ᐅ Is a polycarbonate roof covering for a patio canopy noisy during rain?

Hello everyone,

We are currently planning a possible terrace roof and are wondering how loud a polycarbonate cover gets in comparison to glass during rain.

Our living room is directly adjacent to the terrace – the children's bedroom is just above it – and our bedroom is two floors above that.

Does anyone have a meaningful answer?

I can’t really comment on the noise level, but here’s what I can share. We have a patio roof with laminated safety glass (VSG), which my in-laws had installed. My father-in-law initially said, “We’ll use polycarbonate twin-wall sheets,” which he thought would be sufficient. However, the seller clearly recommended laminated safety glass, and my father-in-law quickly became convinced. Especially if the living room is directly adjacent, I would go for laminated safety glass. It offers a nicer view and better light transmission, and it’s also quite quiet when it rains.

cschiko schrieb:

I can’t really comment on the noise level, but here’s what I know. We have a patio roof made with laminated safety glass (VSG), which my in-laws had installed. My father-in-law initially said, “We’ll use polycarbonate multi-wall sheets,” which would be completely sufficient, but the seller clearly recommended laminated safety glass, and my father-in-law was quickly convinced. Especially if the living room is directly adjacent, I would choose laminated safety glass. It offers a nicer view and better light transmission, and it’s also quite quiet when it rains.

Thanks for your input.

The argument for opal polycarbonate is that it doesn’t require additional shading like an awning and is significantly cheaper.

Price increases—for example, in our quote from KD roofing for 2021 to 2022—have already exceeded 50%, and that was with just a polycarbonate covering.

But then the living room is always darkened. That’s not really the point, otherwise you wouldn’t have chosen the large windows or the expensive 5m (16 ft) lift-and-slide door.

I already asked in the canopy thread and didn’t get an answer: why is acrylic glass basically never used as an alternative? It is very stable, looks more like glass than polycarbonate, and is still cheaper and lighter than glass.

goalkeeper schrieb:

How loud is the poly roof covering compared to glass when it rains?

We have laminated safety glass (VSG) with the bedroom directly underneath, and you can hardly hear anything; the window sill is actually louder. My parents have polycarbonate, and it’s really noisy. It doesn’t bother me because I find that kind of sound calming, but others complain a lot about it. I recommend testing it live with friends, family, or neighbors in your circle...

We have laminated safety glass (VSG). You don’t hear anything. My neighbors have single-pane glass... It will be replaced this year. Very noisy!