SUNSKY ® Corrugated Polycarbonate Skylight & Side Light Panels for Commercial Applications Installation Guide palram.
Contents A. Introduction 1 B. Profile Matching 3 C. Transportation, Handling & Storage 3 D. Chemical Resistance and Fire Hazard Comments 4 E. Sawing, Cutting & Drilling 4 F. Safety Measures (during installation and afterwards) 5 G. Panel Orientation 5 H. General Information for Installation 5 I. Installation Comments (Roofing & Siding) 7 J. Fastening & Sealing 8 K. Recommended Washers & Fasteners 8 L. Side & End Lap Installation 11 M. Options for Installation 13 N.
A. Introduction: SunSky is a high quality light-transmitting, corrugated polycarbonate panel designed to match the profiles of major types of metal roofing and siding panels. It is designed for single or multi-panel skylights or side lights in roofs and walls of metal-clad structures.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION Each SunSky profile has its own additional profile-specific Technical and Installation addendum which includes additional details such as: § § § § § Installation and Technical Spec addendums for each SunSky profile are available here: palram.com/us/sunsky. If viewing this document as a PDF, click on the Link button for any of the profiles listed below to download the related Installation and Tech Spec addendum document.
B. Profile Matching: 1. SunSky 9 and 12 profiles were designed to closely match commonly used metal profiles. These profiles, produced by a few major US suppliers, are manufactured with 5 and 4 main corrugations of 9" and 12" spacing respectively, with two minor corrugations in between. Other panels, appearing to be similar, differ in small but important ways and an exact match may be difficult to achieve. 2.
D. Chemical Resistance and Fire Hazard Comments: 1. SunSky panels are resistant to a variety of chemicals and exhibit limited resistance to a second group of chemicals. A third group of chemicals may attack and damage the panel. Degree & severity of damage depends upon chemical type and duration of exposure. Consult the Chemical Resistance Table that can be downloaded at palram.com/us/chemical-resistance. When in doubt, consult the Palram Technical Support Department or your distributor. 2.
F. Safety Measures (during installation and afterwards): 1. Use ladders, crawling boards and other safety equipment required for safe installation. Be sure to wear appropriate personal protection equipment such as proper gloves, safety glasses, etc. Use all safety measures required according to local safety regulations. 2. Always use appropriate scaffolding to service panels. Scaffolding should provide proper worker safety and ensure proper placement and distribution of weight to avoid damage to panels.
3. Uplift Testing: SunSky corrugated polycarbonate panels meet Uplift Test Criteria specified in UL 580 Test for Uplift Resistance of Roof Assemblies (UL Class 90). Consult Palram Americas technical support for additional details if necessary. Test Description Roof Covering: Corrugated polycarbonate roof panels with 9 inch spaced corrugations. The tested material comes in 0. 032" thick x 38" width and 12 feet long.
I. Installation Comments (Roofing & Siding): 1. Single Panel Run Installation: The length (long side) outermost crests of a SunSky panel should lap over matching adjacent crests of metal panels on both sides. 2. Multi-Panel Run Installation: The middle SunSky panels should be installed with the regular under/over length overlap (the short crest edge on top of a longer one).
J. Fastening & Sealing: Each specific profile has its own specific recommended fastener schedule. See page 2 for links to each profile tech addendum, or visit palram.com/us/sunsky. Figure 13 serves as an example of the information presented. Figure 13. Example of fasteners schedule found in specific addendums SunSky 12" At edge purlins At internal purlins K.
4. Palram Recommended Washer / Fastener Combination: Palram Recommended Washer / Fastener combination was chosen after comprehensive performance testing. The “umbrella” shaped gaskets seal the fastener holes & heads well without exerting excessive pressure on the SunSky panel itself. Limited thermal expansion is possible and compatibility with polycarbonate assured. Regular Washer/Gaskets Fasteners (e.g.
6. Sealing SunSky: a. Self-Adhesive XPE Sealing Tape (Expanded Cross-Linked Polyethylene): Resilient, closed cells, self-adhesive foamed-polyethylene to be applied at sides & end-laps, on top of the overlapped area. Cross-section dimensions may vary according to specific requirements. A typical XPE tape is 3/4" (20.0 mm) in width, 3/16" (5.0 mm) in thickness and comes with pressure sensitive adhesive on one side, protected by silicone paper.
L. Side & End Lap Installation: End lap (or width overlap - short side) of a SunSky panel on another consecutive SunSky or metal R-panel, should always be done over a supporting purlin. Each of the panels involved should overhang the purlin center-line by about 3" (2" minimum and 4" maximum), totaling an average overlap of 6".
2 3 4 4 1 5 1 5 6 6 Sheet-Metal Ridge Cap Fastening SunSky Ridge Cap Fastening Figure 24a Figure 23a 2 3 4 4 1 1 5 5 6 6 SunSky Ridge Cap Fastening & Top Partial Section Figure 23b Sheet-Metal Ridge Cap Fastening & Top Partial Section Figure 24b Legend 1 Representative SunSky panel 2 SunSky Universal Ridge Cap 3 Sheet-metal universal ridge cap (typical) 4 Crest fastener (side-lap) with Palram 3/4" special washer & gasket 5 Shaped Foam Closure (fits topside of panel) 6 Supporting purlin
M. Options for Installation: 4 1. Single width, single span installation (on 2 edge support purlins), integrated and surrounded by matching metal panels, overlapped on top, overlapping and supported on both sides and at the bottom. This dictates that the top metal panel is also installed with its edge corrugations overlapping at both sides, up to the roof edge or ridge.
2. Single width, multi-span installation, on a few support purlins, using one single long panel or a few consecutive ones, overlapping each other (See Single-Panel Runs, page 7, fig. 9). This option can be implemented by two possible alternatives: • Installed mid-field, surrounded by matching metal panels, overlapped on top, overlapping both sides & bottom. • Installed from top to bottom or from ridge to bottom (one or two way pitched roof ).
5. Installing SunSky Side Lights on Exterior Walls: When installing, fastening and sealing side lights, follow the same general procedures for roof installation as described on the preceding pages. Certain installation methods are specific to siding installation, like the framed Side Light.
N. Important Installation Comments: 1. Avoid over-tightening the fasteners. Allow gaskets to squeeze slightly until full contact with panel. Over tightening induces undue internal stresses, leading to premature failure. Regular Washer / Gaskets (Tek Screws) for metal panels apply excessive pressure, are inadequate for SunSky sealing, and cause undue internal stresses in the panel. The stresses result in crazing, fractures, and eventual failure. 2. Never use soft PVC (vinyl) washer / gaskets.
14. Cleaning: Most normal dirt & dust accumulation is washed off by periodic rains. Regular hosing of the panels with clean lukewarm water is sufficient in dry areas. In polluted, oily environments, mild household detergent may be used, assisted by a soft rag or soft-bristled brush. Never use aggressive or abrasive cleaning agents or glass window cleaners. They may scratch or chemically attack the panel. Large areas can be washed by high-pressure water-jet, optionally, in conjunction with diluted detergent.
Inasmuch as Palram Americas has no control over the use (and/or installation method) to which others may put this material, it does not guarantee that the same results as those described herein will be obtained. Each user of the material should make their own test to determine the suitability of the material for their own particular use.
