Terrace roof transparent / opaque

We have polycarbonate sheets as roofing on the balcony. They usually clean themselves quite well in rain or snow. You also don’t see the dirt as much because of the pattern. We are satisfied with it, but it is somewhat expensive.

Hi, no question, glass and clear glass at that!!!

Nothing is more beautiful than sitting protected under the glass roof in autumn and spring, when the weather isn’t really right for the terrace, during a light drizzle, and cozy grilling/reading/simply sitting around while all the neighbors have to stay inside their homes.

Clear glass gives you the illusion of sitting outside while you hear the rain on the roof.

And even summer thunderstorms on a barbecue evening lose all their terror.

My father already installed such a roof on our house back in the 70s. At first, with that wire mesh glass. Later it was replaced by clear, walkable laminated safety glass (VSG).

There was a large fir tree and a fruit tree next to it, and we cleaned the panes once a year with a garden hose and a soft broom. That was enough. Time required about a good hour for roughly 25 sqm.

Only two disadvantages of laminated safety glass (VSG):

Price, it’s not cheap.

Weight, the glass requires a corresponding substructure and with pane sizes of 3 m length and 1 m width it is barely manageable with household tools. Our terrace had 4.5 m long glass strips; to this day I don’t know how they installed them without breaking the panes.

Best regards,

Andreas

thank you for your detailed answer.

i also tend to go for clear transparent, although i was initially against it. in summer we would simply hang fabrics under the roof between the beams as sun protection. the woman likes sewing, so something can be done there.
vsg glass is currently not feasible price-wise. but the static calculation will be sufficient, as we are getting the same thick wood as for the carport (it's all one piece).

we just have to decide whether to do it now. the cost for the fun including installation etc. should be 2000€ in addition to the carport price.

With 2000€ you are getting off cheaply. We have been eyeing a glass-aluminum canopy and awning since shortly after moving in. But that quickly comes to 15K€ and more. So far, we have not been able to bring ourselves to that amount. The special repayments were more tempting.

is also cheaper because it is integrated directly into the carport and some things only occur once (planning, setup/takedown, travel, etc., gutter, sealing, etc. only occur once, or whether you seal 6 or 9 meters doesn’t matter once everything is prepared). the roofing is also not VSG or similar.

for 6000€ I can get from the company’s window installer an awning 6 meters wide with smartphone control including installation. that would personally be too much for me anyway, especially since awnings are prone to wind and also not suitable as rain protection. 2000€ is manageable and already significantly enhances the terrace.

My mother gets pissed off when she thinks about having to take down the fabrics again to wash them. And she was a decorator! ... I have always thought of a glass roof when I wonder whether or not to have a fixed roof at all. I find the stylish glass roof of my parents off-putting when I see the dirt on it. Well, the window cleaner only does it every half year because it is very costly (self-endangerment).

I would depend on the position of the sun whether one is willing to sit outside in the corner during a thunderstorm, needing more of rain or sun protection. A covered roof can be quite cozy. What is the orientation of your plan – I still have the drawing from the last topic in mind... Which direction is at the top?