Survey finding, UK
Spray foam and roof issues on the same survey
On its own, spray foam is a lender conversation. Roof issues on their own are a maintenance and timing conversation. Together, they raise a more practical question: what is the actual condition of the roof structure, and what's the realistic plan? This page walks through the pairing without inventing costs or making the answer simpler than it is.
Spray foam insulation
Needs attentionSpray foam (sometimes called open or closed-cell foam) has been applied to roof timbers in some homes as insulation.
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Roof issues
High"Roof issues" can cover anything from a few slipped tiles to a sagging roof structure or a failed flat-roof covering.
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Why these two often turn up together
Spray foam in the loft hides the underside of the roof from view. When the surveyor also notes roof issues, slipped tiles, sagging, failed flashings, or an end-of-life flat roof, the foam stops being just an insulation question and becomes part of the roof-condition question. Some buyers and surveyors handle this combination by including foam removal as part of any planned roof works, so you end up with a re-tiled or re-felted roof that the lender and a future buyer can inspect cleanly. Others get a specialist report first, then make the call. Neither path is wrong; the wrong move is to treat the two findings as unrelated.
Combined next steps
- Check:Ask your mortgage broker how the lender treats spray foam plus visible roof issues, some will only lend after both are addressed.
- Check:Get a roofing contractor's written assessment alongside any specialist foam report, so the two views inform one decision.
- Check:If the roof is near end of life, ask for both a like-for-like repair quote and a full re-roof quote (with the foam removed as part of the work).
- Check:Ask the seller for any roof guarantees, foam installer certificates, and prior surveyor or roofer reports.
- Check:Document everything, invoices, certificates, lender correspondence, for any future sale, where the next buyer's lender position will be the unknown.
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- Spray foam insulation
- Evidence of movement
- Damp
- Japanese knotweed
- Damp proof course issues
- Underpinning
- Cracks
- Roof issues
- Timber decay
- Electrical issues
- Non-standard construction
- Asbestos containing materials
- Roof covering needs repair
- Single skin wall construction
- Timber decay / wet rot
- Settlement cracks
- RAAC concrete
- Wall tie failure
- Party wall matters
- Drainage issues
- Subsidence monitoring
- Full electrical rewire needed
- Flat roof condition
- Cladding issues
- EWS1 form required
- Lintel failure
- Structural crack BRE category 3
- Structural crack BRE category 4-5
- Chimney stack movement
- Chimney flashing failure
- Parapet wall movement
- Bay window cracking
- Flat roof ponding
- Cold roof inadequate ventilation
- Warm roof insulation issues
- Prefab concrete construction
- Large panel system (LPS) construction
- Rising damp
- Penetrating damp
- Condensation vs damp distinction
- Dry rot (Serpula lacrymans)
- Woodworm
- Timber floor springiness
- Cellar / basement damp
- Outdated electrics (60-amp fuse board)
- Aluminium wiring
- Partial rewire needed
- Gas boiler condition
- Back boiler
- Unvented hot water cylinder issues
- Lead pipes (pre-1970)
- Lead paint
- Asbestos in Artex ceilings
- Asbestos floor tiles
- Asbestos cement roof
- Asbestos insulated board (AIB)
- Asbestos soffit boards
- Pointing / repointing needed
- Render cracking
- Pebbledash delamination
- UPVC window seal failure
- Sash window condition
- Flat roof membrane condition
- Zinc roof
- Felt roof condition
- Corrugated asbestos roof
- Cavity wall insulation issues
- External wall insulation issues
- No building regulations certificate
- No planning permission for extension
- Certificate of lawfulness needed
- Indemnity insurance required
- Neighbour dispute on file
- EPC F or G rating
- Oil heating property
- Off-gas-grid property
- Solar panel lease vs owned
- Ground source heat pump property
- Air source heat pump property
- Chimney breast removed without support
- Floor joist decay
- Wall bowing
- Mould and condensation
- Septic tank property
- Thatched roof condition
- Listed building restrictions
- Conservation area restrictions
- Restrictive covenants on title
- Coal mining area
- Coastal erosion risk
- Flood risk zone 3
- Radon affected area
- Contaminated land history
- Trees near building
- Party wall agreement outstanding
- EICR required
- Knotweed treatment history
- Single glazing condition
- RCD protection missing
- Damp-proofing guarantee transferability
- PRC (precast reinforced concrete) house
- Airey house
- BISF (British Iron and Steel Federation) house
- Timber frame construction
- Steel frame house
- Wet rot
- Heave (ground movement)
- Chimney condition and stability
- Short lease (under 80 years)
- Fire safety: flat and leasehold issues
- Blocked or condemned flue
- Spalling brickwork
- Diagonal cracks in walls
- Retaining wall condition
- Tanking failure in basement
- Missing or slipped ridge tiles
- Lead flashing condition
- Gutters and downpipes
- Double glazing condensation (failed units)
- Skylight or roof light condition
- Dormer condition and weathering
- Torn or missing sarking felt
- Chancel repair liability
- Easement or right of way
- Boundary dispute or unclear boundary
- Adverse possession risk
- Flying freehold
- Ground rent escalation clause
- High or variable service charge
- Extension without planning consent
- Loft conversion: no building regs
- Single-phase electrical supply only
- Shared or private sewer
- Blocked or collapsed drains
- Cesspit or septic tank
- Solid fuel heating
- No mains gas supply
- Low water pressure
- Private water supply
- Wimpey No-Fines concrete house
- Reema construction
- Unity or Boot construction
- Laing Easiform
- Cornish Unit house
- Cross-wall construction
- In-situ concrete construction
- Oak frame construction
- Radon: mitigation required
- Missing or inadequate fire alarms
- Single staircase: means of escape
- No earthing or bonding
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General information only. Not legal, mortgage, insurance, or surveying advice. Always confirm with your own surveyor, broker, and conveyancer before making decisions. MyPropertyScan is operated by BiteRight Ltd.