Dec 2024
What ETFE costs — and where it saves you money
A frank look at capex, structure savings and lifetime maintenance economics.
Inflated ETFE systems can be installed for as little as £250/m², with price varying on thermal performance, shading requirements, cushion sizing and complexity of the geometry.
The saving is upstream. Because the roof weighs so little, the primary steel, secondary steel and foundations shrink — and that saving often exceeds the difference between ETFE and a comparable glazed roof, before you count the programme savings from faster installation.
Maintenance is the other half of the story. ETFE is self-cleaning, non-stick and UV-stable, with a foil service life of 75 years plus. Replacement components can be installed without craneage or disruption inside the building, and cushion pressure can be monitored remotely — a very different life cost from a glass roof needing regular access.
Working on a scheme where this matters? Talk it through with Lyndon.