Are Corrugated PVC Roof Panels the Right Choice?


Aug 11, 2022

Corrugated PVC roof panels are among the best options for residential, commercial, agricultural, and even industrial roofing applications. While they are an excellent choice for various applications because of their versatility, their suitability may differ between projects.

The differences in suitability depend on the type of project you have at hand and the pros and cons of the panels.

Here’s a close consideration to help you determine if corrugated PVC (polyvinyl chloride) roof panels are the right choice for your project.

Advantages of Corrugated PVC Roof Panels

When choosing a suitable roofing material, several factors come into play. You’ll want to consider weight, durability, eco-friendliness, waterproofing, weather resistance, installation dynamics, and cost.

Let’s see how corrugated polyvinyl chloride roof panels step up for each factor.

Durability

Corrugated PVC roof panels are highly durable. They can last between 20 and 30 years installed on a roof.

Depending on the prevailing conditions of the installation area, a 20-30-year durability range is excellent, but the average lifespan of PVC roofing sheets is 10-20 years under favorable rather than extreme conditions.

Unlike glass roof panels, corrugated PVC roof panels are resistant to shattering, so they’ll last longer.

Weight

You’ll want a lightweight roofing material that won’t weigh down on your structure. Generally, most roofing materials are light, and PVC panels are no exception.

Using corrugated PVC panels ensures the whole roof remains lightweight and doesn’t put undue pressure on the structure below it.

Ease of Installation

corrugated pvc roof panel sheets installation

Corrugated PVC roof panel sheets are easy to install. If you are a handy person, you’ll have an easy time doing the installation.

There are several professional roofing contractors you can contact if you face challenges installing the panels or if you don’t have a suitable installer in your company.

The panels are easy to cut and fix together to form a canopy over your structure. The ease of installation is further enhanced by the lightweight nature of the panels, meaning you can easily hoist them up to the roof without a struggle.

Resistance to the Elements

Polyvinyl chloride is plastic with excellent resistance properties to various elements. You’ll want a roofing material that can withstand extreme weather conditions to last a long time without requiring frequent maintenance.

Corrugated PVC roof panels are highly resistant to fire, wind, UV rays, snow, water/moisture, molding, bacteria, chemicals, rain, and heat.

While not all PVC panels will be adequately resistant to fire, most brands make panels that are hard to ignite, burn slowly, and do not support combustion. Fire resistance is a crucial aspect in many applications, especially in places like hotels and restaurants.

If you install PVC panels on the roof correctly, you won’t have any trouble with mild winds. However, extreme winds can easily carry away a PVC roof. You might have to skip using PVC panels on the roof if the area is prone to strong, high-velocity winds.

Corrugated PVC roof panels are highly resistant to chemicals and toxins. Pure PVC is typically inert and won’t react with most chemicals trapped in the air or rain. The inertness makes PVC corrosion-resistant, which comes in handy for roofing material.

PVC panels resist scratching, but you don’t want to test them out. The panels will undoubtedly get scratched over time, and the scratches will be lodged in the material itself rather than the unpainted or unpolished surface.

The plastic panels are highly resistant to heat. The panels can resist high heat from the sun as well as UV radiation. They won’t melt, soften, or deform when exposed to heat from the sun. However, you should avoid placing them close to extreme heat.

Corrugated PVC panels can resist damage caused by various forms of precipitation like snow and rainfall, along with the effects of exposure to precipitation.

To start with, the panels are corrugated, which means water can easily flow away along the grooves. It’s also easy for water falling on the raised parts to flow down to the grooves. This reduces the chances of ponding (formation of water puddles on the roof).

Since the panels are waterproof plastic polymer, they won’t let any water pass through them. This helps eliminate the chances of bacterial and mold growth on the panels.

Lower Cost

Another crucial advantage of corrugated PVC panels is that they are cheaper than other roofing panel products like polycarbonate and metal sheets.

Disadvantages of Corrugated PVC Roof Panels

Despite the many pros, corrugated PVC panels have their cons.

Firstly, corrugated PVC panels are not as great as polycarbonate panels in impact resistance. They can resist shattering, unlike glass panels, but you won’t want to install them in areas where they will be prone to impact from falling or flying objects.

Secondly, PVC panels aren’t ideal for use alongside asphalt-based products. You’ll need separator sheets if you must install them near an asphalt-based product.

PVC panels don’t offer the best insulation properties. The clear ones are particularly notorious for poor insulation. They are designed to allow as much light as possible to pass through the panels, but they do so at the expense of insulation.

PVC panels will brittle under extremely cold temperatures, so you’ll have to avoid installing them in areas where temperatures often fall far below freezing.

Applications Where Corrugated PVC Roof Panels are a Good Option

corrugated pvc roof panels

Now that you know the advantages and disadvantages of corrugated PVC panels, here’s a quick list of structures that go well with PVC roofing.

  • Carports
  • Lean-tos
  • Canopies
  • Porches
  • Greenhouses
  • Covered walkways
  • Any other applicable structures where transparent roof panels are required to allow light penetration during the day

Situations When Corrugated PVC Roof Panels are the Right Choice

Corrugated PVC roof panels are the right choice for you or your clients if:

  • You want an eco-friendly roofing material that’s recyclable, reusable, and can be repurposed.
  • You are erecting a structure in an area where debris, branches, or flying objects do not fall often.
  • You are erecting a roofed structure in an urban environment.
  • You are looking for a cost-effective roofing panel solution (the upfront cost may be high if it’s a large project, but this is offset by the longevity of the panels, ease of installation, and low maintenance requirements).
  • You are looking for a roofing solution for a harsh-weather area, but preferably one of high heat rather than below-freezing temperatures.