Spray foam removal in Norwich

If a sale in Norwich has fallen through because of spray foam in the loft, you are not unusual. A large number of properties across the city were treated during the years when foam was being sold door to door as an insulation upgrade, and it is now one of the more reliable ways to lose a buyer.

Why it stops a sale

Two things. A surveyor cannot inspect roof timbers that are covered in foam, so they cannot sign off on their condition and will report accordingly. And closed cell foam sprayed directly onto the underside of the covering can trap moisture against the rafters, which is a genuine risk rather than a technicality. Most lenders will either decline or require removal before they will lend.

What removal involves

1. Survey. We identify whether it is open or closed cell, how thick it is, and whether it was sprayed onto the felt or straight onto the timbers. That determines the method and the price.
2. Written quote, including what happens to the roof afterwards, so there is no second bill nobody mentioned.
3. Removal. Cut and scraped back, with the loft sheeted and contained so the dust does not travel through the house.
4. Timber inspection. With the foam off we can finally see the rafters and we photograph the lot.
5. Report. Written, with photographs, in the form a surveyor or lender expects.

Access in terraced Norwich

A lot of the affected properties are city terraces with a small hatch, a steep stair and no rear access. Bagged foam has to come down through the house. We sheet the route, we take it out as we go rather than piling it in the hall, and we leave the loft clear.

Does the roof need replacing afterwards

Sometimes, and often not. It depends on what state the felt and the timbers are in once the foam is off. Some roofs need nothing more than a new breathable membrane. Others were already failing and the foam was hiding it. We will not know until it is off, and we will price the options rather than assume the biggest one.