RPSA retract guidance on Spray Foam after concerns it was factually inaccurate.
The RPSA have released a statement of retraction of their guidance on spray foam insulation after Huntsman Building Solutions called for the guidance, issued by the RPSA in December 2021, to be retracted.
Elizabeth Lalli-Reese, Global Vice President from Huntsman Building Solutions said:
“We believe that the guidance issued by the RPSA in December 2021 was factually inaccurate creating unwarranted concern amongst homeowners and lenders and call for it to be retracted.”
Elizabeth Lalli-Reese went on to say
“Spray foam is a proven technology to making our homes more efficient and is a practical, sensible and safe option for homeowners.”
“We welcome the opportunity to work with stakeholders throughout the industry to develop the new standards and protocols that will give all parties, including surveyors and lenders, the knowledge and confidence to accurately assess the quality of an installation.”
In response to Elizabeth’s comments Alan Milstein, RPSA Chairman said:
“We recognise the concerns raised by Huntsman and are encouraged by the positive way in which all parties have approached this initiative. So we have agreed to retract our current guidance pending a full review.
“Our ambition is that we can republish it, based on the outcomes from the industry group, by Spring 2023 and provide our members with the detailed knowledge necessary to risk assess any spray foam installation. We know there are both good and bad installations but until now there has been no documented way to accurately differentiate one from another.
“In this way we expect to be able to offer lenders a more informed opinion and so enable them to review their rules which are currently restricting advances where spray foam is present.”
This is good news not only for the spray foam industry but also for homeowners looking for ways to insulate their homes more efficiently and to protect themselves from the rising costs of fuel.
Spray foam has received an unfair representation by surveyors and others and this u-turn on guidance paves the way for standardised spray foam installation procedures to be developed along with development of spray foam inspection protocols to help surveyors and lenders more accurately assess the risk that could be caused to a roof by poorly installed spray foam.
Spray foam was included in the Government's Green Homes Grant which was given to homeowners to help them pay for energy-efficient home improvements. The use of Spray Foam in the loft can help save up to 40% on your energy bill as it has great resistance against heat loss. Installed correctly it will last many years and keep your home warm while saving you money on your bills.
In December 2021 the Residential Property Surveyors Association (RPSA) said the guidance being offered to its members was to adopt a “highly cautious approach, recommending removal of the spray foam in almost every case”.
This led to unwarranted concern from homeowners and lenders on the use of spray foam in homes across the country, especially around the ability to raise finance on their home, through a mortgage or remortgage if a home had spray foam in the loft.
A group of industry stakeholders are now working to help provide clarity to homeowners who have already had spray foam installed in their homes and those who are looking to have spray foam installed. This group made up from spray foam manufacturers, installers, surveyors, valuers, lenders, heritage organisations and academics, are collaborating with each other to create a set of standardised installation procedures and will develop inspection protocols to help surveyors and lenders assess the risk that could be caused to a roof due to poorly installed spray foam.
This is great news for any home owner looking for ways to make their home more energy efficient and reduce their energy bills this winter.
At Warmer Solutions we welcome this news and U-Turn in guidance, as a company we have always been fully compliant and followed all regulations with the installation of our Spray Foam and ensure we put our customers first, Warmer Solutions will always conduct an in depth survey of the space where the Spray Foam is to be installed to ensure it is not only safe to do the installation but also that it is necessary and correct to do so, this makes sure that each Spray Foam installation is correctly installed to the highest standards and makes sure it does not impact the integrity of the roof, whilst ensuring that the roof is as energy efficient as it can be.
There has been alot of confusion with different types of spray foam and which applications should be installed where. Please click here to find out more about open and closed cell spray foam and which you should choose to use.
We are proud of our accreditations seen below, which make sure we are following the latest compliance and regulations on the installation of Spray Foam.
To learn more about the benefits Spray Foam can have on making your home more energy efficientor or to discuss using our expert services get in touch today, simply fill in your details below and one of our team will be in touch.
