Is your spray foam roof insulation stopping you from selling your home?

Here’s what can be done to put the value back into your property

Spray foam roof insulation has caused misery for many homeowners as the value of their home has been lost

It is estimated that around a quarter of a million homeowners throughout the UK had spray foam roof insulation installed into the roof or attic space of their homes. Little did they know at the time, that this would turn out to be a disastrous decision for many of them as their homes were effectively rendered worthless overnight.


That’s because many installers used the wrong type of foam known as closed cell foam which effectively prevents the roof space from breathing leading to damp issues that can go on to cause serious damage to the now covered roof truss supports. If a surveyor cannot examine the roof supports because they are now covered in foam, it’s unlikely a mortgage provider will approve a loan on the property.


Most mortgage lenders will also refuse to advance loans on any property which has any type of spray foam insulation installed because they don’t know whether the foam used in the installation is the correct foam or the closed cell foam and because the roof truss support cannot be examined for signs of damp, they simply won’t approve mortgages on such properties. 


There’s no doubt that over the past 20 years or so, there have been many cowboys taking advantage of the fact that there is little or no industry regulation on spray foam insulation. Some of these firms may well have offered a ‘guarantee,’ but sadly, for homeowners who have found themselves unable to sell their property because prospective buyers cannot raise a mortagge on it, this is now of little comfort as many of these businesses are no longer trading, making the guarantee as worthless as their home.


The issue has been featured on BBC TV’s Rogue Traders programme where a number of homeowners who had the foam installed were now unable to sell their homes. In one case, a homeowner who bought a property without having a survey carried out now bitterly regrets not having done so as she went on to discover that there was spray foam roof insulation in her attic.

Worse still, the spray foam was poorly applied and effectively stuck the roof slates together from the inside making any roof repairs virtually impossible. Given this is on a period cottage in a conservation area, the problem was further compounded as no planning permission had been sought. She is now faced with having to have her entire roof taken off and re-installed.


Whilst there are reputable spray foam insulation businesses out there, with mortgage providers not prepared to lend on properties with spray foam insulation, many businesses have simply ceased trading as homeowners have become more aware of the issue. One such company was Spray Seal Roof Insulation Limited. When it ceased trading, any guarantees it offered at the time became null and void leaving homeowners with a real headache. 


So what’s the solution?


Well, getting your money back from a firm that is no longer trading is virtually impossible, but, you can restore the value of your home by having the spray foam insulation professionally removed.


Because of the way spray foam insulation is applied, most if not all the roof truss supports together with any electric wiring that may have been present are totally covered. That’s why it’s important to have the foam professionally removed to prevent further damage to your roof supports.


Local Spray Foam Removal, which has no connection to Spray Seal Roof Insulation or any other spray foam installation business, specialises in the removal of spray foam roof insulation throughout the UK. 


Visit the Local Spray Foam Removal website here or call FREEPHONE 0800 635 6623 now for a free, no-obligation quote from Local Spray Foam Removal, Britain’s foam insulation removal specialists. 

Visit the Local Spray Foam Removal website

Is all spray foam roof insulation bad? 

From the point of view of not rendering your home virtually worthless for the reasons outlined above, it is probably inadvisable to have spray foam insulation in your roof space. The real issue for homeowners is running the risk of a mortgage lender not wishing to advance mortgages on your home rendering it effectively worthless.


Of course, with the cost of living energy crisis, many homeowners are looking to have insulation installed to cut their rocketing heating bills. 


There are many great no risk alternatives to spray foam including relatively low-cost rock wool insulation available from most DIY stores. If you cannot install it yourself, then Local Spray Foam Removal can help. The other product is Kingspan insulation boards which are excellent especially where the loft is used as an additional room or storage space. 

How much will it cost to remove spray foam insulation from my loft?

Local Spray Foam Removal are competitively-priced in the spray foam removal industry and are also highly skilled at carrying out this type of work. We offer a fast and reliable solution coupled with a responsive service. What will it cost? Visit our main website here for more details.

Frequently asked questions about spray foam roof insulation answered

Homeowners who have found themselves trapped in a house they cannot sell often ask the following questions about spray foam insulation. Here, we try to answer some of them. To assess the next step forward, Local Spray Foam Removal offer free inspections and no-obligation quotes on having the spray foam removed.

  • Why won’t lenders give mortgages on homes with spray foam insulation?

    Not all spray foam installations are bad. However, a significant number of them over the past 30 years have been carried out using what’s known as ‘closed cell foam’ which effectively prevents air circulation in your loft leading to the roof timbers getting damp and eventually causing the roof structure to rot. Because spray foam often covers the roof support timbers, it’s impossible to inspect the timbers. Becuase lenders don’t know which spray foam installations have been correctly carried out and which have not, they generally refuse to offer loans on properties that have had spray foam insulation installed effectively making it impossible to sell your home and making it pretty much worthless.

  • What’s the solution if I cannot sell my home?

    To have the original spray foam removed and your home re-insultated with approved quality materials such as Rockwool or Kingspan Insulation Boards. Provided the work has been carried out by professional contractors such as Local Spray Foam Removal, that should satisfy lenders to lend on your property again.

  • If I decide to remain in my home rather than sell it, are there any other issues?

    Yes. Aside from the fact that your home will remain effectively worthless which can be an issue if you intend to leave it to your family after your death, there is a more immediate problem. If the wrong type of spray foam was used during the original installation, your whole roof structure could eventually fail causing your roof to collapse if the situation is not remedied. That’s why, in most cases, it’s recommended by bodies such as The Property Care Association that spray foam be completely removed.

  • How much is it likely to cost to have it professionally removed?

    That all depends on how big your roof is. It also depends on whether damage has already occured as a result of the spray foam. For example, with some earlier installations, the roof felt was removed and the foam sprayed onto the underside of the roof tiles or slates which has the effect of gluing the whole roof together making it impossible to repair the roof without entirely dismantalling it and putting on a new roof or having the foam professionally removed from within your loft. As experienced contractors and roofers, we will remove the foam without causing further damage and are able to effect any repairs which may been needed to the roof trusses for example. That’s why until we have inspected your spray foam installation, we cannot give you an accurate cost for removing it.

  • Can I remove the spray foam myself?

    It’s not recommended as you could cause further damage to your roof and potentially any electric cables which have been covered during the original spray foam installation. The foam itself may also be toxic. Removing spray foam is not as easy as it might appear and requires to be done carefully by trained professionals.

  • How do you remove the spray foam?

    Our specialist teams around the UK have all the necessary equipment, training and experience to carry out spray foam removal work. The method we prefer is known as dry ice blasting to avoid damage to the roof structure. Dry ice blasting removes foam without causing pitting or damage to any fixed roof tiles or wooden trusses. It also removes spray foam insulation in large chunks rather than the traditional way of scraping the foam off manually.

  • Do you install new insulation satisfactory to mortgage lenders?

    Yes, we can also install traditional insulation methods after removing the original spray foam. We use traditional Rockwool material or if preferred, Kingspan insulation boards. Both products are excellent.

  • Once the work is carried out, what happens next?

    Well if you have been unable to sell your home, you should let your estate agent know that the removal work as been professionally carried out and we will provide written evidence of this. A survey will be carried out by the potential buyer as part of their mortgage application which should satisfy the lender.

  • Which areas do Local Spray Foam Removal cover?

    We work throughout England, Scotland and Wales including Aberdeen, Bath, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Blackpool, Bristol, Brighton, Cambridge, Canterbury, Cardiff, Carlisle, Colchester, Chester, Derby, Dumfries, Dundee, Durham, Edinburgh, Exeter, Falmouth, Fort William, Glasgow, Hull, Inverness, Ipswich, Leicester, Leeds, Liverpool, Livingston, London, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Newquay, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Paisley, Perth, Peterborough, Peterhead, Plymouth, Sheffield, Southampton, Sunderland, Swansea, Torquay, Truro, Warrington and York.

  • Can I claim back the cost of the original spray foam installation?

    Possibly. You would need to go to a solicitor for advice on that. However, if the firm which installed it is no longer trading, then recovering the money spent on the original installation will probably be impossible. 

Finding out what to do about removing spray foam insulation

Homeowners looking for advice for what to do if they find that spray foam insulation in their attic is stopping them from being able to sell or release equity on their homes will generally carry out a Google search using the following search terms to find out what their next steps should be: spray seal roof insulation, spray foam roof insulation problems, removing spray foam, spray foam roof insulation removal, problems with spray foam roof insulation, spray foam roof insulation mortgage problems, spray foam roof insulation problems uk, getting money back for spray foam roof insulation, spray foam extraction, spray foam insulation advice, equity release problems, spray foam insulation equity release, spray foam reclaim, problems with spray foam insulation, spray foam insulation problems, spray seal roof insulation, spray seal contracts, spray seal roof insulation removal, spray seal roof insulation problems, spray seal roof insulation leak, removing spray foam insulation, loft insulation extraction.

Visit the Local Spray Foam Removal website
Local Spray Foam Removal are professional spray foam removal specialists working throughout the UK