Spray Foam Insulation

[Terrel L. Shields]

Has anyone encountered lenders who won't lend on homes with spray foam insulation? Never encountered the issue myself.

Spray Foam Insulation Mortgage Problems - Think Plutus

Learn why mortgage and equity release lenders are reluctant to lend against a property with spray foam insulation, and potential solutions

thinkplutus.com

However, it can be a serious issue if you need to finance a property, whether that’s remortgaging, applying for an equity release product, or buying a new home. Often sold as a higher-performing insulator than mineral wool, spray foam is present in thousands of homes, in wall cavities, flooring and lofts.​

​

The problem is that most mortgage lenders and NO equity release providers will touch properties with spray foam insulation for various reasons.​

 

[alebrewer]

As I recall, that issue was in the UK, no? I haven't heard of any lenders in the US declining to securitize a home because of spray foam. That said, if you're foaming wood - especially on the underside of the roof, I can see where it could cause issues if the foam is trapping water...

 

[TerryRohrer]

Haven't heard of anything in the US yet, but if that comes to be, there will be many a log home with issues. It has become increasingly common to foam the underside of the roof rather than insulate above the roof sheathing.

 

[OSU Beavers]

The stuff works great, but can trap moisture in your attic and is highly flammable.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

The stuff works great, but can trap moisture in your attic and is highly flammable.

Solid cellulose insulation is treated with boric acid so it is a fire proofing as well as bug repellent. And unlike foam water leaks do soak thru. The architect I know was adamant that foam is OK for walls or subflooring but not for roofs. He wanted cellulose in all walls and ceilings as a best practice. Pink Panther? He would as soon leave it vacant. Worthless in his mind.

 

[OSU Beavers]

Chocolate Bunny Test Proves Benefit of Polyurethane Insulation

As the weather turns warmer and the days grow longer, it is increasingly important to make certain that one’s home is properly insulated. Lack of insulation wastes resources. Polyurethane Foam Insulates the Home For many, the answer to a properly insulated home lies in the installation of spray...

incrediblepolyurethane.com

 

[DTB]

Solid cellulose insulation is treated with boric acid so it is a fire proofing as well as bug repellent. And unlike foam water leaks do soak thru. The architect I know was adamant that foam is OK for walls or subflooring but not for roofs. He wanted cellulose in all walls and ceilings as a best practice. Pink Panther? He would as soon leave it vacant. Worthless in his mind.

My former biz used to blow cellulose exclusively. Works better and is cheaper. But boy it can get dusty blowing an attic floor.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

My former biz used to blow cellulose exclusively.

The architect wanted wet solid blown in cellulose in walls, loose was OK in attic and he also built 9'-10' walls so that he could drop the duct work in between the truss plates and the interior ceiling. He did not want to have ductwork in the attic. It was OK in the subfloor if you encapsulated the crawl space, otherwise, on slab he wanted the slab insulated with solid foam and the 9' plus ceiling to hang the ductwork in.

Doug Rye was his name, and he passed away in 2020. His son still builds super-energy efficient homes. Used to have a radio show syndicated across several states. He worked as an architect for HUD and investigated an "all-electric" subdivision where every house was repo'd back in 1974. Seems the electric bills were higher than the mortgage and people just walked. He realized all these houses had little or no insulation and AC systems were very inefficient. When he started arguing for super-insulation over gas or heat pumps, he was pretty much written off and he left HUD to go on his own.

 

[DTB]

The architect wanted wet solid blown in cellulose in walls, loose was OK in attic and he also built 9'-10' walls so that he could drop the duct work in between the truss plates and the interior ceiling. He did not want to have ductwork in the attic. It was OK in the subfloor if you encapsulated the crawl space, otherwise, on slab he wanted the slab insulated with solid foam and the 9' plus ceiling to hang the ductwork in.

Doug Rye was his name, and he passed away in 2020. His son still builds super-energy efficient homes. Used to have a radio show syndicated across several states. He worked as an architect for HUD and investigated an "all-electric" subdivision where every house was repo'd back in 1974. Seems the electric bills were higher than the mortgage and people just walked. He realized all these houses had little or no insulation and AC systems were very inefficient. When he started arguing for super-insulation over gas or heat pumps, he was pretty much written off and he left HUD to go on his own.

They had some of those Gold Medallion houses here too.