Frequently Asked Questions
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Delivery and pick up details
Click here for delivery schedules. 90% of our orders arrive within 5 working days, however some delays are out of our control.
We’ll do our best though!
Some products come from different suppliers.
We don't get a tracking number for most products as our deliveries can't go on a normal courier (they're too large).
However, if you want an update on your order feel free to get in touch!
You can contact us by emailing info@sunnyside.co.nz or calling 0800 047 866.
You may not have to be there. For most products we can pass on any special delivery instructions to the freight company so they can leave it in a safe place for you.
Someone will generally need to be there to help the driver for sheets over 4.0m long, or for any Crystalite sheets.
About Sunnyside
We are available by appointment at our Auckland or Rangiora stores Monday to Saturday. Please call us on the phone number listed before you come.
Note, not all products are available for pick up.
Profiled polycarbonate (e.g. corrugated) and Twinwall roofing products
They don't look too different. However, the Suncover has a 0.04mm UV protective coating and the Laserlite 1000 has a 0.06mm coating.
This is why Laserlite 1000 has a 25 year warranty and Suncover has 10.
The actual thickness of the sheets are the same (0.8mm).
Polycarbonate is a thermoplastic polymer. It is very strong, flexible and does not shatter. It also has a UV protective coating applied to it giving protection from the sun.
PVC is very cheap to produce however it goes brittle quickly and will generally only last a couple of years. This is because it's usually only UV stabilised, not UV protected.
Click here to view a comparison between polycarbonate, FRP and PVC.
Clear polycarbonate lets maximum light through, and also maximum heat. Grey tint lets through the lowest amount of light and mid-level heat reduction.
Opal blocks the most heat, but still lets filtered light through. You can't see through the opal.
If you’re expecting to have regular debris on the roof (due to e.g. overhanging trees), the bronze or grey tint will hide this better.
If you have a structure you want to be light at some times and darker at others, it is best to go for clear or opal sheeting and use a shade sail or sun umbrella underneath it when shade is desired.
Suntuf polycarbonate sheets are distributed by PSP and can be found in Bunnings Warehouse. They have a 25 year loss of light and 15 year performance warranty.
Solasafe clear roofing is distributed by Ampelite and is found in Mitre 10 Mega. They have a 10 year warranty.
Most polycarbonate roofing products available in NZ have similar characteristics. Watch out for unbranded ones that haven’t been sold in NZ for at least 10 years though. The key differences are the level of UV protection. Generally, sheets with a 10 year warranty are the common entry-level sheets. Sheets with a longer warranty will have a thicker UV protective coating.
As far as Suncover and Laserlite 1000 goes:
- Suncover is equivalent to Solasafe. Both have a 10 year warranty.
- Laserlite 1000 is equivalent to the Suntuf. Both have a 15 year performance and 25 year light warranty.
You’ll probably need fasteners which are specifically for polycarbonate roofing.
We also stock accessories: noise stop tape to stop creaking due to temperature change, foam infill to stop wind or debris going in-between the sheets and the purlins and we stock flashings.
If you don’t know what accessories you need, feel free to contact us, we’re happy to help.
Yes, the corrugated profile has the same wave length and pitch, and runs easily into coloursteel.
We also have Greca and 5-Rib profiles. The 5-Rib matches Styleline, T-Rib, or Trimdek.
All colours block out 99.5% of harmful UV rays for SUNCOVER and 99.9% for LASERLITE 1000. This is because the UV protection is applied to the top side of the sheet, and has nothing to do with the colouring in the sheet.
It’s important to ensure the sheet is installed with the UV coating facing upwards towards the sun.
The Twinwall has UV protection both sides, so either side can go towards the sun.
The profiled polycarbonate has UV protection on one side only. This will be clearly marked with a sticker and writing on the sheet.
Custom Glaze can only be installed one way, with the interlocking ridges facing up.
Single walled sheets (such as corrugated) are similar to single glazing.
Condensation is caused when warm air collides with cold surfaces. So if the sheets are cold and the air inside is warm (i.e. you have it installed in a sun-room or similar) you will get condensation on the inside.
The only way to stop this is to ensure that the temperature under the sheets is the same as the temperature outside, by using adequate ventilation.
The Twinwall product is insulated (like double glazing), it reduces the chances of getting condensation. So it's more suitable for enclosed areas.
You can use a sponge or very soft brush with soapy water or detergent. It is very easy to scratch so don't use any hard bristles or brooms.
It's also not recommended to waterblast it.
Some household cleaners will adversely affect the polycarbonate. The following may be suitable (please check with the manufacturer/retailer first):
- 30 Seconds Roof Treatment
- Wet & Forget Moss, Mould, Lichen & Algae Remover
Yes! We've had lots of customers using it for a greenhouse.
Whilst it blocks UV within a certain wavelength, it still allows the necessary light and heat through for plants to grow.
The most common products are corrugated clear and opal, and Twinwall clear and opal.
No. It's nice to have them installed at 610mm to hide the joins, but they don't have to be at that distance.
The purlins (going cross ways) are the ones actually supporting the sheets, and they need to be at 1500mm apart.
Custom Glaze also works best on steeper pitches. 5 degrees is the minimum but we recommend more if possible. This is because the flat part of the sheet is still flexible, and can pool water on shallower pitches.
No. Plenty of customers have used different joining systems, such as aluminium, or existing systems they're just replacing the sheets on.
The sheets need to be supported every 600mm for 6mm and 800mm for 8mm.
You can also use our ClearSpan or EconGlaze joining system.
You can use any screw suitable for outdoor applications to screw the H-joiner to the rafters / studs (for a wall). Usually a pan head or button head works best as they have a nice flat head on them. Normal roofing screws for the joiner would be fine too, as long as the head fits inside the middle channel of the joiner.
For screwing the Twinwall on, just drill a larger hole (10-12mm) before putting the specific Twinwall screws in (these have an aluminium washer and a neoprene washer underneath. They’re usually slightly bigger than standard roofing screws). The screws used for polycarbonate don’t work on Twinwall. The cutters tend to get jammed up in the double wall, and the washers are too flexible for a flat surface.
For curved structures, the maximum purlin spacing should be 750mm and a minimum radius of 6000mm for the corrugated profile.
This basically means that if you have the sheet flat, you can raise the centre by:
- 3.6m sheet – 200mm
- 4.2m sheet – 400mm
- 4.8m sheet – 600mm
- 6.0m sheet – 800mm
There’s some additional info on the installation instructions for Suncover and Laserlite 1000 here.
It’s a good idea to check the sheets before installing, to ensure that they’re exactly square. If they’re out of square, they can start to run off or end up being on a slight angle on the structure.
An easy way to do this is to take the top sheet off the pile, flip it over onto its back, and place it back on the pile. If both the top and bottom edges still line up with the rest of the sheets, then all sheets are square.
Yes! Polycarbonate is one of the easiest plastics to recycle. This is because it’s a thermoplastic and can effectively be melted down and reused multiple times. There are also no emissions when polycarbonate is made, as it’s made from pellets that are melted and squashed into shape.
Although most thermoplastics can and should be recycled, not all councils or recyclers accept all of these plastics. Polycarbonate plastic falls in the recycling code number 7, and some councils reject types 3 to 7 as they are less popular for recycling. You can learn more about it in this guide.
Our standard profiled polycarbonate roofing can hold over 200kg per m2 of roofing.
The main thing is that the structure underneath can support it. Usually with snow prone areas you’ll put the purlins at 600mm apart, or even closer depending on area. The steeper the structure the better, so the snow can run off by itself.
This is an important question. Some chemicals can affect polycarbonate immediately upon contact, so you don’t want to ruin your new roof without finding out what you can use on it!
Polycarbonate is affected by methylated spirits,benzene, petrol, ketones, acetone, phenols, chlorinated and aromatic hydrocarbons, petroleum-based paints, abrasive cleaners and solvents. These may lead to ‘chemical attack’.
Chemical attack can include colour change & whitening. These effects may not always lead to product failure, but they will change and / or reduce the mechanical properties. The most critical effect of chemical attack is stress corrosion, cracking, or crazing, which may or may not be visible to the naked eye. Stress cracks will always result in product failure. You can read more in this guide on the Australian Laserlite website.
This depends on a number of factors, and it’s best to check with your local council before commencing work. As a general rule, you can build a covered structure of up to 20m2 without needing a consent or permit, but there are restrictions on this!
You can find out more in this article on Auckland general building projects. Auckland Council has also just released a new ‘decision tool’ online to help you figure out whether you need consent.
The Laserlite 1000 5-Rib is better for low pitched roofs.
This is because it has a higher ridge on the joins, so less chance of water coming up and in-between the joins or fasteners.
Solid flat glazing panels
The Crystalite and Astariglas are both acrylic products. These generally work out cheaper than polycarbonate, and are more resistant to chemicals.
However, acrylic does not generally meet fire rating requirements for commercial buildings. So for a commercial building you will most likely need to use UGS polycarbonate.
The Crystalite comes in narrower, longer sheets up to 6m.
The Astariglas comes in wider, shorter sheets up to 3m.
It depends on the size and wind zone.
If your longest edge is less than 1m, a 3mm sheet will be suitable for winds up to 40km/h, a 4.5mm sheet for up to 80km/h, and a 6mm sheet for over that.
If your longest edge is more than 1m, a 4.5mm sheet will be suitable for winds up to 30km/h, a 6mm for up to 40km/h, an 8mm for up to 60km/h, a 10mm for up to 80km/h, and a 12mm sheet for over that.
Other products
This is not usually too much of an issue. You may need to get the fabric cut slightly narrower to account for any part of the structure that gets narrower as it rolls down.
If that’s the case, let us know the measurement of the roll (where it will be installed at the top), and the narrowest measurement that the fabric needs to be, so it doesn’t catch on anything as it rolls down.
Feel free to contact us to discuss.