• How to Cut Axiome Polycarbonate Roofing Sheets

    How to Cut Axiome Polycarbonate Roofing Sheets

    How to Cut Axiome Polycarbonate Roofing Sheets

     

    When you are installation a polycarbonate roof you often have to cut the sheets down to size or trim them width ways to match your rafter spacing. This can seem to be a tricky, however, when done correctly cutting roofing sheets is very manageable for even those with a little DIY skill.

    There are varying qualities of plastic roof sheets but at Clear Amber we manufacture only the higher quality grades including polycarbonate when easy to work with, install and cut! Whether you are installing Axiome 10mm Twinwall on a pergola or Axiome 16mm multiwall on a pergola polycarbonate roof the same cutting method applies.

    Learning how to correctly cut polycarbonate roofing sheets is an important skill when installing a new plastic roof as it can make installation a lot cleaner and more professional looking. For example, you may need to trim your multiwall or twinwall polycarbonate sheeting to width to allow for your glazing bar expansion gap. When installing Snapa Snap Fix Glazing Bars you need to allow a bigger gap than when installing Alukap-XR Aluminium Glazing Bars.

    Follow the steps below to learn how to cut Axiome polycarbonate roofing sheets:

    Tools Required to cut Polycarbonate Roof Sheets:
    - Jigsaw, handsaw or circular saw (Top Tip: A Fine Tooth is recommended for a clean cut)
    - Clamps
    - Measuring Tape
    - Pen or pencil for marking

     

    How to cut Polycarbonate Roofing Sheets - Steps:

    1. Safety First – Always wear the appropriate PPE equipment. When cutting polycarbonate sheets safety glasses are recommended

    2. Firstly, using the tape measure calculate your desired cut position

    3. Then using a pen or pencil mark this dimension onto the Axiome Protective Film at a few places along the cut

    4. Draw a straight line between the markings to create a line to follow, using a level or similar straight edge (Top Tip: a straight piece of wood can do the trick!)

    5. IMPORTANT: It is essential that you choose the correct blade for cutting your polycarbonate root sheeting and use a fine-tooth blade. It is best to have a fine too bade with upward cutting teeth for the cleanest possible cut.

    6. Next, clamp your polycarbonate sheet down to a work bench, or similar, to hold the roof sheet firm whilst cutting. This is more critical for thinner thicknesses of Axiome polycarbonate, such as 10m, here there is more flexibility

    7. Select the highest blade speed available

    8. Start the blade and check the saw is running smoothly. Then move slowly into the Axiome sheet, keeping a steady hand to ensure the cut starts off straight

    9. Once you are a few centimetres into the sheet, increase to a medium feed speed and follow the line across as accurately as possible

    10. When you reach the end edge of the sheet slow down a little and to ensure the offcut detaches safely without jamming

    11. For small cuts you may use a hand saw. If so then when starting to cut the sheet you will need to run some down strokes first to create an indent which will guide the saw straight

    12. Top Tip: When using a hand saw you are best to cut with the saw at a shallow angle. A shallower angle makes for easier cutting and less force needed so in turn a smoother cut!

     

    Want to leave the cutting to the experts?

    Remember, at Clear Amber, we offer a free cut to size service so we can cut to the size that suits your project. Our experience production and operations teams can remove the hassle of cutting for you. Simply request the size you desire when ordering your Axiome Sheets and our teams will do the rest!

     

    Frequenlty Asked Polycarbonate Roofing Sheet Questions

    What is the most important step when cutting polycarbonate sheets?
    Without doubt, the most important step when cutting polycarbonate roof sheets is choosing the correct blade. With both Multiwall and twinwall Polycarbonate Sheets you need to choose a fine toothed blade which ideally have upward cutting teeth.

    A coarse tooth blade will be very jumpy and create a rough uneven cut so always double check you have the appropriate blade before starting!

    Are Axgard Solid Plastic Sheets cut the same as Multiwall and Twinwall Sheets?
    Yes, similar! When cutting solid Axgard sheets you should follow a similar method to when you cut Multiwall and Twinwall Polycarbonate sheets, however, there are some key differences. Follow our simple How to Cut Solid Glazing Sheets video to learn how to properly cut Axgard Solid Glazing Sheets.

    What is the best tool for cutting polycarbonate roof sheets?
    There a few tool options that will work when you are cutting polycarbonate roofing sheets, depending on what you have available to use on site or at home. Using a jigsaw or circular saw are the most popular options and from experience we would suggest a jigsaw is easiest to work with a get a straight cut. Jigsaws can also be used for curved or more complicated shapes in plastics.

    A circular saw works well for cutting plastic roofing sheets as well but you need to have a long enough circular saw rail guide for it to be effective.

    Are all thicknesses of polycarbonate sheets cut the same way?
    Yes! All thicknesses of polycarbonate roofing sheet should be cut using the same method described above.

    The thicker sheet gauges we manufacture, such as Axiome® 16mm polycarbonate, tend to be easier to cut due to a higher level of rigidity. On the other hand, the thinner thicknesses of Twinwall polycarbonate sheeting between 4mm and 10mm tend to be more flexible so will required more support when being cut.


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