Spray-foam insulation – what’s the story?

As we enter the final third of November 2024, you can't have failed to notice that the weather has turned quite sharply into an unseasonably-cold period. With snow, frost and sleet battering the landscape outside, you will want to be warm and cosy inside.

However, the increased energy prices not showing any signs of reduction, coupled with the higher cost of living, mean that many thoughts are probably turning towards ways of saving money and keeping the heat longer within your home, so that you can turn down the thermostat and even consider turning the heating off for extended periods.

There is another aspect, too. Ironically, the unusually cold weather is one of the symptoms of the climate crisis, and many conscientious people will also be looking at ways that they can reduce their overall carbon footprint. 

One of the solutions to both problems is to ensure that there is suitable insulation within the home to prevent the loss of heat from the building. Most heat is lost through the walls (including external doors and windows) and the roof, where they are not insulated adequately.

With the loft and roof-space often being out of sight and therefore not at the forefront of the mind, the importance of the insulation is often forgotten. As a result, in the drive to improve the carbon footprint of each home, the owners might look to upgrading or improving the insulation once they realise where the heat is being most lost.

The most familiar form of lost insulation is the rolls of usually pink fibreglass laid out between the joists, while the space between the roof trusses is the slabs of reflective foam that are held in place by batons of wood or behind plasterboard.

When a home is built, insulation will be placed in the space between the compartment in the walls. Where the home is older, such insulation isn't usually there, but can be retrofitted by a firm drilling holes in the external wall base and pumping insulation into the cavity.

And, for the roof-space, there is spray-foam insulation.

As the name suggests, the insulation is a mixture of chemicals brought together in the spray's nozzle, expanding into a foam that fills all the crevices and hidden nooks and crannies. For this reason, it has been considered a wonder product, because it expands to fill any holes causing a sealing and preventing heat from leaking beyond it.

There are two types of spray-foam insulation, one which hardens and one which remains soft to the touch.

HM Government is running schemes to apply for grants to assist with improving heat loss in a home, which currently includes spray-foam insulation.

There have recently been a number of articles, led by the BBC, that show that the benefits of using spray-foam insulation are outweighed by the potential problems it causes.

The principal concern is that the use of spray-foam can interrupt the valuable air circulation, resulting in moisture and condensation, which left unattended will lead to rotting of the wood and the supports in the roof. The extrapolation of the problem leads to the worst-case scenario where the roof collapses at least in part.

The BBC investigation has shown that mortgage companies are jittery about lending money for a prospective homebuyer to purchase a property insulated with the product; rather than require further investigation, where a home has had the insulation added since it was built, the lenders simply refuse to be involved with it.

With thousands of homes having been upgraded in this way already in the drive for better general decarbonisation, this puts future home-sellers at a disadvantage, stuck with a home that may be viewed as unsaleable.

Because of these worries, some homeowners are looking to get the spray-foam insulation removed in favour of more traditional insulation methods.

However, there are problems with this action: first, whenever there is a wider anxiety about a product, unscrupulous companies preying on this concern will target homeowners and not do a good job in removing the insulation substance as a consequence; second, since the foam is composed of a chemical reaction that adheres to any surface, any attempt at removal of it may damage the roofing materials, which will then require further possibly expensive remedial action.

One of the first steps is always to organise a RICS Level 3 Survey, which is the most detailed of the survey options, on the home you are planning on buying.

The chartered surveyor will establish what material is being used to insulate the property throughout the building, making observations on the problems identified, as well as providing an assessment of the severity of the problem and an idea of how much it will cost to rectify it.

You can always order a survey on your current property, with a view to focusing on the state of the insulation, so that you have the information to hand to budget for any remedial efforts, especially if you are looking to sell in the near future.

Finally, be prepared to put in the time to research your options both in terms of planning future insulation projects and what you need to do in the event that your home is currently insulated with spray-foam. 

Remember that, if you have spray-foam insulation in the home, you shouldn't panic. If there are no issues associated with it and you're not planning on selling soon, you can approach the issue with more calm.

As with all trades, there are good firms who provide insulation - and removal of spray-foam insulation specifically - so be prepared to do your homework by looking at customer reviews and testimonials. And always look for advice from a professional surveyor if you are in any doubt as what the status of your insulation is and regarding the next steps to take.

Are you considering selling your home that has spray-foam insulation? Or are you unsure what insulation you have and the issues that might exist? Maybe you just want to know what the severity of any existing problems might be?

At Surveyor Local, we only work with chartered surveyors who are members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, ensuring the survey you get is always professionally delivered.

They will work hard to identify all kinds of problems, including the impact of damp and condensation on timber construction.

Where a survey does reveal any issues with a property, the buyer is then armed with knowledge that can allow them either to renegotiate the price, have the seller carry out the repairs or pull out of the purchase altogether.

That's where it is really worth contacting Surveyor Local! 

Call  to get your no-obligation survey quote started, or to discuss your concerns with the acquisition of your planned property.

Or you can get a quick quote, using Surveyor Local's easy-to-use quote generator. Simply input your name, postcode, email address, phone number and an approximate value of the property (usually the agreed price), and we'll give you an instant quote for the work (with an email copy). 

We'll do the rest once you confirm your acceptance of the quote.