UK grants scheme oversaw era of mould growth as lenders now refuse to insure homes with spray foam insulation, according to reports.
In this article we cover:
- Issues getting loans
- How risky is it to use spray foam insulation
- Legacy issues of botched insulation work
Homeowners in the UK have been unable to sell or remortgage their homes fitted with spray foam insulation, reports the BBC.
The BBC reports 250,000 homes in the UK have spray foam insulation, with much of it installed under the previous government’s Green Homes Grant scheme.
Concerns have to do with botched installation: poor fitting leaving moisture trapped and roof timbers at risk of decay.
However, the Insulation Manufacturers Association told the BBC that spray foam can be beneficial if properly installed, and that it was worried homeowners could be needlessly driven to “cowboy” removals companies.
Open cell spray foam, when applied correctly, is considered low risk, according to a report by the Spray foam insulation applied to timer sloped roofs in dwellings. However it must not be applied directly to roof tiles.
Another report by the BBC from earlier this year shows that since 2008, more than three million homes have had cavity wall insulation fitted under green energy schemes set up by the government.
Energy suppliers were responsible for inspecting 5 per cent of them to check for installation quality, says the BBC report.
Figures compiled by energy watchdog Ofgem seen by the BBC suggest that insulation in hundreds of thousands of these homes could have failed because it was not installed properly. In total 15 million homes have had their cavities filled.
