gable. It all depends on the shape of the frame that you are going to make. At the same time, it is necessary to be guided by both practicality and aesthetics, since the canopy over the porch essentially becomes the "face" of the whole house. At the same time, the distance between the rafters should not be made wider than 50 cm. During operation, such a fairly light material as cellular polycarbonate can experience quite large loads in the form of snow, which, if the step between the rafters is too large, can lead to its breakage, cracking or curvature. After assembly, both wooden and metal frames must be treated with special tools that extend their service life.

Roof device

The most technologically advanced material for making a visor over the porch with your own hands is cellular polycarbonate - it is quite light and easy to process. This material can be cut with almost any tool - a grinder, a knife, a jigsaw. At the same time, it does not crack, and does not break. And when you install it on the frame, due to its flexibility, it easily takes the desired shape. At the same time, critical stresses are not created inside the sheet, which could lead to the destruction of the material in winter.

The only thing that is recommended when working with cellular polycarbonate is to close its ends with special overlays after mounting the visor over the porch. The fact is that at high humidity, especially in autumn and spring, condensate accumulates inside the leaf cavities, which freezes when the temperature drops at night, sometimes breaking the thin bridges that fasten the plates to each other. And this, in turn, can significantly reduce the life of a polycarbonate roof.

Outcome

As can be seen from all of the above, making a visor with your own hands is not so difficult. The most important thing here is to be able to hold an instrument in your hands, and to have some creative skills. First of all, have a penchant for spatial thinking in order to clearly imagine what kind of protective structure you would like to see above your porch. It is also important to be able to draw up drawings and work with them. Otherwise, it all comes down to patience and skill, without which it is impossible to build with your own hands even such a fairly simple structure as a canopy over a porch.

The construction of a canopy over the porch opens up a lot of advantages for the owner of the house, among which, first of all, protection of the entrance part of the building from the effects of precipitation and ultraviolet radiation. The choice of polycarbonate as a material for the construction of the porch allows you to make a presentable visor of any shape and configuration. We will talk about the features of the manufacture of this element of the building further.

Advantages of using polycarbonate for the construction of a visor

Polycarbonate, first of all, will allow to scatter solar radiation, thereby not obscuring the structure. In addition, the transmission of ultraviolet allows you to quickly dry the visor after precipitation.

Polycarbonate is an inorganic material that does not lose its properties when interacting with the environment.

Polycarbonate products are quite practical and durable. They are resistant to mechanical stress, including hail. They tolerate temperature changes well, are fireproof and practically non-flammable.

Another significant advantage of polycarbonate is its flexibility, with the help of which the visor will acquire any necessary shape and configuration.

Polycarbonate is not able to conduct heat and air, and therefore it will provide reliable protection from the wind.

In addition, when choosing polycarbonate, there is a huge variety of colors and shades that will harmoniously fit into almost any exterior. This material is not able to fade in the sun, since the technology of applying a color pigment involves its coloring directly in the process of solidification of the material.

Among the advantages of using polycarbonate, it should be noted:

• fire safety and resistance to fire;
• high level of flexibility;
• resistance to mechanical damage;
• good thermal insulation characteristics;
• variety of colors;
• resistance to burnout;
• resistance to corrosion, decay, mold and fungus;
• ease of processing.

Requirements for a canopy over a polycarbonate porch

Before making a visor, you should first of all determine the main functions that it will perform. Among the minimum requirements, we note:

• the ability to withstand not only its own weight, but also the load from snow, rain, wind, etc .;
• since moisture gets on the roof, care should be taken to have a storage tank or a rain collection system;
• it is preferable if the visor will protect not only the front door, but the entire porch;
• the visor should be in harmony with the general view of the entire building.

Functions and design of the visor above the porch

The arrangement of the entrance area in the building requires a visor that protects the door from moisture, sun or wind. In addition, the canopy above the porch performs an aesthetic function, thereby giving a finished and attractive appearance to the entrance area.

There are a huge number of design options for the porch, which differ in shape, configuration and materials used in the process of their construction.

Before you get acquainted with them, we propose to consider the main functions that are assigned to the visor above the porch:

• providing protection - as mentioned earlier, the visor protects the entrance of the house from moisture, wind and solar radiation;
• giving the building comfort and warmth - in the winter season, it is more convenient to open the door on which there is a canopy, as it protects a person leaving or entering the house from the cold;
• complementing the design and overall exterior of the visit is another important function of the canopy.

The construction of a visor for the front door is not a complicated procedure, since this element is sold both in finished form and in the form of materials for its construction.

The main thing is to take into account the wishes of all the inhabitants of the house and compare the visor with the individual characteristics of the building itself. In addition, the durability properties and the practical purpose of acquiring this exterior element should be taken into account.

The appearance and beauty of the whole house depends on the design of the visor. In order for the visor to really become a decoration of the building, it is necessary, when choosing materials for its manufacture, to compare it with the general exterior. For example, when arranging a canopy for a wooden house, it is better to give preference to wood in combination with other environmentally friendly materials, if you plan to install a canopy in a brick house, then metal with polycarbonate is perfect for making a canopy.

The roof of the visor and the entire building should also be in harmony with each other. When choosing the color of the visor, two rules should be followed:

• the shade must completely match one of the main colors of the building;
• the color of the visor should contrast with the overall exterior.

Canopy over the porch photo and variety

One of the most popular are custom-made visors. In this case, the customer receives a high-quality and practical coating, ready for use. In addition, in addition to material investments, you do not need to spend time and effort to manufacture this exterior element.

Among the most popular designs of visors, in relation to the material from which they are made, the following should be distinguished:

1. Polycarbonate visor molds.

This type of visors has a lot of advantages, among which are quality, practicality, power, reliability, durability. In addition, polycarbonate has a fairly presentable appearance, it combines well with other materials, has a huge color palette. In addition, making a polycarbonate visor with your own hands is quite simple, this procedure will not take much time.

2. Steel visors.

A simpler in appearance, but at the same time, an affordable option, the manufacture of a visor over the porch of steel. To perform this procedure, you will need a welding machine and certain skills to work with it. Although the steel structure has a certain reliability and durability, it requires careful maintenance from its owner, and above all, treatment with anti-corrosion compounds.

3. Use of a professional flooring for production of a peak.

If this finishing material is used in the arrangement of a roof, fence or gate, then its use in this case is quite appropriate. The disadvantages of this visor include its instability before mechanical damage.

4. The construction of a plastic visor.

This option has the same advantages as a polycarbonate visor, but only if the plastic selected for the work is of high quality and is intended for the exterior of buildings. The frame for installing plastic is made of any materials in the form of wood, iron, the same plastic, etc. Among the positive qualities of this material, its strength, durability and ease of construction are noted.

5. Metal tile for the construction of the visor.

This type of canopies has a fairly large weight, it is installed if the roof is also finished with metal tiles.

6. The use of forging is an extraordinary solution.

This type of visor has a presentable, luxurious appearance. Although its cost is quite high, it will really become a real decoration of the building.

It is possible to use forging with other types of materials, such as cellular polycarbonate, shingles, plastic. Since the design has a rather large weight, its installation must be carried out with high quality.

7. Wooden canopies over the porch.

This version of the porch has a wooden frame, which is covered with any type of roofing or finishing materials in the form of tiles, polycarbonate, plastic, etc. This type of visor is most often installed in houses made of glued beams or log cabins.

Canopy over the porch made of polycarbonate: types and device

The main components of any visor are:

• frame - the main part that receives and distributes the entire load;
• external coating - roofing or finishing material.

In relation to the method of installation, visors are:

• supporting - they are massive, for fixing they require steel pipes or wooden supports;
• suspended - a more simplified version, they are small in size and are mounted on the wall of the building.

In relation to the shape, visors are:

• arched;
• tented;
• double and single.

In addition, there is the option of building an open structure that does not have walls. A closed canopy is a canopy with walls on both sides. The choice of one or another type of visor depends entirely on the individual characteristics of the building and the functions that are assigned to this element.

In relation to the frame option, the visors are:

• wooden;
• metal.

The first option has a lower cost. It is easier to use, but has a short service life.

Steel structures will last longer, but their construction requires experience and special equipment.

Quite common in the manufacture of a visor, the use of rolled metal. To assemble the main part, a welding machine or bolts are used. Before installation of the product, it undergoes sanding, priming and further painting.

Please note that a steel structure has a higher weight than a wooden one. Aluminum is used to lighten the load on the building.

Do-it-yourself visor over the porch: manufacturing technology

Before the construction of the canopy over the porch, it is necessary to draw up a drawing and design of the future structure. Thus, it will be possible to calculate the future type of the visor, the required amount of materials that will be required in the work.

Please note that a design that is too narrow is not able to provide reliable protection of the front door from atmospheric influences. The minimum length of the visor is 800 mm. The width of the structure should be 500 mm larger than the front door. To avoid the accumulation of debris or snow on the surface of the roof, a visor should be made with a slope.

Tip: The supporting structure is built separately, and then installed in finished form.

In order to build a durable visor over a polycarbonate porch, you will need:

• sheets of cellular polycarbonate, the thickness of which is more than one centimeter, thus, it will be possible to give stability to the roof;
• steel profile pipes;
• welding machine;
• self-tapping screws;
• electric drill;
• screwdriver;
• measuring tape;
• building level;
• pencil.

Tip: To fix cellular polycarbonate on the surface, special self-tapping screws are required that have thermal washers that provide secure fastening.

Instructions for installing a polycarbonate visor:

1. Make a marking on the wall of the house, on which mark the attachment points for the supporting structure for the visor. For these purposes, use a tape measure, level and pencil.

2. Use profile pipes to make the frame of the structure. It is better to choose pipes with a triangular section; use welding to connect them. In the absence of experience with a welding machine, it is better to trust a professional, since the strength of fastening and the reliability of the structure directly depend on the quality of welding.

3. Please note that the number of jumpers that increase the rigidity of the structure depends on the length of the frame.

Tip: To improve the appearance of the visor, all seams formed during the welding process are treated with sandpaper.

4. Using a drill and a nozzle designed for working with metal objects, make holes for installing bolts and fixing the structure to the wall. The minimum number of holes is 4.

5. A minimum of two people will be required to install the visor, since its weight will not allow one person to carry out its installation and fixation.

7. The next step is the installation of polycarbonate. The end sections of the product are subjected to the installation of a special sealing tape, which is inserted into the profile.

8. Please note that the sheets are not attached to each other end to end, you should leave a few millimeters of space between them, which will compensate for the thermal expansion of the material.

9. At the junction of the canopy with the wall, sealant is applied to all joints. Thus, moisture will not get on the front door.

10. Use a metal bar to replace the sealant.

How to make a visor over the porch, video:

Many will agree that the canopy over the porch is an extremely functional and beautiful element of the exterior of a private house. Imagine: unpleasant rainy weather, you want to get into the house as soon as possible, but you must first unlock the front door with the keys that were missing somewhere in the bag. Naturally, it is much more convenient to spend this moment under a canopy, hiding from the weather.

The canopy over the porch really performs quite important functions. Thus, with the help of a do-it-yourself polycarbonate canopy, you can completely prevent snow from entering and other precipitation on the threshold of a private house or directly into the corridor.

Of course, you can choose any material for such a canopy, but the most common and effective option is polycarbonate. To see this, just look at some photos of such visors.

2 Types of canopies over the porch made of polycarbonate

3 DIY materials and tools for a canopy

4 Design

5 Frame selection

6 Do-it-yourself installation

7 Conclusion

Benefits of polycarbonate

Many people ask: “Why is polycarbonate the most effective material for making a do-it-yourself canopy over a canopy?”. Firstly, it is worth knowing that in our time it is quite difficult to find the same easy-to-use material that will also meet some requirements, like polycarbonate.

Polycarbonate boasts whole list of benefits, which distinguish it from ordinary materials that are not very convenient to use for a porch canopy in a private house.

Below you can find a list of the advantages of this material:

• The transparency of polycarbonate is only slightly inferior to ordinary glass.
• Small weight design. This item is one of the main advantages of the material. Indeed, anyone who has ever installed a window frame will have no hesitation in confirming that such a fragile material is extremely heavy, which makes the installation process quite difficult. With polycarbonate, such problems simply cannot arise: despite the large size of the sheet, it is extremely light, which greatly simplifies the process of manufacturing a polycarbonate visor over the porch of a private house with your own hands.
• The unique indicator of strength can also only please. According to this indicator, the polycarbonate construction is the most durable among all in this direction.
• With regards to the care of the material during operation, it is also extremely simple. The fact is that keeping the polycarbonate canopy over the porch clean is a simple task. The reason for this is simple: polycarbonate contains special substances that increase its resistance to substances with chemical components.
• Due to the fact that polycarbonate is made in the form of a plastic, flexible and lightweight material, the process of its installation cannot take much effort even from a person who is engaged in this type of work for the first time. Therefore, anyone can make a visor over the porch of a private house.
• The protective properties of polycarbonate save the visor from the possibility of going into an unusable state. Even over time, polycarbonate will not change its color, will not crack and remain as transparent. By the way, even with the use of brute physical force on such a canopy over the porch, it will be very difficult to bring it into a bad state.

Types of canopies over a polycarbonate porch

Even though the polycarbonate canopy over the porch of a private house is a fairly simple design that is effortlessly done by one's own hands, there are a considerable number of architectural solutions for its creation.

Thus, it is possible to make a canopy from polycarbonate:

As you can see, it is possible to design a canopy over a polycarbonate porch in almost any form. It all depends on your taste. For greater clarity, all types of canopies can be viewed in the photo.

Of course, as in any other building direction, you can not only use a ready-made polycarbonate canopy structure, but also come up with your own. However, for this you need to have a sufficient level of creativity and understand the principle of operation of this system.

Do-it-yourself materials and tools for a canopy

As we already found out a little earlier, it is not difficult for anyone to make a polycarbonate canopy on the porch of their own private house. In this regard, before starting the installation process, it is necessary to prepare only a few specific tools and materials.

The tools you may need can be found in any self-respecting private home owner. So, you will need:

• the most primitive welding machine (220V);
• Bulgarian;
• drill;
• screwdriver (with a nozzle for self-tapping screws).

With regards to the polycarbonate itself, it is best to choose sheet about 8 mm thick. For the frame, it is best to use the material that you liked. However, the most common material for the construction of a polycarbonate canopy is shaped metal pipes. They need to purchase:

1. Special self-tapping screws, excluding the possibility of water intrusion at the attachment points. In their kit, you need to purchase additional thermal washers.
2. Paint, primer and degreaser for all metal frame parts.
3. Special film designed for end surfaces.

Design

One of the most important stages in the manufacture of a polycarbonate canopy for the porch of a private house is the design process.

Here it is very important to consider polycarbonate sheet dimensions to calculate the required width of the canopy as well as its length. It is necessary to carry out all calculations in such a way that the polycarbonate sheet can be cut into several blanks without much waste.

One of the parts will be used directly for the manufacture of a polycarbonate canopy, and the rest of the material will remain "in reserve".

It is very important to remember that in this case it is categorically not recommended to do all the work “by eye”. If you treat the process in this way, then the probability of an unsuccessful canopy design is very high. That is why it is necessary to approach the process with all seriousness.

In the event that you do not have much experience in the design business, or are simply afraid of making an irreparable mistake, it is best to contact a specialist in this area. And you can do it completely free of charge, using the Internet. On the network you can find many ready-made photo drawings and designs that will help you.

Frame selection

I would also like to pay considerable attention to the frame. The fact is that polycarbonate is a versatile material that is excellent matches any design.

But the choice of material for the frame should be approached with all seriousness, since the final appearance of your structure will depend on this choice.

Of the most common materials that are commonly used in this direction, I would like to highlight the following:

1. Wood:
   • The frame made using such material is the simplest and cheapest. However, at the same time, not all experts recommend wood for a canopy over the porch. This is due to the fact that even at the installation stage, this material is able to deliver some trouble, not to mention the process of operation itself.
2. Aluminum:
   • The frame made of aluminum, relative to wood, has a number of significant advantages that make it necessary to use it. These include:
     • ease;
     • high metal strength;
     • plastic;
     • possibility of mechanical assembly;
     • no need to use paint and varnish.
3. Steel:
   • For the installation of such a design, a welding machine is required. So if there is no such device in your inventory, it is best to return to the previous option.
4. Forged frame:
   • The only distinguishing feature of such material is that the owner has the opportunity to any architectural solution.

Do-it-yourself installation

Now it's worth talking about some of the subtleties in working with polycarbonate. First, you must remember that in order to work with polycarbonate, you need to know how to properly handle it.

When installing polycarbonate, it can only be bent in the direction in which the internal channels are parallel to the generatrix of such a fold. Bend polycarbonate best only with a profile base to which it is already mounted.

If the diameter of the holes is made larger than the diameter of the fasteners, during operation, especially when exposed to different temperatures, the material will have the possibility of relatively free movement.

If you need to connect individual sheets of material, special construction profiles can be purchased at any hardware store, with the help of which this process becomes quite simple.

If you have any questions, it is best to look at the photo.

Conclusion

So, as we have already seen, the process of installing a polycarbonate canopy for the porch of a private house with your own hands does not take much effort and time. In addition, anyone can perform such work without contacting a specialist, which, of course, is another plus of such structures.

The porch at the house is not only a design element, but also a practical solution. One of the most popular materials for this structure is polycarbonate. From today's article, you will learn how to install a canopy over a polycarbonate porch with your own hands.

Polycarbonate - the best material for a canopy

Carbonate sheets are very popular. It is believed that this is a universal material for the construction and erection of various structures.

Polycarbonate is considered a universal material for the construction of any structures.

The advantages of polycarbonate are as follows:

• fire resistance;
• high percentage of transparency, ensuring the ingress of sunlight;
• elasticity;
• resistance to mechanical and thermal effects;
• aesthetic appearance and variability of colors;
• strength;
• inexpensive price compared to others;
• ease of installation and maintenance.

Light weight helps a lot during construction - the homeowner does not need to put up a monumental foundation, only a pile or columnar foundation is enough. You can also make a regular visor by attaching it directly to the surface of the building.

The construction of any buildings made of polycarbonate most often does not require a foundation

The properties of the polymer make it possible to produce structures of various shapes from it. It is easily cut, which facilitates the construction procedure.

Polycarbonate structures will let in natural light, scatter it around the perimeter, illuminating surfaces. Also, thanks to this, snow will not accumulate in the corners.

Video "Do-it-yourself visors"

From this video you will learn how to build a canopy for the porch of the house yourself:

Preparing for installation

Now the most popular are two types: cellular polycarbonate and monolithic. Below we will talk about them in more detail.

Cellular

One of the most accessible. It is mainly purchased for the construction of verandas, gazebos, greenhouses. Also, a good porch is obtained from this polymer. It consists of several layers that connect special lines with voids. In a section, a sheet of such a polymer looks like a honeycomb. Thickness can be from 5 to 25 mm.

In addition to the advantages already mentioned, this type has good sound insulation, but the main reason for its popularity is an attractive price, with which neither glass nor metals can practically compete.

Most often, cellular polycarbonate is used for the construction of greenhouses, verandas and gazebos.

Monolithic

It has a dense, smooth and transparent or matte structure with a sheet thickness of 2 to 20, and in some cases 40 mm. This polymer is homogeneous, smooth, dense, with a transparent or matte structure. It has all the advantages of a cellular polymer, but it also has an increased permeability of sunlight. The disadvantage of monolithic polycarbonate is its high price, but it is justified by the high quality of the product.

Wavy

A subspecies of monolithic is wavy or shaped polycarbonate. It has all the positive properties of a monolithic polymer, but due to its shape it has a higher strength.

There are many variations of this material. You can choose the color, structure and density that suits you. However, this polycarbonate is not very popular due to the repulsive price.

Due to its shape, profiled polycarbonate is a durable material.

Calculations and drawings

If you decide to build a visor yourself, before you start building, you need to do the preparatory work - make a measurement and a drawing. Only after using a tape measure you have measured the length, width and depth of the canopy, you can calculate the required amount for the purchase.

To eliminate inaccuracies and problems, you can draw a project plan. Proceed from the calculation that 3-4 adults can freely sit under the canopy when the door is opened. Don't make the visor narrow.

Before erecting a visor, it is worth calculating all the dimensions of the future building

The usual length for a canopy is 80–90 cm, take the width more than the doorway by 50–60 cm. If you also make steps, then take 30 cm for them at a height of 15–17 cm. So, with the finished drawing, you will be much more comfortable to understand end result and immediately correct the roughness.

Step by step instructions for installation

Let's analyze one of the simplest options - installing a direct visor.

Before starting work, check the availability of the following materials and tools:

• metal profile;
• polymer;
• drill, screwdriver, welding machine;
• self-tapping screws;

Self-tapping screws are required to fasten polycarbonate sheets to the visor frame

• roulette, level.

Now let's take a closer look at the most problematic points.

Wireframe creation

Cushioning washers should be used and not overdo it so as not to damage the material.

The frame is made of metal pipes. They are cut into pieces of the desired length, folded into knots and welded. Finished parts are already welded into a solid structure. After that, you need to clean the welding seams. This is followed by priming and staining, as mentioned above. The installation of the polymer should only be started when the frame is dry.

A sealing tape is attached to the ends of the frame, polycarbonate sheets are applied and fastened to the frame with metal screws. Be careful, use special cushioning washers and try to work gently so as not to damage the material.

The frame is advised to be made of metal elements

For greater frame reliability, horizontal parts are fastened between vertical posts with a gap of 40–50 cm. To ensure better frame stability, more jumpers can be made.

As you may have noticed, polycarbonate is not used as an independent material for the construction of structures. The combination with metal is very practical and convenient. For greater aesthetics, if the design of the house allows, forged parts can be used.

The combination of polymer and wood looks beautiful. However, this material requires constant care and is not suitable for all homes.

Installation of polymer sheets

Polymer sheets, keeping a protective film on them, cut into the desired parts. Then fasten them to the frame - for this, take self-tapping screws. And special sealed washers will prevent leakage. The most convenient distance between the holes is 30–40 cm. For reliable fastenings, step back 5 cm from the edges.

Polymer sheets are advised to be cut into the required dimensions without removing the protective film

To prevent the shape of the visor from being distorted, attach stiffeners. Do not fix the polymer rigidly, as it may react to thermal fluctuations. Perform work before completing the final fixing on the wall.

Final fixing

The finished canopy frame should be installed on supports and attached to the wall. The frame should be fixed at the extreme corner points - only four. This is also done using self-tapping screws or bolts. If the polycarbonate was not attached to the frame initially, then they begin to bend and fasten the sheets to the profiles.

When the frame is ready, attach the supports and install on the wall. Seal the joints of the visor and only then remove the protective film from the polymer.

As you can see, the process of installing the visor is quite simple and you can do it yourself. The new design element will delight your family, protect you from rain or sun, and add detail to your façade.