Spray foam removal, loft insulation and damp proofing in Devon
EcoTrust Roofing & Insulation Ltd covers Devon, including Exeter, Plymouth, Torquay and Barnstaple, for spray foam removal, loft insulation, loft boarding and damp proofing. Surveys for spray foam removal and loft insulation are free, and you get a written price before any work starts.
Devon
Spray foam, loft insulation and damp in Devon homes
Devon has some of the most varied housing in England. Rural Devon is known for cob, a mix of earth and straw, often under thatch, while Dartmoor and its edges are built of granite. Plymouth and Exeter were both badly bombed in the Second World War, so their centres were largely rebuilt after 1945, ringed by Victorian terraces and large post-war estates. Torquay and Paignton grew as Victorian resorts, with stucco and rendered villas on the hills above the bay.
North Devon is different again. Barnstaple sits on the Taw estuary with Victorian terraces, older town houses and newer estates on its edges. Exmouth on the Exe estuary and Newton Abbot, a Victorian railway town, both mix 19th century brick and render with 20th century housing. In all of these, the post-war and later homes are where a loft insulation top up and raised boarding usually pay off fastest.
Devon is wet and exposed. Dartmoor and Exmoor are among the wettest places in England, and coastal towns take wind driven rain and salt air off both the Channel and the Atlantic. Cob walls must stay dry at the base and breathe, so cement render and raised ground levels can cause real damage. Solid granite and stone walls suffer the same way. We find the source of damp before fixing anything, and our damp proofing carries a 25 year insurance backed guarantee.
Spray foam has been pushed hard in the South West as a fix for draughty roofs, but it covers the timbers and can trap moisture against them, a real risk in a climate this damp. Many lenders and surveyors are cautious about spray foam, so it often comes up when people sell or remortgage. We remove it by hand, clean the timbers back and issue a Certificate of Removal with a 10 year guarantee. For lofts we lay Knauf mineral wool to 300mm.
Most common jobs in Devon
- Spray foam removal before a sale or remortgage
- Damp in cob, granite and solid stone walls
- Loft insulation in post-war Plymouth and Exeter homes
- Raised loft boarding for storage
Recent EcoTrust jobs you can read in full
Real jobs, written up with photos. Each one is labelled with the town it was done in.
- Spray foam removal in Shrewsbury: 64m² of Open Cell Spray Foam Removed From Bitumen Felt in 2 Days (Shropshire)
- Loft insulation in Southam: 30m² Loft Upgraded From 50mm to 300mm in One Day (Warwickshire)
- Damp proofing in Doncaster: Damp Walls Stripped, Treated and Replastered in 4 Days (South Yorkshire)
Towns we cover in Devon
We cover EX1, EX2, EX4, EX8, EX31, EX32, PL1, PL2, PL3, PL4, PL5, PL6, TQ1, TQ2, TQ3, TQ4 and TQ12 and the villages around Devon. Not on the list? Call 0800 870 8086, we almost certainly still reach you.
Questions we get in Devon
Do you cover all of Devon?
Yes. We cover Devon from Exeter and Exmouth to Plymouth, Torquay, Paignton, Newton Abbot and Barnstaple in the north, plus the towns and villages in between. Surveys for spray foam removal and loft insulation are free, and you always get a written price before any work is agreed.
Can you work on a cob house in Devon?
Yes, with care. Cob walls need to breathe and stay dry at the base, so we never seal them with cement or plastic membranes. In the loft we use breathable mineral wool and keep ventilation clear. If we find damp, we look at render, ground levels and gutters before suggesting anything.
Why is damp so common in Devon homes?
Devon gets heavy rain, especially near Dartmoor and Exmoor, and coastal towns like Torquay, Exmouth and Plymouth take wind driven rain off the sea. Solid stone, granite and cob walls soak it up. The cause is usually gutters, render, pointing or ground levels, and we fix that first.
Is spray foam risky in a wet county like Devon?
It can be. Foam stuck to the underside of a roof hides the timbers and can trap moisture, which matters in a damp climate. Many lenders and surveyors are cautious about spray foam. We remove it by hand, clean the timbers back and give you a Certificate of Removal and 10 year guarantee.
How much loft insulation should a Devon home have?
Current guidance is around 270mm of mineral wool. Many post-war homes in Plymouth, Exeter and Torbay have far less, or insulation squashed flat by boards. We clear old material where needed, lay Knauf mineral wool to 300mm with a 10 year guarantee, and fit raised boarding so you keep your storage.
What happens at a free survey in Devon?
We check the loft, the roof timbers, any spray foam and any damp walls, take photos and explain what we find in plain English. Then you get a written price, with no pressure and no obligation. Surveys for spray foam removal and loft insulation are free. If nothing needs doing, we will say so.
Free survey in Devon, and a price in writing
EcoTrust Roofing & Insulation Ltd. Rated 9.97 on Checkatrade, 4.9 on Trustpilot and 5.0 on Google, with 500+ spray foam removals and 35+ years of combined experience.