I’m writing this all from personal experience. I want you to know our costly story about spray foam loft insulation and why you should reconsider having it installed.
A year ago we got some advice regarding having spray foam loft insulation installed. We were advised that it would lower our energy bill, give structural stability, seal any gaps and air holes and make our loft warmer. It may do so, but we were not advised against the issues it would cause with the banks.
Spray Foam Loft Installation
The guy who came around said he wasn’t a salesman, he was paid a wage whether we bought the spray foam insulation or not. He went up into our loft with some device to check how wet our timbers were. It was just under the limit for getting the insulation installed. I think back now on how convenient that was!
A few days later two guys came around and in around 3 hours they spray-foamed our loft with Kingspan open-cell foam. They had a big tube which came in through the bedroom window and up into the loft. I’m not going to name the company as I don’t want to give them credit or for anyone to buy it from them. It cost us £3800.
The Differences Between Open Cell and Closed Cell Spray Foam
Open cell – It’s breathable. Air and water can circulate through it to the wood behind through the open-celled structure of the product. The open cell makes the foam of the high quality home insulation softer and more flexible.
Closed cell – Not breathable and will lock in the dampness in your roof timbers if it gets behind it. It’s a higher density product that will not let air or water through.
After The Spray Foam Was Done
Our loft was warmer after the spray foam was done, it was a really nice space and it also felt that the house was warmer too. I put all the Christmas decorations, boxed games, books and some of my daughter’s stuffed teddies into the loft. They were all fine, not damp or cold at all after a year up there.
Mortgage Renewal With Spray Foam In The Loft
Nearly a year had gone by since our spray foam was installed in the loft and then our mortgage rate renewal came up.
Mortgage refused due to house having spray foam insulation in roof!!
The bank sent around a valuer to value the house. When he looked up in the loft he said oh dear. Banks do not like spray-foamed lofts. My face fell. What are we going to do? Effectively our house is currently worthless as we won’t be able to get a mortgage on it or sell it.
The bank we wanted to go with for our new mortgage deal wanted a survey done on the roof to see if it has been damaged by the spray foam. So this was another cost to us we didn’t expect. The result from the survey was that the timbers and roof structure is fine now, but they would deteriorate and within 10 years a new roof would be needed. Great just what we wanted to hear coming up to Christmas.
They then got back to us saying that we needed to get the spray foam removed from our loft before they will agree to lend to us. By this point, I was really angry. Shouldn’t there be some law or government rule about the installation of spray foam in the loft? People need to be protected from this. Spray foam insulation companies should be required to tell homeowners upfront of the consequences if they have it installed in their lofts.
After further digging, I found that the UK Parliament states: “It is the responsibility of the installer and homeowner to decide whether to proceed with using spray foam insulation”. And if you have been affected look for another lender! Well, that is easier said than done, as they all seem to follow suit!
The key thing to take away from this is that if you have spray foam in your loft your house is un mortgagable, unsellable and practically worthless. Plus you are going to have to fork out for a new roof in a few years. The UK average cost for a new roof is £5500, which doesn’t include the cost of scaffolding, existing roof removal and skip hire.
Spray Foam Removal
We had no choice but to fork out more money to have the spray foam removed from the loft. It was booked to be removed the first week of January. A great way to start the new year! We had a few quotes to make sure we got the best price and the best service from a reputable company.
I’m going to mention the fantastic company that removed the dreadful stuff because they were amazing. Spray Foam Removal Ltd took care of the removal of the spray foam and arranged for it to be collected for disposal. They also checked over the roof lining and felt to make sure it wasn’t damaged.
Overall it took 4 guys two days to completely get rid of. It’s a very time and labour-intensive job as it had to be taken off the roof, put into black bin bags and brought down from the loft to the garden for collection. We had around 90 black bin bags in total. A very costly £5280.
FAQ about Loft Spray Foam
- How much does it cost to spray foam a loft? Our house is 3 bed detached and it cost £3800 in total.
- Is spray foam loft insulation a good idea? No. not if you want to release equity on your house, or sell it! The banks won’t lend against it.
- Is loft spray foam a fire hazard? Yes.
- Can spray foam rot your roof? Yes. If closed-cell polyurethane spray foam is used it’s not breathable therefore it will hold dampness behind it and rot the timbers over time.
- Can I remove the loft spray foam myself? It is advised you don’t remove the spray foam yourself as some are toxic to breathe in. You may also damage roof tiles, felt and the membrane.
- How to remove spray foam loft insulation Professionals do it by hand, pulling it away from the roof membrane carefully. It’s a labour-intensive job and very messy.
- Does spray foam insulation in the loft decrease the value of your home? Yes. If you can’t get a mortgage on it, it’s practically worthless.