Foam insulation removal.

houseofcharacter

Not sure if anyone can advise. I had open cell foam insulation added to my loft in 2021 by Cisco Homes (now defunct). My home is a 3 bedroomed dormer style property built in the 1970s. Obviously, at the time, the good ol' government had given it green credentials. Now, I have been approached by EPC Hub and have had a visit by a chartered surveyor (who is a member of RICS, I checked on their website) who has advised that I should get it removed before any deterioration occurs due to condensation. It was installed with the original bitumen lining in place which apparently is still in reasonable condition. It all seems above board, I have been given a quote by a "recommended" roofing company which will include the removal of the foam insulation, treatment to the timber in the loft, a foil-backed extra layer added against the bitumen lining and also 300mm of insulation (as part of £1,500 grant to improve home insulation). The cost to me would be about £4000. Does this seem legitimate as an option? I'm feeling somewhat paranoid as I fell for the scam selling at the time when I thought (like many) that I would be adding to the value of my home/futureproofing. I don't want to get fooled again!!

born_again

So it was a cold call ??

While it can cause problems, & issues getting a mortgage.

MysteryMe

How did EPC hub obtain your details?  I'm not familiar with what information is shown on RICS website, is there a photo? Is it the same person who visited you?

houseofcharacter

Yes, it was a cold call.

MysteryMe

I'd avoid.  It may be a recovery fraud, a business scams people in this case by misselling spray foam loft insulation, cease trading and then the same people, or associates of the original sales staff set up another business, get back in touch offering to right the wrong they themselves created.  Anyone can lift a name of a trade body website.

If it was EPC HUB Ltd then that was a short lived company that was dissolved 1st July 2025.  I don't know if this company was legitimate or not. The registered office was in Bournemouth which is a known hotspot for green energy and spray foam scams.  If the same name is being used now either as a sole trader or partnership then it would suggest some kind of association.

houseofcharacter

That's my instinct as well. I know that the original company Cisco had sold on my details so I'm doubly wary. Thank you for your advice!

Baldytyke88

houseofcharacter said:

The cost to me would be about £4000. Does this seem legitimate as an option? I'm feeling somewhat paranoid as I fell for the scam selling at the time when I thought (like many) that I would be adding to the value of my home/futureproofing. I don't want to get fooled again!!

The cost of a new roof could be around £5/7k so paying £4k for the foam to be removed is not wise

WIAWSNB

Hi HoC.

How accessible is the underside of your roof, and hence the foam? What actual area of roofing are we talking about?

Ok, this is purely my take on this. First, as BTyke suggests, get a figure for a roof recover as well, so you have something to compare it by.

Then, consider an intermediate step you can take that's relatively simple and should mitigate against the worst potential. You say the bitumen felt liner is present and intact? If so, that should mean that the roofing battens, which are on the outside of this layer, should be unaffected. That leaves only the actual rafters at 'risk' from having this foam against its sides. There is 'potential' for an issue here, but it's waaay far from certain.

I haven't tried this, but suspect it could work; it'll require a sharpish long-bladed, knife with a blunt tip! This is run down against the sides of each rafter to cut into the foam, and get as close to the felt depth as possible, without cutting into it - hence the blunt tip. It should be very possible to mark the depth of the rafter on the side of the blade, or even add a makeshift guide to the blade that will run down rafter edge facing you, in order to limit the depth of cut to ensure you don't actually touch the felt. 

Once you've cut into the foam alongside the rafters, then run another cut a few inches away from the rafter sides, and at around ~45o, so the two cuts meet close to the felt level. Once the two cuts meet, you should be able to extract the long, triangular-shaped foam fillets that have been created, thereby exposing the rafters to virtually their full depths - ergo they should be ventilated and fine. 

Then leave well alone until the roof actually needs replacing. Or you come to sell (but hopefully a good surveyor should be able to confirm that all looks ok up there...)

grumpy_codger

houseofcharacter said:

Not sure if anyone can advise. I had open cell foam insulation added to my loft in 2021 by Cisco Homes (now defunct). 

AFAIK it's closed cell foam that causes main problems. Open cell foam is more or less OK unless applied directly to the tiles (i.e. without felt between).

stuart45

Open cell absorbs and holds more moisture than closed cell, so it can cause the roof timbers to rot.

expertsupport

I don’t think you’re being paranoid at all. A lot of people were encouraged to install spray foam insulation and now find themselves in the same position.

If it’s open cell against older bitumen felt, I can understand why removal is being suggested. Even if everything looks fine now, condensation issues can develop over time, and it’s usually better to deal with it before it turns into a bigger and more expensive problem, especially if you ever want to sell your property.

I would still get at least one independent quote from a proper spray foam removal specialist rather than just going with the recommended company. Make sure whoever does it provides certification and a solid guarantee so you are covered in future.

You’re right to be cautious. Just take your time and double-check everything before committing.