How to install SUNTUF Polycarbonate Roofing

Virtually Indestructible (with normal use)
Great product

[@maybellinesmith6926]

This guy is the best! No matter what home project I have Jon will have a relatable video. Love his upbeat coaching..."You can do it!" or how he describe technique..."crush it just a little, don't smash it. Thanks to Jon my chicken run has a Suntuf roof 🐓🐓

[@Wheelman151]

Just finished using this product on a firewood shed. I agree with Jon....excellent product. He shows cutting with battery powered snips. I don't have those, but used my sabre saw with fine toothed blade medium speed, tin snips, and regular scissors. All worked well. I used the smoke gray tinted panels; Suntuf says they block 80% of UV. I put a motion- sensing LED flood light above the shed, and when I go out at night and trigger the lamp, the roof transmits plenty of light to see what I'm reaching for.

[@Stakan79]

Just put this stuff up on my slanted roof 12x16 pergola. Went with white polycarbonate, though. Love it.

[@palramamericas]

Hi, John. Thanks for your interest and support for our product, Suntuf® Corrugated Polycarbonate. Nice job on the video. However, we felt it was important to note that installation method is a bit different than our published recommendations, especially regarding the number and spacing of fasteners used. Fortunately, as you mention in your video, Suntuf is a super tough product so your installation method may work for your region, but we would recommend following established installation guidelines to ensure against issues due to greater-than-average wind or snow loads. Again, thanks for your interest and support. It's appreciated!

[@Jonehughes]

Palram Americas yes thank you for responding and updating the information I've been installing your product for a long time and it's absolutely fantastic best stuff out there no doubt about it and where we live in southern Oregon there isn't a lot of snow load or a lot of wind load all my awnings that I put up using your product are still doing fantastic so yeah I do have my way because of the where I live I guess I should have mentioned that everybody should follow the manufacturer's recommendations according to where they live

[@chrislooysen]

How well does it protect against UV/heat from the sun? I'm planning on building a gazebo and want to use a tinted version of this material but want to make sure we will stay cool and not be baked under our gazebo on hot days. We've had experience with other plastic materials that intensify the sun, we are hoping this material prevents that from happening. Thanks in advance and great video!!!

[@ranchis9044]

i used suntuff on my deck roof and was very pleased with it until 5 years later when a monster hail storm penetrated it in multiple locations. it withstood average hail perfectly but above golfball size it wasn't tuff enough.

[@vinylsoup]

I installed roof exactly like you said and it leaks like hell, if I back the screw out at all they will not be tight at all or maybe not touch against the panels . So do I need to tighten the screws down. You said not to dimple the panels but how do you tighten against thin flexible panels without dimple

[@fern9234]

Thanks for chiming in. Can you please provide a link to your instructions and do you have an official instructional video?

[@danielduplisea7272]

They look great and your installation video is really informative. Thanks. How are they with snow load and what angle would be necessary for a snow load equivalent of about Massachusetts: wet and heavy but slides off easily?

[@Jonehughes]

I cannot imagine any snow load But I could be full of crap You should probably look it up online and see if anybody's ever done it before I'm on the West Coast we never get snow where I live

[@BannanaTree-ed4tz]

Are they still good now? Are they dirty because there are clear color? And did any crack of break when putting on?

[@Jonehughes]

No they're in perfect condition I do rinse them off occasionally because dust accumulates because they're not really pitched very much in other words the top is not very much higher than the bottom so other than water dust and stuff stays there and it would accumulate and leaves would accumulate now and again so I keep them rinsed off and they're in perfect condition.... still 💖

[@LynetteLee-ro2ic]

Great job, we installed a roof over our sunroom but we’re having a lot of leaks. It seems like the water is running, uphill and coming down through different panels. Any suggestions on how to fix this? Thank you.

[@Jonehughes]

Yeah send me text pics to 541-660-7805 and I'll walk you through any problems I see and see if we can't correct it

[@TurboMountTV]

Can you use 2 X 4 for rafters spanning 10 - 11 feet ? Overlap panels 1 or 2 ridges?? Thanks,

[@Jonehughes]

Yes you're not walking on them that'll be fine You only need one if you'd go two you will just collect dirt on two of them instead of one of them The seams by necessity collect dust and dirt because there's no way to wash them off with rain it's protected by the one above it so the below one collects the dirt and debris crap

[@alandibenedetto5024]

Do you need a flashing against house?

[@Tomhohenadel]

Hi John, I am building a greenhouse on the side of my workshop. My question is the connection joint from the roof to the side walls. I want to extend the roof sheet over the top edge of the wall sheet. Can this joint be strengthened using silicone caulk. Any advice. Yes bro, Jesus is Lord.

[@Jonehughes]

Hi Tom send me pics of what you're looking at and what you're thinking about 541 660 7805

[@JonKino828]

When drilling polycarbonate sheet, do you use larger drill bits (than the rivet size) to allow for expansion under the hot sun?

[@Jonehughes]

Just a hair bigger it doesn't expand that much

[@Jonehughes]

It is totally worth it

[@JonKino828]

@@Jonehughes Thanks Jon for responding.

[@Crusader878]

The ending was the best part of the video. Thank you, John.

[@MsJerkinbabe]

My dad built a roof like this one and it's amazing. He doesn't have any experience took him awhile. I helped of course 😛

[@sharonanderson5258]

Hey I'm trying to put suntuf on a bay window. how do I cut the sides dor every thing to look even?

[@Jonehughes]

That would be very difficult for a master roofer I don't think anybody less than that is going to be able to pull it off there are just too many voids and gaps but just do it just like a regular roof go look at somebody else's bay window roof and position your panels just like the shingles you see on a regular roof but the main part is going to be covering the Ridges of the bay window

[@Kpklein08]

I don't see in this video, or the one on the official SunTuf / Palram website, nor in the Install Guide on the Palram website, anything regarding the use of an approved silicone sealant. Is it recommended to use one when installing the panels? Thanks.

[@Jonehughes]

Kpklein08 you know I don't see any reason to use one if you found a reason because there are millions of reasons I guess you could come up with then you would use a hundred percent silicone a good brand but I wouldn't do it for no reason it doesn't need it unless some situation calls for it that isn't normal

[@jash7401]

Wondered if you looked at their "published recommendations". I put up over 300 sq. ft. about 20 years ago and it has held up with minor leaks at 3 to 5% of the screws. The wind rattles it pretty good some days. My point I was told to drill the holes about 3/32 larger than bit to allow for shrinkage on cold days. I'm starting a new roof job on another structure and would like to see their recommendations but haven't been able to find them.

[@Jonehughes]

That makes sense if you live in that kind of weather I would do as you say make it a little larger I have never had a leak I have the same customers Nobody has ever called me back To fix a leak But if that makes sense where You are by all means do it

[@adammaina1936]

Beautiful. How about heat? Can these clear polys be used in hot climates for greenhouses?

[@fern9234]

They can however it's recommended that the tops of the wood be painted white to prevent heat trapping between the panels and the structure. Also drilling the holes plenty big so that the structure can expand and contract without stressing the panels. Don't overtighten screws!

[@WesFosterHere]

Great video, Jon! This was just what I needed. And yes, JESUS IS LORD and HE IS COMING QUICKLY 🙌🏼

[@RobertJohnson-th2yf]

They have been saying that he is coming soon for 2000 years. He hasn't come back yet. So, wake up, he's not coming back. Why do people still believe in the magic, invisible man in the sky nonsense?

[@WesFosterHere]

Oh that's simple, all of the fulfilled prophecy. Yep, the fulfilled prophecies - Without a shadow of doubt, cannot be denied. Breaks all mathematical models of probability. Any fool can see that.

[@RobertJohnson-th2yf]

@@WesFosterHere So, if all of the prophecies have been fulfilled, how come he hasn't come yet? Yeah, somebody is a fool. LOL

[@WesFosterHere]

Nobody said all of prophecies have been fulfilled. The question was, "Why do people still believe in the magic, invisible man in the sky nonsense?" The answer: The prophecies that have been fulfilled. Peter Stoner in his book "Science Speaks" lays out the mathematical probabilities of a man fulfilling 8 prophecies... the calculations were truly amazing. To think that Jesus fulfilled 460+ prophecies leaves no doubt to who He is and that His word is true.

[@RobertJohnson-th2yf]

@@WesFosterHere First, Stoner's book talks about the odds of Jesus fulfilling 8 prophecies, his book says nothing about Jesus fulfilling the other 460+ prophecies. second, who says that he fufilled them? The new bible? Do you believe everything in the Bible, that the earth was created in 6 days, the earth is 6,000 years old, Noah's ark really happened? If you believe that crap then you wipe probably believe that Jesus walked on water, brought people back from the dead, was born from a virgin mother and rose from the dead. Did it ever occur to you that when they wrote the new testament that they changed facts to say that Jesus fulfilled these prophecies? Why don't you believe in Mohammmed or the Dahli Lama fulfilling the prophecies in their holy books? What aren't you jewish, because all of the prophecies about a messiah that you are talking about were written and predicted in the jewish holy books?

[@fredrobichaud2752]

Do I use caulking horizontally between panels

[@Jonehughes]

No But you do overlap at least one lap It should not be put on a flat roof If it is on a properly pitched roof of 3 and 12 or more There will be no water sitting to creep up and over the last lap

[@frasercard7714]

question please ? why SunTuf than PVC matterial ?

[@Jonehughes]

Suntuf is simply a wonderful product It lasts longer than any product I know of besides steel.... But you can see through this product and it gives you light You don't get that with steel

[@frasercard7714]

@@Jonehughes Thank You Jon. so Sun Tuf is better all round than PVC ? I don't have a really good pitch for this project also ? so some tree branches might be hitting the product. Also I read PVC can't handle much Hail ? Thank You again.....

[@dougiequick1]

Hint IF you forgot which side is which or were in a hurry like ME and did not bother to read the peel off strip until I had peeled it off of 5 panels AND cut all 5 pieces down by 30" or whatever ....Luckily there is very hard to see printed ID reference printed on the UP side that the label/warning tape was on ....the printing is on a rib close to the edge and biased towards one end of the panel ...with the lettering right side up , THAT is the sun side..that is the the "up side". Now should you already have cut THAT off? Then hopefully you can match up the cut end that does have the printing....Since I cut with household scissors my cuts were imperfect they acted like positive ID It was so easy to find the piece that matched my cut perfect ly and simply used the printing on that to tell me which side is up! Personally I think it would be nice if Sun Tuff put tiny reference marks in multiple places on the "up side" so you could never get hopeless mixed up ...personally I am unable (without the sticker or printing) to TELL one side from the other? Some kind of coating or internal process that mystifies me to detect which way is which ...but WHEW the printing saved my day!

[@paulbelci7715]

Are you putting the screws in the lower surface ? I would have thought it would be best to screw from the high edge ?

[@Jonehughes]

You are exactly correct Only put the screws in the top not in the valleys

[@Eastbaypisces]

What are swiggly things that form into it? Do they come with it or what?

[@Jonehughes]

Your friend has shared a link to a Home Depot product they think you would be interested in seeing: Suntuf 24 in. Horizontal Wood Closure Strips (5-Pack) www.homedepot.com/p/Suntuf-24-in-Horizontal-Wood-Closure-Strips-5-Pack-92822/100069797

[@Jonehughes]

Your friend has shared a link to a Home Depot product they think you would be interested in seeing: Suntuf 24 in. Horizontal Wood Closure Strips (5-Pack) www.homedepot.com/p/Suntuf-24-in-Horizontal-Wood-Closure-Strips-5-Pack-92822/100069797

[@johnjohnson9923]

John,Trying to calculate material needs can you help a brother out...? What is the distance from one corrugation to the next side to side overlap Trying to figure out how many inches width is lost per panel by overlapping one corrugation per panel...THANX

[@leeknivek]

figure on 24" per panel, 2" lap.

[@sleddy01]

Do you think the installation would work much differently if you had to change the orientation of the panels? I am looking at a much longer than wide install and want to go parallel with the slope.

[@Jonehughes]

Well they are not designed to do that There's a lot more probability of leaks But if you take all that into account You might be able to put together something you can live with

[@sleddy01]

@@Jonehughes I appreciate the reply. They seem to be offered at 6' and my width is 8, so it seemed to work out better to do them that way. We'll see.

[@Jonehughes]

What are you saying brother They only have six foot long ? But you need 8 foot long ?

[@sleddy01]

@@Jonehughes Exactly.

[@Jonehughes]

Okay if that is what the issue is And you simply cannot order 8ft long from the company Because they come all the way to 12 foot long and I would put them the normal way and simply buy extra and cut them down to make the extra 2 ft With a little bit of overhang For example Install a six-footer Then install a 2ft 6in on top of that one to get 8 ft long with a 6-inch coverage

[@GeorgeS-gb4mc]

HI John, thanks for the video. At 3.30 mark on your video, what kind of wood, thickness did you use on the vertical line?

[@Jonehughes]

3/4" x 1" It could easily be 3/4" x 3/4" or 1"x 1"

[@jfont228]

Hi John, this is so timely for the project I am working on. How did you secure the 1x1's? Screws or nails and what is the specific size?

[@sherrymata4509]

What is the purpose of the horizontal 1x’s. Why not just skip that step?

[@a_missippian]

to go over the eave of the structure so the panels butt up to the wall @@sherrymata4509

[@69A12SuperBee]

Very good install!!! Thanx.

[@timostrom5710]

i used this material for some skylights in my corrugated steel shed. they were discolored and deformed a lot within a year and started cracking apart within 2 years. i am changing them out for the galvanized metal variety tonight. i was very disappointed. good video, funny how you mention them being "indestructable," that is the opposite of my opinion....

[@Jonehughes]

Tim Ostrom hi Tim I wonder if you actually used this product or if it's just a look-alike product this is polycarbonate I've been using it for years and none of mine is discolored and all of mine is still good I have no issues at all and I've done at least 30 or more of the shed roofs

[@timostrom5710]

got it at home depot. it was that stuff, same sticker. maybe home depot was duped...

[@allivanaip]

Yes!! They will melt and deform in extreme heat.....be aware!! Especially the green color!!!!!

[@RobertJohnson-th2yf]

You either put them wrong side down or the extreme heat coming from the corrugated metal was too hot and is not where they are designed to be next to.

[@Timrin1]

Polycarbonate doesn't deform unless the heat gets excessively high, think well over 200 degrees or possibly some combination of very high heat and fastening points that don't allow for expansion and contraction. More likely the sheets were either installed upside down which would mean the UV protection was not on top where it belongs or the product used was a PVC panel that is also offered. The PVC product is an entry-level panel and not designed for use as a skylight on a closed structure.

[@sunbugg]

Love this! Very helpful, thank you!

[@rexv8989]

What did you use to cut it with?

[@Cubevanlife]

I used my Makita cordless oscillating multi tool with a 3/4 round blade.

[@Justin-rm3ks]

Man is this Any Reid “Kansas City Chiefs Coach”??? Sounds just like him lol

[@chrisfarley6662]

Where is the cheapest place you have found to buy these panels: hardware store, online? Thank you.

[@Jonehughes]

Chris Farley I never checked on everybody's price but I can't imagine anybody can beat Home Depot

[@tamaramitchell9601]

A local building supply had it cheaper than Home Depot. Call around. I find the locally-owned stores are much more willing to go the extra mile and give you help when needed.

[@barnabyaprobert5159]

Also available at Lowes which is where we bought ours.

[@chrisfarley6662]

@@barnabyaprobert5159 Interesting, at my local Lowe's they do not carry them. It must vary by region.

[@barnabyaprobert5159]

@@chrisfarley6662I'm I New Hampshire. Good selection of colors and both the 8 footers and the longer ones (12?)

[@lovespurpleflowers]

Jon, what size bit did you use for the hex screws, if you do not mind my asking?

[@Jonehughes]

1 inch That's plenty because you're only going through the polycarbonate panel into solid wood So you can probably get away with 3/4 But 1-inch was all they sold at home Depot

[@Jonehughes]

I might have misunderstood the question I pre-drilled a quarter inch hole through the polycarbonate

[@bucketofsteam9260]

do you take the stickers off?

[@Jonehughes]

Yes the stickers job is to tell you which side is up There are directions on the sticker follow them but the sticker side is the UV protected side

[@bucketofsteam9260]

@@Jonehughes thanks. Realized it was a dumb question when I got to the store and looked at them. Didn't know if it was the kind of sticker you have to fight to get off... if so, figured you just left it on and maybe wouldn't be able to notice with the overlap on the solar gray style. Thanks bud

[@bucketofsteam9260]

I've got a circular saw with a metal cutting 7 1/4 blade. If I'm just cutting one sheet, is it better to use tin snips? Guessing the plastic wobbles if cut with power tool

[@Jonehughes]

Yeah using a circular saw is definitely not optimal You will have to MacGyver it Tin snips also suck use a grinder with a metal cutting blade

[@bucketofsteam9260]

@@Jonehughes I'm thinking that I'm gonna take a straight edge and use my utility knife if both of those options will lead to a bad cut and bad look

[@permamulcher2656]

excellent info, thanks!

[@vinylsoup]

I did my instillation exactly like the manufacture said and my roof leaks like hell....they say not to tighten the screws to the point of dimpling the plastic so thats what I did and it leaks at every screw

[@C.Double.]

Did you use screws with epmd washers that are made for this??

[@BenKlassen1]

Pretty good video except for the end.

[@anitaswafford3236]

I have a free standing Pergola.(kit purchased at Sam's Club) I would like to use these products for my roof. The question I have: is home has gable roof. I would like to have the water run off to drain to the roof, roll down to gutter. Instead of being flat or running off outer edges of the pergola to the ground.I know I would need to pitch the roof.

[@Jonehughes]

Hi Anita send me some pics [e-mail]

[@anitaswafford3236]

WIll do. The Eclipse seems to have left a horrible rain storm!

[@MaxPower-yh6qv]

Well done, nice job !

[@dgc7321]

...loved the very ending...yes He is Lord.

[@mariop3519]

So its interesting how none of the videos including this one do not show the pre drilling. Why? Because its incredibly time consuming and I mean time consuming and depending on where you chose to do it dangerous. Right now I'm installing the very ones in this video. Here's what I'm learning , if you decide to pre drill with the sheets on the roofing, it's dangerous because you're either on a ladder applying force to areas you have to reach out to. If you decide to get on the roofing structure, well that's enough said. Now if you get the enclosures suntuf sells that's even more pre drill time because if you go through the plastic bracket with the 1/4 inch drill bit the hole is too big for the bolt now and you're sol. So you either mark the hole area, pull it down and drill then put it back up or do what I was describing earlier. So it can be dangerous and very time consuming to get these panels up correctly. We really should be better youtube stewards of what we put in our community.

[@Jonehughes]

Mario P hi Mario I did not show the pre-drilling as I did not show a lot of things because I like to keep my videos really short But unlike you I did not have any issues with this project pre-drilling and putting in a screw I put up at least 50 of these structures and I've never had an issue ever so I'm not really sure what you are doing wrong I can't really address it because I wasn't there but if you're able to put a screw in then you're able to pre-drill it maybe you need a sharper drill bit I really don't know what the problem is it's a very easy job

[@mariop3519]

Jon Hughes , not doing anything wrong, in fact if you're doing it right , you have to pre drill. Can't imagine anyone who's done this that many times thinks pre drilling on a latter or up on rafters is a minor detail. I see this detail skipping a lot on youtube. It's a pretty important piece of information. Besides your video is only 4 minutes, come on.

[@lesjohnson43]

When I did my install I used a step bit to drill the holes with the panels in place. It started with a 1/8 then 1/4. Step bits are much easier and safer to use in drilling plastic compared to a regular drill bit.

[@williamreid2598]

Anything you do on a ladder or step ladder or on the ground is dangerous if you’re an idiot.Do you have to reach out a little bit to drill the screws in right? Anybody ever hear of the super sharp De Walt rapid loads countersink sets that we use for mostly putting stainless steel screws into epi ? Look the spellcheck is questioning epi even they don’t even know what the hell that is. These super sharp tapered countersink bits I use for a lot of things becase the points give you a true start. I have even used them on corrugated metal roofing. DW2535 is the model number of the three packs of number six number eight and number 10 bits you can buy them single for about 10 bucks if these or the three pack for maybe 25 depends on where you shop. I haven’t seen the old-school DeWalt drill and flip sets for a while but I’m out in Hawaii. And even so if you don’t have a drill bit that will go to that material like butter then maybe you don’t have the brains to figure out that you shouldn’t be doing it anyways.

[@lovespurpleflowers]

Mario, why so much whining?

[@charlesrose7212]

Thanks!

[@jarekl787]

Grat info, but please use a tripod or at least stop moving the camera while filming !

[@adampatterson3382]

Thankyou sir very much :)

[@essejreklaw2969]

Amen

[@timothysander1267]

After a hailstorm my roof looked like Swiss cheese. This stuff is junk! Indestructible my a-

[@Jonehughes]

Hi Timothy You are hilarious You may as well have said I got up on a ladder with a hammer This stuff is junk I was able to break right through it with a hammer Oy vey

[@Cubevanlife]

I’ll bet your truck didn’t fare much better in those conditions.😊

[@CR10.07]

JESUS is indeed LORD! Thanks

[@marysayhuh1]

God Bless you in Jesus Name.

[@johngagne33]

AMEN, Jesus Christ is Lord!

[@mrdavidurquhart]

Here’s a better guide: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pobNhZyafpqMjpI