RICS - Open cell spray foam 4 March at 1:21PM in Green & ethical MoneySaving 9 replies 165 views

waqasahmed

So I've seen this 

https://www.mortgagestrategy.co.uk/news/rics-launches-guidance-on-the-use-of-spray-foam/

And I guess that's their "latest advice" What do people here think of that? I take it as there's still no definitive answer from mortgage vendors as an industry

They've mentioned what Nationwide say but there's no things there to say the wider mortgage companies say x

tacpot12

I think the guide is excellent. It's available here: https://www.rics.org/content/dam/ricsglobal/documents/press-releases/Spray foam insulation consumer guide_March2023.pdf

The only thing that seems to be missing, and I don't think it should actually be in this document, is a Guide on how to retrofit UK properties with spray insulation correctly. This sort of guidance needs input from Building Control, manufacturers, building scientists and industry experts and RICS. I do think it sits in a seperate document, but the RICS Guide above could reference this document. 

Reed_Richards

I agree that it's a good guide.  I think the most telling point is:

Most pitched roofs on houses and bungalows are designed to be ventilated and spray foam is a change to the original design.

So assuming the spray foam effectively blocks the ventilation, you must be sure of the consequences. 

waqasahmed

tacpot12 said:

I think the guide is excellent. It's available here: https://www.rics.org/content/dam/ricsglobal/documents/press-releases/Spray foam insulation consumer guide_March2023.pdf

The only thing that seems to be missing, and I don't think it should actually be in this document, is a Guide on how to retrofit UK properties with spray insulation correctly. This sort of guidance needs input from Building Control, manufacturers, building scientists and industry experts and RICS. I do think it sits in a seperate document, but the RICS Guide above could reference this document. 

Thanks. One of their dos is "Do check with your mortgage provider if they will allow it" and that seems quite concerning because surely that means we're effectively back at square one where some specialist lenders will allow a mortgage yet most still might not?

Unless ofc a surveyor would simply want to make sure it was "installed correctly" as per their documentation on whether it will impact the valuation of your house? 

FWIW, the quote that I've got from a nationwide company with apparently all the relevant certifications is £1750

Reed_Richards

waqasahmed said:

FWIW, the quote that I've got from a nationwide company with apparently all the relevant certifications is £1750

Please PLEASE consult your architect about this before doing anything else.  And, as I have told you repeatedly, be aware that you would need to insulate the gable end walls inside your loft in order to make putting insulation under the roof tiles effective.

waqasahmed

Reed_Richards said:

waqasahmed said:

FWIW, the quote that I've got from a nationwide company with apparently all the relevant certifications is £1750

Please PLEASE consult your architect about this before doing anything else.  And, as I have told you repeatedly, be aware that you would need to insulate the gable end walls inside your loft in order to make putting insulation under the roof tiles effective.

I have indeed consulted them

Regarding the above, I guess mortgage companies wouldn't have an issue provided it's properly installed? 

tacpot12

The problem is that without a difinitive statement on how spray foam can be installed correctly, Mortgage companies can't be sure that a property has had it installed correctly. Given the problems with previous building products, Mortgage companies are no longer prepared to accept that a product that is installed in line with the manufacturers instructions is not going to damage the building. 

I think you are still left with talking to individual mortgage companies, and this means that applying spray foam to your own home is quite likely to make it unmortgageable - your company might accept it, but this doesn't guarantee that any mortgage company in future would accept it. 

Reed_Richards

waqasahmed said:

I have indeed consulted them

I am really concerned that you are giving serious consideration to ideas for insulation that simply won't work (let alone render your property very difficult to sell).  For example external insulation, which you were considering a while ago, will not work in a timber-framed building because the small cavity between the (insulated) timber frame and the external cladding is open to the outside air.

Likewise, insulation applied to the roof timbers under the tiles, by whatever means, will not work unless you block all the existing ventilation to the loft and also unless you insulate the gable end walls of your loft.  But insufficient ventilation will turn your house into a bit of a sauna, damp and steamy.

If you are not receiving these same warnings from your architect then you are being lead astray.    

waqasahmed

Reed_Richards said:

waqasahmed said:

I have indeed consulted them

I am really concerned that you are giving serious consideration to ideas for insulation that simply won't work (let alone render your property very difficult to sell).  For example external insulation, which you were considering a while ago, will not work in a timber-framed building because the small cavity between the (insulated) timber frame and the external cladding is open to the outside air.

Likewise, insulation applied to the roof timbers under the tiles, by whatever means, will not work unless you block all the existing ventilation to the loft and also unless you insulate the gable end walls of your loft.  But insufficient ventilation will turn your house into a bit of a sauna, damp and steamy.

If you are not receiving these same warnings from your architect then you are being lead astray.    

Well I'd be getting a surveyor to see exactly what they're made of realistically 

waqasahmed

tacpot12 said:

I think you are still left with talking to individual mortgage companies, and this means that applying spray foam to your own home is quite likely to make it unmortgageable - your company might accept it, but this doesn't guarantee that any mortgage company in future would accept it. 

This is how I feel too tbf, given there's no definitive answer of hey,  mortgage providers allows x across the board