Description

Key Features

• Suitable for 25mm and 32mm thick multiwall polycarbonate sheets.
• Part of the Exitex Capex glazing bar range.
• Aluminium base designed for fixing onto supporting timber rafters.
• Brown PVC top cap with snapdown engagement to suit the compatible sheet thicknesses.
• EPDM rubber gaskets help seal against the polycarbonate.
• Gaskets supplied pre-split, with no need to separate them before fitting.
• Supplied with one end cap per complete glazing bar unit.
• Suitable for timber-supported lean-tos, carports, pergolas, canopies and shelters.
• Designed for multiwall polycarbonate; not suitable for glass.

Choosing the Right Bar for Your Sheets

This glazing bar accommodates 25mm and 32mm multiwall polycarbonate. Check your sheet thickness before ordering, particularly when replacing bars on an existing roof.

For 10mm or 16mm sheets, choose our Exitex Brown Snapdown Rafter Glazing Bar (10mm–25mm) instead.

Use matching Exitex components when ordering replacement parts. Sunwood and Exitex bars have different profiles, so their top caps and end caps should not be assumed interchangeable.

Supporting Rafters

This is a rafter-supported glazing bar. It must be supported continuously along its length and securely fixed to a suitable timber rafter at least 50mm wide.

The glazing bar holds the sheets at their supported edges; it does not replace the structural framework beneath the roof. Rafter spacing must also suit the thickness and dimensions of your polycarbonate sheets.

Preparing the Rubber Gaskets

The EPDM rubber gaskets are supplied already pre-split. No splitting or separation is required.

Fit a gasket into each side of the aluminium base where not already fitted. Check that both strips are seated correctly and run evenly along the bar, without twists or gaps, before positioning the sheets.

Calculating Your Sheet Sizes

Polycarbonate expands and contracts as temperatures change, so sheets must have sufficient clearance within the glazing bars. Do not force a sheet tightly against the central upstand.

For the arrangements covered in our sizing guide, allow 10mm off each sheet edge that meets a glazing bar. A sheet between two glazing bars therefore requires a total deduction of 20mm from the rafter centre-to-centre measurement.

Where the outer edges are finished with F-sections instead of end glazing bars, the end-sheet calculation differs. Read our glazing bar deductions and sheet sizing guide before ordering cut-to-size sheets.

Installation

1. Check the framework. Ensure the supporting rafters are secure, correctly spaced and wide enough to support the glazing bars fully.
2. Cut the bar to length. Prepare the aluminium base and PVC top cap, removing any burrs or loose cutting debris.
3. Check the gaskets. The rubber gaskets are already pre-split. Ensure one is correctly seated in each side of the aluminium base.
4. Fix the aluminium base. Secure it to the timber rafter using suitable exterior-grade fixings selected for the supporting timber and installation. Follow the Exitex fitting instructions for fixing positions and spacing.
5. Position the sheets. Rest the prepared polycarbonate sheets evenly on the gaskets, maintaining the required expansion clearance.
6. Fit the PVC top cap. Press it evenly into the correct locking position for your sheet thickness. Check that it is engaged consistently along the full length.
7. Fit the end cap. Check the cut ends are clean and aligned, then fit the supplied Exitex end cap to the exposed bar end.

Do not strike the PVC top cap with a rubber mallet, as this can cause stress fractures. If the cap will not engage, check the sheet thickness, gasket position and alignment before continuing.

End Caps and Finishing Accessories

Each complete glazing bar unit includes one end cap. If you cut a bar into separate usable lengths or need to finish another exposed end, order additional matching Exitex brown end caps separately.

Glazing bar end caps finish the bars themselves. The open flute ends of your polycarbonate sheets require their own sheet closures and appropriate aluminium sealing tape and anti-dust breather tape. Select these to match your sheet thickness and follow our sheet closure installation advice.