Suntuf

Suntuf panels are corrugated plastic roofing for a patio, pergola, deck, shed or carport, and they’re the panel to pick when you want to control how much light gets through. They’re polycarbonate, they come clear or in solid colors, and a homeowner can cut and hang them with basic tools.

Suntuf is made by Palram Americas, which makes thermoplastic sheets, panel systems and finished products from start to finish in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania. Palram Americas is a subsidiary of Palram Industries, founded in 1963. Palram’s sheets are made mainly from polycarbonate and PVC, and the company holds ISO 9001 certification.

Clear, white or gray: choose the light first

Decide how much light you want under the roof before you choose a panel, because you live with that choice every day. Clear panels let the light through, which suits a cold-frame greenhouse or a patio outside a dark kitchen. The solid colors give full shade, and some Suntuf options block up to 90% of sunlight. White and gray fall in between: they take the glare off and keep the space usable at midday. The usual mistake is putting clear over a west-facing deck and finding out in July that it cooks. For a patio that gets the afternoon sun, go with gray.

How Suntuf holds up to sun and snow

Palram makes corrugated panels in both PVC and polycarbonate, and Suntuf is the polycarbonate line, built for all-weather use year-round. Sun is what wears out a plastic roof. Suntuf blocks 99.9% of UV rays, and UV is what turns lesser panels brittle and cloudy. Palram also claims long-term weather resistance and a high snow load capacity for the panels. How much snow the roof actually carries depends on the frame under it: set the purlins close together and give the roof enough pitch for snow to slide off. A panel spanning purlins set too far apart sags under a heavy, wet snow.

Cutting, fastening and storing the panels

Palram’s guidance covers cutting, drilling and installing Suntuf with basic tools. A circular saw with a fine-tooth blade, or a plywood blade mounted backward, makes a clean cut. Clamp the sheet so it doesn’t chatter. Drill every screw hole a little oversize so the panel can move as it heats and cools.

Fasteners decide how the roof holds up. Palram’s guidance covers the right fasteners, where they go and how tight they get. Use screws with sealing washers, put them through the top of the rib where water doesn’t run, and stop driving when the washer just seals. An overdriven screw dimples the panel, and the dimple holds water and cracks. Suntuf horizontal foam closure strips and horizontal plastic closures sit on the purlins at the eave and ridge to fill the gaps in the corrugation, and the panel screws down through them.

Panels can be damaged before the job even starts, so follow Palram’s storage tips. Stack the sheets flat and dry, out of direct sun, and never under a clear tarp, where heat builds up between them.

Suntuf specs

Spec	Suntuf
Material	Polycarbonate
Profile	Corrugated
Light options	From clear panels that let light through to solid colors that give full shade
Sunlight blocked	Up to 90% on some options
UV blocked	99.9%
Colors	More than 15
Installation	Cut and installed with basic tools
Uses	Patios, pergolas, decks, storage sheds, carports, cold-frame greenhouses
Fire test reports	ASTM D1929 and ASTM E84, 0.8 mm panel
Warranty	Limited lifetime

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you install closure strips under Suntuf panels?

Fasten the horizontal closures, foam or plastic, to the top of the eave and ridge purlins before the first sheet goes down, and line up their humps with the corrugation so the panel sits down in them with no gaps. At the ridge, a second row goes on top of the panel under the ridge cap, and the screws go through the panel and closure into the purlin so everything clamps together. If a closure strip is too long, cut it on a valley so it doesn’t stop partway up a rib, and butt the pieces tight so wind can’t push rain or snow past the joint.

Can you get a Palram Suntuf sample or installation help before you start?

Yes. Palram takes requests for a sample, answers technical and installation questions, and offers architectural or engineering support. With more than 15 colors, holding a sample up where the roof will go is the best way to see how much light and shade you’ll really get, and a Spanish-language Suntuf overview and installation brochure is available for crews who work in Spanish.