Agreed, acrylic sheets are surprisingly durable. I used leftover polycarbonate panels from a greenhouse project to cover a basement window well—held up great through storms and even hail. Just make sure to angle it slightly for runoff, otherwise water pools and you risk leaks or mold buildup. Learned that the hard way...
"Just make sure to angle it slightly for runoff, otherwise water pools and you risk leaks or mold buildup."
Good point about angling for runoff, but I'd actually caution against acrylic sheets if aesthetics matter to you. While they're durable, they tend to scratch and cloud up over time, especially outdoors. I once used them for a client's patio skylight—looked fantastic initially, but after a year of weather exposure, it lost its clarity and charm. Polycarbonate might be pricier, but it stays clearer longer and resists UV damage better. Just something to consider...
Had a similar experience with acrylic sheets myself. Put one over our side porch last summer—looked great at first, but after just one winter it started clouding up and looking worn out. Wish I'd known about polycarbonate earlier, sounds like it would've saved me some hassle. Definitely agree on angling though, learned that the hard way after a heavy rainstorm left a mini-lake overhead...
Went through something similar with acrylic panels on a rental property's deck. Quick lessons learned:
- Acrylic looked awesome initially, tenants loved it... until winter hit. Cloudy patches everywhere.
- Switched to polycarbonate next time around—held up way better, clearer longer.
- Definitely second the angling advice; had to rush over one night after tenants called about a sagging roof from pooled rainwater. Not fun at midnight.
Live and learn, I guess...
"had to rush over one night after tenants called about a sagging roof from pooled rainwater. Not fun at midnight."
Been there, done that... except mine was a historic porch roof that decided midnight during a thunderstorm was the perfect time to spring a leak. Nothing like scrambling around in pajamas with buckets and tarps. Agree polycarbonate is solid, but honestly, sometimes old-school materials like tempered glass or even metal roofing panels save headaches down the line. Lesson learned the hard way here too.
