I know this is OT, but there's so many knowledgeable people here, I was thinking there's probably someone who would know something about this. I've been using PVC pipe as a structural component in something that's used outdoors for a number of years. What I recently discovered is that the pipe has a tendency to expand on the sunny side of the pipe, thereby making it bend due to the difference in expansion rate between the sunny side and shadow side. This is kind of a nightmare, because we have a bunch of these things out there, and I'm now thinking it was a mistake to use PVC. The problem is that the tube/ pipe has to be completely non conductive, otherwise I would obviously just use metal.
So just wondering if there's any plastics experts out there with any ideas... Is there a type of PVC or other affordable plastic that this wouldn't happen with? I've thought about fiberglass, but having to finish it would be a huge time consuming thing. Plus, it's a lot more expensive.
Thanks for any help,
Dave