Foam insulation in roof - homebuyers report

Morgage_Confused

Once sprayed on, (especially with no roofing felt in place which is often the case with older victorian properties) the roof is no longer in a state where it can be repaired. It is no longer modular. It becomes one single piece of roof and any trouble means a re-roof. However to re-roof a property with this stuff sprayed on is a total nightmare. Im a roofer by trade. I once took on a re-roof with this product sprayed on. NEVER again will I touch a roof like this. If a re-roof costs say 6k normally....increase the cost by 50% with this product sprayed on. You quite literally have to smash the tiles off the roof to remove them. NIGHTMARE and a total scam.

MisterB1959

have you had an estimate of cost of a new roof etc? I recently paid 4k to have a standard semi refelted and retiled, so youre prob in the ball park of 8k if its all the timbers aswell HOWEVER you could then look at combining it with a complete upper floor conversion(loft area) - that would make it more cost effective and increase the value and create something special - with the majority of the work being the actual roof alterations, you could end up with the majority of the conversion being paid for by the vendor?

Owain_Moneysaver

Morgage_Confused wrote: »

You quite literally have to smash the tiles off the roof to remove them.

Bad enough on a 'normal' roof, but if it's a period property and you were hoping to re-use most of the existing slates or tiles, replacing with new reclaimed slates/tiles could be a major expense.

cazza_chicken

Thanks once again for your input, really helping make a more informed decision. MisterB1959 - the pitch on the bungalow is really low so we may have the perfect excuse to make it higher so an upstairs can be added. The vendors are lovely people and we're not out make money at their expense however we're certainly not going to pay over the odds either. Definitely something to think about.

No quotes for a new roof yet, only received the survey yesterday.

booksurr

Babbawah wrote: »

If blasting the underneath of your roof with a foam type substance works for you, then go for it babe.

For the rest of us, it is a very, very bad idea.

I am not your babe and you have not explained why it is a bad idea?

cazza_chicken

From what I've read foam spray seems to be a bad idea because:

- non breathable for the roof so if moisture gets under the tiles it gets trapped and can rot the beams.

- makes the roof incredibly difficult to repair so even small issues could potentially lead to needing a whole new roof.

My main concern is the beams. I think if you read the whole thread it gives you an idea why the majority seem to think it's not a good idea. It may not be an issue for a lot of people who have it but we don't want to buy a problem like this off someone!

Let's keep this thread friendly please - I've posted for help and I'm so grateful for the helpful responses.

Kynthia

I'm suprised at the negative comments regarding foam. My roof has no felt and a builder that has done work for my parents for years suggested it as a solution. I guess I should look into it more first.

martin1959

For information...


A Mortgage Valuation (sometimes known as a Scheme 1) is done for the mortgage provider to check what the property is worth.


If the surveyor notices anything major, then he will point it out to the mortgage company, and it would normally be detailed on the report. However, there is NO comeback by the purchaser who has paid for the valuation, if the surveyor misses, or does not note it.


A Homebuyers report (sometimes known as a Scheme 2) produces a valuation for the lender AND a condition report for the purchaser. This does have comeback if something is not spotted, provided IT WOULD HAVE BEEN REASONABLE to have seen it during the inspection. For example, if you move in and there is rotten floorboards, and the previous owner refused permission for the surveyor to lift all the fitted carpets (which they would not do anyway), there would likely be a proviso in the report that the floorboards could not be inspected.


A full Structural survey (sometimes known as a Scheme 3) is normally only recommended where the property is particularly old, or of concern, unusual construction, or there are issues that the purchaser has spotted such as cracks etc. Normally the lender does not collect a fee for this, but arranges for a surveyor to negotiate the cost of the survey with the purchaser, but this will also include a mortgage valuation for the lender. The purchaser can normally arrange to use any surveyor to carry out the Scheme 3, as long as they are on the Lenders panel of approved valuers.


Please do not confuse Survey with Valuation.


Hope this may be of some use.

martin1959

With regards to the OP, I would get an estimate for a new roof (tiles, felt, battoning, and timber. You should be able to get a rough quote without a roofer having to visit the site.


If this is £10k (don't know how big the bungalow is) you have to bear in mind, that when it is done, the bungalow will be in a far better state than it is now, so may increase it's resale value a little.


If you like the bungalow, then I would contact the vendors directly if you have access to them, and show then the quote. I would also try and find a few articles showing the issues with the foam on the net, and print them off.


Tell them you want to be reasonable, and that you really love their house (this always goes down well) and ask if they would split the cost with you, so they reduce by £5k and you will pay the other £5k. You may also wish to point out, that now the issue has been identified on a survey, their EA will have a legal obligation to point this out to any other prospective purchasers.


Once the work has been done, with a shiny new roof, timbers, and felting, the bungalow will probably be worth an extra £5k.


Also take into account, if you do not buy this bungalow, and have to start looking again, prices in general may well have risen by more than the £5k! Property in our area has increased by 10% in the past year.

cazza_chicken

Martin1959 - I think you have given the perfect potential resolution for us and the sellers (hopefully!).

Really good advice, thank you so much.