Spray foam insulation — and removal
Spray foam has been sold hard to landlords as a quick loft fix. Many lenders and surveyors now treat it as a red flag on a sale or remortgage. We give you the straight position, and where foam has already been sprayed we remove it and replace it with insulation that helps your EPC rather than your risk.
What it is
Polyurethane foam sprayed directly onto the underside of the roof, between the rafters, where it expands and sets. Open-cell foam stays soft and breathable; closed-cell foam sets rigid and vapour-tight. Both are sold as roof insulation, and both cover the roof timbers and the underside of the felt or slates completely, which is exactly what surveyors object to.
Why we do not recommend it for rented homes
Because a surveyor cannot inspect the roof timbers under foam, many UK mortgage lenders will decline or restrict lending on a property with spray foam in the loft, and equity-release providers often refuse outright. Closed-cell foam can also trap moisture against the timbers and, poorly installed, has led to roof timbers rotting unseen. For a landlord this means a home that is harder to sell, harder to refinance and carries a hidden repair risk. The EPC gain is real but modest, and conventional loft insulation or rafter-level board insulation delivers the same points with none of these problems.
When it can be acceptable
There are limited cases, such as an open-cell system installed to the manufacturer's specification, with a breathable membrane, full ventilation design and a warranty and paperwork a lender will accept, on a roof that has been inspected and documented first. Even then we ask whether a board system would do the same job. We do not install spray foam as a routine EPC measure, and it is not a grant-funded measure under the Warm Homes: Local Grant or ECO4.
Spray foam removal
If a previous owner or installer has sprayed the loft, we remove the foam, inspect and where necessary treat or repair the roof timbers, reinstate the ventilation, and fit conventional insulation in its place. You receive a removal report with photographs before and after, which is the document a surveyor or lender will ask for. Removal is priced from our own book after a survey, because the cost depends on the foam type, its thickness and the condition of the timbers underneath.
How we do it
Surveyed under PAS 2035 by a coordinator who inspects the roof before and after, with removal and the replacement insulation carried out by our accredited partner LAMTANS Engineering to PAS 2030 standards. The replacement measure is lodged with TrustMark and counts on your evidence file and towards the £10,000 cost cap; the removal itself does not. You get a fixed price and the paperwork a future buyer or lender will want to see.
Common questions
Will spray foam stop me remortgaging or selling?
It can. Lender policies vary, but many decline or require a specialist survey and removal. If you plan to sell or refinance, removal before the valuation avoids the problem.
Can spray foam be removed without damaging the roof?
Yes, in most cases. Open-cell foam comes away relatively cleanly; closed-cell foam takes longer and occasionally the felt has to be replaced. The survey tells you which you have and what it will cost.
Related: loft insulation · pitched roof insulation · ventilation