ETFE _ The Building Material Of The Future - Tuflite Polymers

Ethylene Tetra Fluoro Ethylene (ETFE), a fluorine-based plastic, was invented by DuPont in the 1930s as an insulation material for the aeronautics industry. Although it wasn’t planned to be a popular building material, but slowly recognizing the material’s amazing characteristics and qualities, it found usage in architectural and constructional industries too. Today, it is believed to be one of the finest constructional materials in a variety of commercial applications.

History or ETFE

It was Stefan Lehnert who reconsidered the material’s usage in the 1980’s by recognizing its qualities of strength, high light transmission, and other structural properties, which helped the construction industry. Looking at all these qualities, Stefan started the development of the systems that we know of now. Today, ETFE has become a popular innovative material in lightweight architecture, being used in facades and covers, revolutionizing the world of architecture today.

How is ETFE made?

ETFE foil is created by taking a plastic polymer resin and extruding it into a thin film, which can replace glazing due to its high light transmission properties. ETFE is also available in the form of cushions, when two or more layers are stacked together and inflated in the gaps in between to form a cushion-like structure.

Advantages of ETFE

• The most outstanding properties of ETFE that have led to its prominence and recognition include ultra-lightweightedness, translucency, flexibility, non-flammability, and layer and colour options.
• Another unique property of ETFE is that the material is self-cleaning due to its non-stick surface; hence, no kind of dirt or dust can stay on the ETFE surface for longer, thus eliminating contamination.
• ETFE is also recyclable.
• ETFE also uses different advanced cutting-edge coatings and techniques for printing which can adjust the translucency, as well as the warm and acoustic properties of the texture itself.
• When high level of light is not required, ETFE can also be printed or patterned in designs that reduce the amount of light entering the structure, while also giving the structure an aesthetic appeal. In this way, the method that is called “fritting”, solar gain can be reduced, with transparency being retained.

With all these amazing properties, ETFE has become one of the highest in-demand building materials today. And, there is a lot of potentials that one can advantage of. ETFE keeps opening new opportunities for engineers, architects, designers, and everyone else in the construction field. Thus, ETFE is here to stay in the construction circle for many many years to come. ETFE is used today in a variety of constructional projects like schools, offices, sports facilities, government buildings, greenhouses, and more. So, if you want to take advantage of all these benefits of ETFE foil and cushions, you can get in touch with Tuflite Polymers, one of the finest ETFE foil roof suppliers in India. Tuflite Polymers has partnered with the leading ETFE manufacturer – Vector Foiltec – to provide the Indian subcontinent with best-in-class ETFE foil sheets and cushions at the best price to clients across the globe since more than a decade now.

How To Assemble A Multiwall Polycarbonate Roof - Tuflite Polymers

Choosing a multiwall polycarbonate sheet to build your roof is a great choice, but you also need to know how you can assemble the sheet to build the roof for your structure. So, here’s the perfect guide.

Cutting the polycarbonate

Before building a roof, you need to know the right dimensions you require for the roof. Only with the right dimensions can you cut the sheet to the required size. So, take up the dimensions, and mark the same on the sheet. After marking the sheet with a pen or marker, you can easily cut the sheet with the help of sharp-toothed scissors or a circular saw. It is very easy to cut the sheet on your own, which does not produce any harmful or toxic shards.

Taping it up

Once cut, you can then apply solid tape to the top of the sheet, which is nearest to the wall. You must also apply a vented tape to the other end, which runs near the gutter. Such taping can help protect the sheet from any water ingress. To protect the same from the gutter, you can have a U-profile clipped over the vented tape. Also, once the sheet is in position, you can apply a capping bar.

Rafting the sheet

You can then have a rafter gasket, which will be sitting down on a jointing rafter, where you will have 2 sheets coming side by side. You must allow for an expansion on the sheet, so that when the sheet heats up during the day, and cools down at night, the sheet will expand and contract due to the co-efficient of linear expansion. You must thus leave a 10-12 mm gap between the 2 sheets. Taking care of all of this, you must then insert screws to tighten the sheets in place. But remember not to over-tighten the screws, as you need to leave some space for expansion and contraction. Lastly, you must install an aluminum F-profile on the gable end of the sheet, for a last finish and fix.

Water-tight sealing

Once all of it is done, you can then achieve a water-tight seal between the house wall and the multiwall polycarbonate sheet. This can be achieved by using a butyl-backed lead flashing, which can be easily adhered to the sheet and the wall. Moreover, the butyl backing makes it a very easy process, as compared to using standard lead. 

You can see how it is so easy to assemble a multiwall polycarbonate roof. You may thus call on a professional to build your roof, or build it up on your own as it is such an easy procedure. Whatever you do, you need to ensure that you choose the best quality polycarbonate roofing sheets. And, this you can get at Tuflite Polymers, the leaders in manufacturing and supplying the best quality polycarbonates. There are a wide range of polycarbonate options to choose from here – solid and simple to textured, corrugated, profiled, and multiwall options.