National trade body The Property Care Association (PCA) has established a new membership category, representing specialists with the skills to help householders encountering problems where sprayed foam insulation is installed in pitched roofs.

Homeowners have experienced a number of issues where sprayed foam has been applied in the roof space, including situations where properties have been hard to sell, or were unacceptable for equity release lending, due to potential issues with the installation.

Now, with the new PCA membership category in place, householders will be able to access practical guidance, centred around identification, evaluation and the recommendation of appropriate actions.

James Berry, Deputy Chief Executive of the PCA, comments: “Sprayed foam is a method of insulating within roofs, walls and floors to reduce heat loss through the building envelope.

“It has been used for many years, but its use in pitched roofs has received a lot of negative publicity as many surveying professionals and financial organisations have raised concerns regarding the potential effects of poorly applied or inappropriately specified foam.

“As a result, the presence of spray foam may significantly affect a surveyor’s valuation of a house, with many mortgage companies refusing to lend on such properties.

“For surveyors and property professionals, sprayed foam could potentially pose an issue when evaluating and reporting on the condition of structural roof timbers, ventilation and moisture management.”

The launch of the new membership category comes after the PCA contributed to new guidance in 2022 as part of a cross-industry group, which offered a defined course of action for the inspection of properties with spray roof insulation.

James Berry added “The new membership is a progression from our work two years ago and marks the next step in helping to address householders concerns across the UK.

“Those affected by poor installations had no route to seek advice on how to deal with the issue, but the new PCA membership, which has stringent requirements for entry, means there are now trained and recognised professionals who will be able to provide assistance.”

More information can be found at https://www.property-care.org/homeowners/advice/sprayed-foam

The PCA also offers a sprayed foam course for built environment professionals. More details athttps://www.property-care.org/training-qualifications/courses/timber/evaluating-spray-foam-roof/17618

It is hardly surprising in a climate in which homeowners are continually being advised about the urgency of taking green measures in their properties that insulation should be high up on their list of priorities.

And the arguments for taking sensible steps are difficult to ignore. More than 50% of all energy produced by humanity is lost as heat and by reducing the amount of waste heat going into the environment, we can save money and improve sustainability.

But there are ways of making improvements, and one of the most promoted at the moment – especially as we suffer another miserable winter – is spray foam insulation for roofs.

A quick Google or Facebook search will throw up countless companies offering this method as a quick and easy solution to heat loss in the home. Many others try to attract customers by the dubious methods of cold calling.

The simple advice for homeowners if they find themselves considering spray foam insulation as the answer to their energy efficiency problems: Don’t.

Installing spray foam within a property’s roof void significantly reduces airflow in and out, trapping moisture and increasing the risk of condensation. Most roofs in Scotland are constructed with timber. Timber and elevated moisture levels will lead to decay over a period of time.

This poses a risk to the structural integrity of the roof, considerably reducing the life expectancy of the roof structure.  Furthermore, the presence of spray foam conceals the roof timbers from view, meaning such defects could go un-noticed before the extent of the problem is realised leading to costly remedial repair works.

It is an unregulated field with installers either not aware of the consequences of such products or they are out on what can only be described as a ‘get rich quick scheme’, charging thousands of pounds to install these products which they will have no obligation to rectify at a later date, if, that is, they can be located or contacted afterwards.

One of the arguments used to persuade people to sign up for a course of treatment is that there is moisture in the roof space. Even if this is so, the solution to moisture within a roof void is often not insulation but improved ventilation.

That is why the traditional method of dealing with roof spaces is to install the insulation on at ceiling joist level and have gaps in the eaves and/or ridge to allow air to circulate throughout the space.

Furthermore, the majority of mortgage lenders will refuse or restrict lending where spray foam insulation has been installed, significantly reducing the property’s value where it is deemed not suitable for mortgage purposes.

It is not unknown for people who have spent, say, £5,000 on having their roof sprayed to subsequently have to shell out £25,000 -£30,000 for a new roof in order to make their property mortgageable again.

On top of that, the process itself is often coarse and messy. There are instances where unsuitable contractors have covered the entire space in foam – including the suitcases and Christmas decoration boxes stored in the attic.

Beware of cold callers offering such products. If it sounds too good to be true, often this is exactly the case. Before carrying out any home improvement involving new or seemingly innovative products, consult a professional for advice.