For many homeowners, spray foam insulation seemed like a smart investment that would improve energy efficiency and reduce heating costs. Today, that same insulation is creating unexpected difficulties, with mortgage lenders increasingly unwilling to approve loans on properties where spray foam has been installed in the roof. Industry specialists say removing the material professionally is often the most effective way to overcome the problem.
A growing number of homeowners across the UK are discovering that spray foam insulation can stand in the way of selling their property or securing a new mortgage. According to the Residential Property Surveyors Association (RPSA), as many as 250,000 homes may be impacted (RPSA, 2021). Many of these installations took place during campaigns encouraging households to improve energy efficiency, including schemes supported by government funding.
Why lenders are taking a cautious approach
The issue is not primarily the insulating qualities of the foam, but the effect it has on roof inspections. Once applied to the underside of the roof, the foam adheres to the timber framework, making it impossible for surveyors to inspect the condition of the wood properly. Open-cell spray foam may also allow moisture to remain in contact with roof timbers, increasing the likelihood of damp and timber deterioration over time. Recognising these concerns, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors issued guidance in 2023 to help surveyors assess properties with spray foam insulation, while mortgage providers have steadily tightened their lending criteria.
This cautious stance has become increasingly common. A BBC investigation published in 2024 found that one in four of the UK’s largest mortgage lenders, together with every equity release lender included in its research, would not lend on homes where spray foam insulation was present in the roof (BBC, 2024). For homeowners, this can mean a house sale falling through, a remortgage application being declined or remaining tied to a more expensive mortgage deal.
Property professionals continue to raise concerns
Industry organisations have repeatedly highlighted the risks associated with spray foam insulation. In 2023, Property Care Association Chief Executive Stephen Hodgson stated that “many lending institutions, surveyors and property professionals are rightly concerned about the risks of defects that can occur as a result of poorly installed or inappropriate sprayed foam.” The association has also introduced an inspection protocol to assist surveyors evaluating affected properties.
Research carried out jointly by the Property Care Association and the Residential Property Surveyors Association concluded that it had “failed to identify any circumstances” where a roof containing spray foam insulation could receive a “clean bill of health.”
Professional removal offers a way forward
Although spray foam insulation can create significant complications, homeowners are not necessarily left without options. Removing the foam to a lender-approved standard, followed by an independent inspection of the roof structure and the appropriate documentation, allows surveyors to fully assess the roof and can satisfy lender requirements.
“People chose spray foam because they believed they were improving their homes and reducing their energy bills,” said Jack Purdie, Director of Operations at Go Green Quote. “Very few realised it could later become a barrier to selling or remortgaging. The positive news is that professional removal completed to lender standards, together with the correct evidence and certification, allows surveyors to inspect the roof properly and helps restore confidence for buyers and lenders.”
