Hailstorm

[Ralf]

Last Wednesday I had a short hailstorm. I wasn't home at this time. After my return I've seen the result.
A partly destroyed roof of my greenhouse. There are some cracks and holes. I guess that this damage will pay the insurance.

[iann]

Is that twinwall polycarbonate? Did the hail go right through it? I've dropped things a lot heavier than a hailstone on it and hardly made a dent.

[Ralf]

It is twinwall polycarbonate! One hail stone is thru the roof. The others only thru the first layer. I guess the hail had table tennis ball size.
All is renewable and no plant have got any damages. I had luck on my side. More or less.

[Harriet]

If the hail did that to polycarbonate, imagine what it would have done to you!

[apfire]

Amazing! When I built my greenhouse one of the manufacturers said some thicknesses are used as bullet proof glass. UV does weaken it over years.

[SnowFella]

Hail can do some pretty significant damage though, I took some photos a few years back of the aftermath of a freak hailstorm down here that dented car's, broke windows and even rooftiles. I missed driving headfirst into it by about 5 minutes but it hit my wife's work badly.

These are the only ones I still have online, will be going offline in less than a week though as my old website is getting retired.

[daiv]

Hard to imagine that Polycarbonate getting damaged! Although, I agree that UV makes it brittle slowly over time so maybe that is a factor.

[Ralf]

Daiv the new roof have had for only 1 year UV light.
And thru the winter protected by bubble wrap.
That can't be the only reason for the damage.