Industrial

Upgrading old roof glazing is quick and easy using Twinfix polycarbonate roofing sheets, in either polycarbonate panels or fitted within glazing bars. Providing high levels of natural light, they will also help cut heating and lighting costs.

Choosing multiwall polycarbonate glazing to replace glass in roofing applications gives you many benefits.  Being very light in weight it does not need heavy structures to hold it in place, and on older premises, the light weight of these rooflights can help extend the life the the building.  The multi-wall structure of the polycarbonate roofing acts like double glazing; it helps to keep heat inside the building and creates draft-free work spaces below.   Being UV stabilised it will not yellow noticably over the years, and with its smooth flat surface it can be self-cleaning in rain - although an annual wash down of any polycarbonate roofing sheet is also a good idea.

Traditional glass roof glazing is usually installed at 600mm centres; with polycarbonate glazing this can be extended, depending upon the product being fitted.  For example, 25mm multiwall can be fitted at 1250mm centres, and 16mm multiwall at 1000mm centres.  This results in more light ingress, and less shadows from the glazing bars.  Because polycarbonate glazing is so tough - in its solid glass-like form it is over 200 times stronger than 6mm glass - there will be no breakage problems during installation and no cracks or crazing caused by the the building's settlement movements. 

Polycarbonate sheets can be used in a wide range of both refurbished and new-build industrial and commercial roof glazing applications:


Twinfix offer a wide range of different systems for installing both solid and multiwall polycarbonate glazing in roofing situations.  These are split into two different systems; polycarbonate panels for complete rooflight systems, and the more traditional polycarbonate sheets fitted within glazing bars.

Panel Systems

Panel systems consist of either solid or multiwall polycarbonate fitted into an aluminium frame.  These are made to measure in our factory and arrive at site ready for quick installation. 

If you are providing a non-fragile roof, as advised by CDM regulations, the only test currently accepted by the HSE to classify non-fragile roofing assemblies is contained in the Advisory Committee for Roofwork document 'Test for Non-Fragility of Profiled Sheeted Roofing Assemblies, (Third Edition) ACR[M]001:2011'.  This prescribes a drop test where a 45kg impactor drops onto the test sample from a height of 1.2m.  Polycarbonate roofing sheets fitted within standard glazing bar products will not pass this test - the polycarbonate simply flexes out of the restraining glazing bars.    6.4mm laminated glass also fails, with the impactor droping straight through the glass.  However the Twinfix Multi-Link-Panel NF (non-fragile) achieves a 'B' classification - the 'B' indicating that after multiple drops the polycarbonate panels did not suffer significant damage.   

This system is also available as a fragile panel, the  Multi-Link-Panel. 

Where access on the roof space is restricted the Easifix Panel may be the solution as this is fitted from the side, unlike the Multi-Link-Panel, which is a very quick to install fix and link system that requires space to link one panel over the previous one.

Should you have a run of rooflights fitted with glass that is, in the main, in good condition, you may wish to only replace the broken glass.  The Adaptaglaze Panel, fitted with multiwall polycarbonate glazing, is ideal for this purpose, as it is simply screwed into the existing glass glazing bars.

Polycarbonate sheets and glazing bars

Should you be looking for a sheet and bar system we have a wide range to choose from.  These are split into two different types: self-supporting systems, and rafter gasket products.