My Mortgage Was Refused Because of Spray Foam — Here's What We Did
When the letter arrived from Nationwide, we honestly didn't know what to do. We'd been trying to remortgage our semi-detached in Salford for three months, and right at the point of offer, the surveyor flagged the spray foam insulation in the loft. Nationwide declined to lend. The broker said it was becoming extremely common.
This is our experience — what happened, what we did, and how EcoTrust helped us get the mortgage approved eight weeks later. We're sharing it because when we were going through it, we couldn't find a single honest account of what the process actually involved.
Why Did The Lender Refuse?
The short version: spray foam insulation — particularly open cell foam — bonds directly to roof timbers and prevents surveyors from properly assessing the structural condition of the rafters. When a surveyor can't see what's underneath, they have to assume the worst. Under RICS 2025 guidance, many surveyors are now valuing properties with spray foam as 'unmortgageable' until the foam is removed and a new structural assessment is completed.
Our foam had been installed by the previous owners around 2018 — probably to improve energy efficiency. At the time, some energy companies were actually encouraging it. Nobody told them it would cause problems down the line. Now it was our problem.
Important: The issue isn't always that the foam has caused damage. Often it's that the foam prevents a surveyor from confirming there is no damage. Lenders won't lend without that confirmation. |
Finding Someone We Could Actually Trust
This is where we hit the first wall. When we searched for spray foam removal, we were immediately contacted by three different companies within 24 hours — all cold callers, none of whom we'd approached. One quoted us £9,500 over the phone without seeing the property. Another asked for a £2,000 deposit before sending anyone out.
A family member who works in property mentioned that fake spray foam removal certificates had become a known scam — companies charging thousands, producing a certificate that lenders wouldn't actually accept, and disappearing. We were sceptical of everyone at this point.
EcoTrust was different from the first conversation. No cold call — we found them online and called them. They didn't push for a deposit. They offered a free survey with no obligation, explained exactly what the process involved, and told us upfront which lenders they'd worked with and what reports those lenders accepted. That transparency was what made us go with them.
The Survey and Quote Process
The survey took about 45 minutes. The EcoTrust surveyor checked the entire loft, identified the foam type (open cell in our case), assessed the condition of the underlying timbers, and gave us a clear written quote within 48 hours. No pressure, no inflated urgency tactics. The quote was fixed — what they quoted is what we paid.
The Removal
The actual removal took two days. The team was clean, professional, and communicated throughout. They removed the foam mechanically — no harsh solvents that could damage the timbers further. Once done, the loft was cleaner than it had been before the foam went in. They photographed every stage.
The completion certificate named our mortgage lender specifically and was formatted to meet the documentation requirements we'd been given by our broker.
"We were at the point of losing the remortgage deal entirely. EcoTrust got the survey done within a week, the removal took two days, and Nationwide accepted the certificate. We completed six weeks later. I cannot overstate how stressed we were before this — and how straightforward they made it."
Sarah & Mark T., Salford
✅ Nationwide Re-mortgage approved. Completed 6 weeks after removal.
What We'd Tell Anyone In The Same Situation
• Don't panic — this is solvable, but you need a certified specialist, not a cowboy operator
• Never pay a deposit before a survey has been done in person
• Ask specifically which lenders' certificates they have experience with
• Get the quote in writing and confirm it's fixed-price
• Check that the completion report will be accepted by your specific lender before work starts
If you're in Manchester, Salford, Stockport, or North Wales and you've just received a mortgage refusal because of spray foam, call EcoTrust on 0161 524 2949. The survey is free, there's no obligation, and they won't cold call you afterwards.