Category: Installation

Hurricane Storm Panels: Multiwall Polycarbonate vs. Aluminum vs. Plywood

Hurricane storm panels on a home

When it comes to protecting your home with hurricane storm panels, you have a few options: multiwall polycarbonate, aluminum, and plywood. Your decision will come down to some key considerations: strength, durability, ease of installation, budget, etc. We compare these top three materials used for hurricane protection to help you find the right protection for you.

Regardless of which materials hurricane storm panels you ultimately purchase, you want a product or system that has been tested and certified as passing one of the large missile (i.e. 9-lb 2×4 wood member striking end on at a specified impact speed) impact-resistant standards. See Local and National Standards to get more information on the various test standards and performance requirements.

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How to Install Multiwall Polycarbonate Hurricane Panels

 

A man installing hurricane panels on his home

If you’ve used plywood to protect your home from hurricanes in the past, hurricane panel installation using multiwall polycarbonate is a doable DIY. Like plywood, polycarbonate hurricane panels can be direct mounted to your home without the use of installing a framing system, but they are lighter, transparent, and can be reused. Here’s what you need to know (about tools, materials, and maintenance) and how to install hurricane panels.

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Multiwall Polycarbonate Hurricane Panels: The Ultimate Defense Against Hurricane

 

Installation of hurricane panels

Hurricanes are the costliest weather disasters in the United States. According to the NOAA Office for Coastal Management, tropical cyclones (hurricanes) have caused over $1.3 trillion in damages from storms that occurred between the years 1980 and 2023.

Hurricane hazards, including high-velocity winds and torrential rain, are extremely destructive and pose risks to both life and property. If you live or own property in a hurricane-prone area, FEMA recommends you reinforce, strengthen, or retrofit the property to reduce the risk of damage. Having the proper protection in place to board up glass windows and doors is one essential and provides peace of mind if you need to evacuate. An effective material to help defend your home from damage is multiwall polycarbonate hurricane panels. Below, we discuss what they are and how they can help.

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How to Install a Pergola Using Twinwall

 

Twinwall pergola installed in a backyard

When it comes to extending the life of your pergola and enhancing its features, it’s crucial to carefully choose the quality of the materials you use to build it. Twinwall polycarbonate panels from Acme Plastics are an excellent, durable choice for your pergola roof, as they are lightweight, easy to install, and offer optimal light transmission. Twinwall polycarbonate is also thermally efficient because it traps air between the layers of its sheeting. While it offers many benefits, you need to be cautious when learning how to install a pergola roof panel properly. Below is a comprehensive guide on how to install a pergola roof with Twinwall panels from Acme Plastics.

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6 Benefits of Acrylic Sheet Aquariums

Mother and daughter cleaning acrylic sheet aquarium at home

From retail displays to directional signage, there’s no shortage of things to create with acrylic. And while you might lean towards using the material for your business needs, acrylic can also come in handy for your home—case in point: your aquarium. 

An acrylic sheet aquarium can make a fish lover’s life easier for a multitude of reasons, offering an alternative to the typical glass models. Read on for some of the biggest benefits of choosing an acrylic sheet aquarium.

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Why Acrylic Works for Directional Signage

Acrylic plastic directional sign for public restrooms

Whether it’s a store, office, school, or hospital, people need to be able to know where to go. Enter directional signage, which will help visitors and staff get to exactly how to get where they need to be. So, what is directional signage? And why is acrylic the best option for it? Read on for all the details.

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Why Polycarbonate Is The Right Roofing Material For A Greenhouse

Whether you are a hobbyist or a certified horticulturist, you rely on a greenhouse for year-round gardening. If you are building a new greenhouse or replacing any panels, you need to consider a greenhouse roof material that offers light transmission and heat properties. There are a variety of roofing materials—each with its own unique physical and aesthetic properties. What you ultimately choose depends on what type of structure you are putting a roof on. While metal might be the right material for a gardening shed, you wouldn’t want to use it on a greenhouse. You want a translucent material that provides thermal insulation as well as protection. Traditional materials for a greenhouse roof include glass, fiberglass, acrylic, and polycarbonate panels. Polycarbonate roofing panels, such as  twinwall and multiwall polycarbonate sheets, can be used as roofing panels and greenhouse panels. The panels are an ideal roofing material for greenhouses due to their lightweight properties, cost-effectiveness, and insulation capabilities.

Here, we go into more details on those properties, plus a few more reasons on why polycarbonate is a great greenhouse roof material.

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Tips for Hanging Acrylic Signs

Acrylic signs are a valuable tool for businesses. For a retail location, they can be used to attract customers and guide visitors around a storefront. With corporate offices, acrylic signs can help employees and clients find their way around a building.

While you want to find the optimal places for your acrylic sign, you also want to be sure to hang them properly so that they look their best and last for years to come. With that in mind, we’ve come up with some tips and tricks on how to hang acrylic signs.

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