Owners don’t need to get rid of spray foam to sell their home

Most householders do not need to remove the spray foam in their roofs in order to sell their property, said Midlands green energy expert Ron Fox.

“There has been a lot of mis-information recently with some claims that all properties with spray foam are un-mortgageable which are totally wrong and which spread fear and doubt among sellers,” said Ron, of Noreus Ltd on the University of Keele Science Innovation Park, (www.noreus.co.uk).

“On top of that some traders have targeted home owners offering to remove the spray foam at significant cost.”

Ron added that mortgage lenders will assess each project on its merits. He said where the installation has been carried out by a registered contractor, and with all accompanying pre-installation checks and post installation documents to confirm the work meets all necessary standards, there should be no problem with the mortgage company providing a positive outcome.

However, if the paperwork is not available the home owner can still get in touch with the Insulation Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) who, through their members, will seek to provide the relevant details.

The IMA can be contacted on 0161 672 7387 or by writing to them at 2 Heap Bridge, Heywood, Bury, BL9 7HR or by going online at https://insulationmanufacturers.org.uk/contact/
Even if no paperwork is available then a survey can help to assess whether the foam really needs to be removed.

Ron added that the number of cases with a genuine reason to remove the spray foam are extremely small and, in most cases where removal was carried out, no problems were identified. The roof was in good condition with no rot nor additional moisture detected and the spray foam had been correctly installed so there was no technical reason to remove it.

In 2022/23 the IMA was part of a group established by the Residential Property Surveyors’ Association and the Property Care Association to develop a system to assist surveyors when inspecting homes with spray foam. The body also included lenders, surveying groups, surveyors, spray foam suppliers, trade bodies and heritage organisations.

While the IMA does not represent installers or spray foam contractors, it does represent some manufacturers and distributors.

These manufacturers only ever supply to their approved contractors and IMA has worked with these suppliers to highlight the correct procedures for a spray foam installation.

These include pre-installation surveys including a roof condition analysis and condensation risk as well as a post-installation pack for home owners.

This information should be made available to lenders and surveyors to help support their decisions about mortgages.

“I hope this puts the minds at rest of any home seller and helps them to a successful sale this autumn,” concluded Ron.

If you want any more advice on spray foam, call Ron on 0845 474 6641 or go to www.noreus.co.uk.

Caption: An example of spray foam in a roof.