Twin Wall Vs Solid Polycarbonate Sheet

Polycarbonate sheeting is popular material due to its durable and rigid structure. it is generally replacing glass in many fields such as the Greenhouse, pool enclosure, roofing of buildings. It is a perfect combination of lightweight, high impact strength, light transmission, frame-resistance, anti-drop as well as charming appearance.

Typically, polycarbonate sheeting is formed into a sheet by an extrusion process. Its impact resistance is 250 times that of glass and surpasses many other plastic materials such as acrylic.

Polycarbonate sheets usually come in two types, Solid and twin-wall. They have similar properties; however, they vary in thickness, clarity, impact resistance and pricing. In this article, we will guide you through a comparison between Twin wall and solid polycarbonate sheets.

What is solid polycarbonate sheeting?

What is Twin wall polycarbonate sheeting?

Typical Characteristics comparison of Twin wall vs solid polycarbonate sheet

	4 mm solid Polycarbonate Sheeting	4 mm Twin wall Polycarbonate Sheeting
Thermal insulation	Fair	Great (better than Solid sheet)
Light transmission	88%	82%
Weight	1.19  kg/m²	0.8 kg/m²
Cost	Fair	Low (lower than solid sheet)
impact strength	Great (better than twin wall sheet)	Fair

polycarbonate sheet for Greenhouse, Twin wall vs solid?

The two types of polycarbonate sheets for greenhouses are Twin wall Polycarbonate and Solid Polycarbonate. Both are great options with similar properties. Overall, a twin wall polycarbonate sheet will be a better choice for green housing. here we explain a head-to-head comparison of twin wall VS solid polycarbonate sheet.

Impact Strength

Solid polycarbonate sheets are 200 times stronger than glass of the same thicker due to the polymer resin it is manufactured from. They give a higher impact strength than any other plastic sheet including muti-wall polycarbonate sheets.

Twin wall polycarbonate is a lightweight sheet however it also has a good impact strength when compared to glass. Its impact strength is due to it having multiple layers, meaning it spreads any impact throughout the layers.

So, if you put impact strength sheet as priority, then Solid polycarbonate sheets are the best option.

Thermal insulation

twin wall polycarbonate roofing will make you never have to worry about the weather being too hot or too cold again! These twin wall panels possess a high light transmission rate, allowing plenty of natural sunshine to come. Its excellent thermal insulation also stores heat in its two internal walls for heating spaces where warmth may be necessary. So, in terms of home roofing, twin wall polycarbonate sheet will be your best choice.

Cost

Twin-wall polycarbonate is the more cost-effective option for anyone on a budget. this is because it isn’t solid so there is less raw material used per meter. Solid polycarbonate is considered a more premium option for a greenhouse. But better quality comes with a bigger cost, So, in terms of cost, Twin wall is a cheaper greenhouse than polycarbonate option.

Clarity

Solid polycarbonate offers a higher light transmission of around 89% compared to the 81% offered by twin walls. Along with better light transmission, solid polycarbonate has a lot greater clarity meaning if you are looking for the highest clarity in your green house, solid So Solid polycarbonate lid polycarbonate sheet will be your choice.

Light weight

One of the first benefits of twin-wall polycarbonate for greenhouses is its lightweight design. When the entire wall and ceiling of a structure is made up of a material, it needs to be as lightweight as possible for easy installation. because the construction of twin walls, uses less materials than solid sheets, so it obviously lightweight than solid ones. So in terms of easy installing, twin wall polycarbonate sheet will be a good choice especially when you want change the walls of greenhouse usually.

Further Reading: Why Use Acrylic Sheets To Build A Greenhouse?

Conclusion

KUSLA is a leading polycarbonate sheet manufacturer in China that provide both solid polycarbonate sheet and twin wall polycarbonate sheet and other kinds, if you have any questions about polycarbonate sheet, contact us now.