Why it is not necessary to remove spray foam from your home

30 Aug 2024

Recently there has been a lot of information about spray foam insulation and we'd like to set the record straight. As pioneers of and leading manufacturers within this space, we know spray foam insulation inside out, and we know that when applied correctly it will not damage your property. That's why using a certified installer is so important.

Spray foam insulation is an important and effective method of improving the energy efficiency of our homes and buildings, but as with many construction improvements, installation must be done in accordance with all necessary approvals and relevant permissions.

Spray foam must always be installed in line with the manufacturers’ instructions and be carried out by a registered and professional spray foam installer.  There has been a lot of mis-information recently about spray foam, with some homeowners being advised to remove spray foam in order to sell their property.  This has given rise to unscrupulous traders gaining information about where spray foam has been installed and targeting the homeowner to have it removed at significant cost.

The number of cases with a genuine reason to remove the spray foam is extremely small and in most cases where removal was carried out, no problems were identified, the roof was in good condition with no rot or additional moisture detected and the spray foam application had been correctly installed.  Therefore, there was no technical or performance reason to remove the spray foam.

If an installation has been carried out correctly, with all accompanying pre-installation checks and post installation documents, there should be no reason for a lender not to provide the necessary finance.

Mortgage lenders will assess each project on its merits and where the installation has been carried out by a registered contractor, with all the information available for the mortgage company to confirm the work meets all necessary standards, this often leads to a positive outcome.  However, if the paperwork is not available the homeowner should contact IMA and through our members we will try to  provide the relevant paperwork.  Even if no paperwork is available then a survey of the property can help to assess whether the foam really needs to be removed.

If you have spray foam installed in your property and are approached either by a spray foam removal company or a claims company then please let us know.  Before making any hasty decisions, please take time to carry out research into the company yourself and do not rely on the information they provide to you.  Here are some points you should consider:

• What is their ulterior motive?
• Are they really experts in insulation and what are their credentials?
• If you check the company out with Companies House has the company changed its name and had different trading activities?
• Have the company’s directors listed at Companies House been involved in another company which installs spray foam?
• Are they making claims about Government grants or schemes that don’t hold up?

These are all tactics that are taking place now.

In 2022/23 IMA spent time working as part of a group to develop a protocol to assist surveyors when inspecting homes with spray foam in roofs.  The group was established by the Residential Property Surveyors Association and the Property Care Association and drew in contributions from a wide range of organisations and individuals including lenders, surveying groups, surveyors, spray foam suppliers, trade bodies and heritage organisations.  You can find a copy of the protocol here.

The protocol provides sufficient knowledge for surveyors to recognise competent and professional installations and to provide a route to lending approval.

Whilst IMA does not represent installers or contractors of spray foam, it does represent some manufacturers and distributors of spray foam.  These manufacturers only ever supply to their approved contractors and IMA has worked with these suppliers to promote best practice and highlight the correct procedures for a spray foam installation.  These procedures include pre-installation surveys including a roof condition analysis, condensation risk analysis, product identification and supply information, as well as a post-installation homeowner pack.  This information should be made available to lenders and surveyors who should always use it to support their decisions about mortgage finance.

All our spray foam members’ products are independently tested to achieve BBA or KIWA-BDA certification and installation must be carried out in-line with this certification in order to validate performance.

The claim that all properties with any spray foam application are un-mortgageable is as untrue as it is unjustified and spreads fear and doubt, opening the way for unscrupulous operators to target homes for removal, when this is patently not necessary.