Spray foam removal, loft insulation and damp proofing in St Austell
EcoTrust Roofing & Insulation Ltd covers St Austell in Cornwall for spray foam removal, loft insulation, loft boarding and damp proofing. Surveys are free and you get a written price before any work starts.
St Austell
Spray foam, loft insulation and damp in St Austell homes
St Austell grew on china clay. The pits and white spoil heaps to the north of the town, often called the Cornish Alps, shaped where people lived, and much of the older housing is terraced miners' and clay workers' cottages built from local granite and killas stone under Cornish slate roofs. Charlestown, the Georgian harbour on the edge of town, is a conservation area and part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site.
The town then spread out in the 20th century. Bethel, Boscoppa, Mount Charles and Poltair have large areas of post-war and later housing, while Carlyon Bay and the roads towards Par have bigger detached houses. Many of these lofts were insulated decades ago and have never been topped up.
St Austell sits on the south coast, but Cornwall's weather comes off the Atlantic. Wet westerly winds, mild damp air and driving rain soak solid stone walls, and a cold, poorly ventilated loft in that climate picks up condensation fast. Old cottages with cement render or cement pointing over stone often trap water in the wall instead of letting it dry out.
That damp climate is exactly why spray foam worries us here. Foam sprayed onto the underside of a slate roof hides the timbers and can trap moisture against them. Many lenders and surveyors are cautious about spray foam, which matters when you sell or remortgage. We remove it by hand, clean the timbers back, and refit breathable Knauf mineral wool to 300mm across the loft floor.
Most common jobs in St Austell
- Damp in solid granite and stone cottages
- Spray foam removal before a sale or remortgage
- Loft insulation top-ups in post-war 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)
Where we work around St Austell
We cover PL25 and PL26 and the villages around St Austell. Not on the list? Call 0800 870 8086, we almost certainly still reach you.
Questions we get in St Austell
Do you cover all of St Austell?
Yes. We cover St Austell across PL25 and PL26, including Mount Charles, Bethel, Boscoppa, Poltair, Charlestown and Carlyon Bay, plus Par, Mevagissey and the clay villages to the north. Surveys for spray foam removal and loft insulation are free, and you get a written price before anything is agreed.
Why do St Austell stone cottages get damp?
Granite and killas walls are solid, with no cavity, and Cornwall's wet Atlantic weather soaks them. They cope well when they can dry out, but cement render, cement pointing and raised ground levels trap water inside. We trace the real cause first, then fix it with breathable materials that suit old stone.
Is condensation in my St Austell loft normal?
It is common, but it is not something to ignore. Mild, damp air near the coast meets a cold roof and condenses on timbers and felt. Blocked eaves and insulation pushed into the edges make it worse. We check ventilation at the survey and lay insulation so air can still move at the eaves.
Is spray foam a problem in a Cornish home?
It can be. Foam stuck to the underside of a slate roof hides the timbers and can trap moisture against them. Many lenders and surveyors are cautious about spray foam, so it often comes up when people sell or remortgage. We remove it by hand and give you a Certificate of Removal and a 10-year guarantee.
Can you work on homes in Charlestown?
Yes. Charlestown is a conservation area and part of the mining World Heritage Site, but loft insulation happens inside the roof and does not change how a house looks. If your home is listed, check with Cornwall Council's planning team first. We use breathable mineral wool that suits old timbers and stone.
What loft insulation do you use in St Austell?
We lay Knauf mineral wool to 300mm across the loft floor, clearing old or damaged material first where needed. Mineral wool is breathable, so it suits damp coastal lofts. We can fit raised boarding on top so you keep your storage without crushing the insulation, and the work carries a 10-year guarantee.
Free survey in St Austell, 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.