Approximately a quarter of a million homes in the UK are thought to have had spray foam insulation installed at some point, many of those installed under the government’s own Green Homes Grant scheme. But now, more and more people are realising the issues associated with spray foam.
Add to this the fact that mortgage providers dislike spray foam insulation, it’s not hard to see why a homeowner would want to strip down the foam right away. When you consider the remediation bill, the DIY route seems quite tempting, but can you remove spray foam insulation yourself to save money?
Technically, you could try to tackle the removal alone. However, experts advise against it. Health and safety concerns aside, a DIY spray foam insulation removal can backfire by reducing your resale value. And most importantly, you won’t have any official certificates to show to potential buyers (and their mortgage firms) later if you decide to sell the property.
Read on for more details on the DIY removal process, its main drawbacks, and how to mitigate the risk.
7 Tips for DIY Spray Foam Insulation Removal
If you decide to remove the insulation yourself, check out these handy tips.
1. Know the Foam You’re Dealing With
Not all spray foam is created equal. Depending on the structure and density, you could lump insulating foam into one of two categories — open-cell and closed-cell spray foam insulation.
| Open-Cell Spray Foam | Closed-Cell Spray Foam | |
| Structure | Soft and spongy | Solid |
| Function | Insulation | Insulation and structural support |
| Density | Low | High |
| R-Value | Relatively lower thermal resistance | High thermal resistance |
| Cost | Relatively affordable | Expensive |
| Soundproofing | Good for soundproofing | Poor soundproofing performance |
The gist of it is this: If the foam feels soft, it’s open-cell spray foam, and you’re somewhat in luck. Open-cell foam is generally the easier of the two to strip.
Closed-cell insulation, on the other hand, is much harder to tackle. It’s more rigid and adhesive. There’s a good chance you’ll end up doing some damage to your roof if you’re not careful with the removal. You should almost certainly hire professionals for closed-cell removal.
Plus, it was common to use this type of foam to support old, rotten roofs. So, if you’re dealing with closed-cell insulation, you’ll need to get a professional to check the roof condition while you’re at it.
2. Get the DIY Removal Tools and PPE Ready
Removing the foam is a messy process. You’ll have to cut, pull, and scrape the layers off the timber. And the last thing you want is to inhale dust. So, the number one item on the safety gear list is a reliable face mask.
But since it’s also crucial to protect your eyes and skin, you’ll want to grab goggles (or a face shield), a full-body protective suit (one with a hood), gloves, and some work boots.
You’ll also need:
- Serrated knife
- Flat pry bar
- Hammer
- Hard-bristle brush
- A paint scraper or a putty knife
- Sandpaper
- Headlamp
Professional spray foam removal techniques and tools are much more effective at the job, so that’s worth keeping in mind. The professionals will have the job done much quicker, and in a much safer way for you and your property.
3. Always Work Dry
Open-cell foam can absorb and hold a little bit of water in its pores. The issue here is that, once the foam is cured, it’s easier to remove it dry rather than moist.
If the insulation feels moist to the touch, you have to dry the area out first. Try improving the ventilation and using dehumidifiers.
4. Test Your Technique on a Small Area
There are a couple of ways to manually remove spray foam.
You could cut it out piece by piece using a knife or a saw. In this case, picking one with a very short blade would be the safest choice.
Keep in mind that you’ll have to run the blade down the side of the rafters. Once you feel like you’ve made contact with the underfelt, you’ll want to start cutting at an angle.
Alternatively, you could pull the foam out using a pry bar and hammer. This is a good option if your foam is denser than usual.
Either way, it’s better to start small, test your technique on one patch, and adjust as you go.
5. Watch Out for Hidden Wires
It doesn’t matter what your technique is like. There’s still a risk that you’ll damage electrics, so make sure you work slowly and keep an eye out for any wiring.
6. Scrape the Foam Residuals Away
In most cases, you won’t be able to get a clean cut. There will be a bit of foam residue, especially around the hard-to-reach places. That’s why we included a brush (or a paint scraper) in the tools list.
Once you’re done removing a nice chunk of foam with the knife, start scraping and scratching the leftover insulation. Try to get as close to the timber as possible.
If the brush and scrapper don’t cut it, consider using sandpaper.
7. Don’t Forget to Clean the Surface
After scraping the majority of the leftover foam, you can wipe the timber down. This will help you get somewhat “cleaner” results.
Don’t use water, though. As we’ve already mentioned in tip #3, water will only make the foam residue harder to scrape away. Instead, try wiping gently with lacquer thinner.
5 Reasons to NOT Go Down the DIY Route
The number one reason people choose to remove the spray foam themselves is budget constraints. Some homeowners received removal quotes higher than the installation cost itself!
We’d like to point out that the cost varies a lot based on location, loft size, insulation type, and insulation thickness. But regardless of how expensive a professional removal service is, it still has its merits.
Here are five reasons why this is a job best left to the pros:
1. You’ll Limit Your Resale Options
The BBC estimates that about 25% of the biggest mortgage providers in the UK don’t lend against homes with spray roof insulation.
Why? Well, they’re usually worried about poor air circulation (and thus the risk of rot). And if we’re talking about closed-cell foam, then they might be worried about all that extra stress causing distortion in the roof structure as well. After all, this affects the property’s value.
Suppose you ever decide to sell the house. Potential buyers will want a document saying that the foam insulation has been removed successfully and without damage to the structure (i.e. a spray foam removal mortgage certificate). Without that your mortgage could be rejected due to spray foam presence.
That’s not something you’ll be able to provide if you choose a DIY insulation removal. As a result, your sale options will be limited to cash buyers. Hire professionals, however, and you’ll have all your paperwork in order.
2. You Might Do More Harm Than Good
Between wiring, tiles, and underlays, there’s a lot of material that could get accidentally nicked during the manual removal process. Yes, even if you’re careful.
That’s why if you DIY the project to save money, you might find yourself facing even more urgent repairs. Even with open-cell spray foam, the easier of the two to remove, there are dangers associated with open-cell removal. It’s not as straightforward as people assume.
DIY removal of spray foam insulation often result in incomplete removal, whcih can then fail mortgage inspections. It is even possible that attempting to remove spray foam yourself can also invalidate your home insurance.
3. You’ll Likely End Up With an Unsightly Roof
Keep in mind that the foam can get into all the little nooks and crannies. Plus, the whole roof area might be hard to access. In fact, this is one of the main reasons people choose spray foam blowing agents in the first place.
This isn’t such a good thing when it’s time to remove the insulation, though. You can try to cut, pry, scrape, and wipe all day. Still, odds are, you’ll never be able to get all the foam out.
So, don’t expect professional-looking results if you go down the DIY route. Professionals have way more experience and better tools for the job.
4. Spray Foam Removal Can Be Hazardous
There’s a reason we stressed the importance of wearing a protective mask during the removal.
Generally speaking, spray foam products are prepared on-site using chemicals like methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI). MDI happens to be a known allergen and sensitiser to the skin and respiratory system.
And you might think that since the foam has already been cured, it must be safe. In reality, when you try to break down the foam, you release toxic dust and these spray foam dust and particles released during removal can cause respiratory issues if property safety equipment is not used.
Full PPE can help reduce your exposure risk. However, getting out of the way and letting professionals (with industrial-grade PPEs) handle the process is even better.
5. DIY Removal is Hard Work
Removing cured foam isn’t as easy as it sounds. There’s a lot of elbow grease and guesswork (to avoid damaging wires and tiles) involved in the process.
You might change your mind simply after doing the test patch.
Final Thoughts on DIY foam insulation removal
To recap, removing spray foam insulation yourself is possible but not recommended. To attempt DIY removal can be dangerous, tiresome, and at times, counterproductive.
Hiring a professional spray foam company will ensure safe and efficient removal and avoid damage to your roof timber and other structural elements. You’ll avoid any exposure to health risk from toxic dust and using professionals for your spray foam removal will ensure compliance with mortgage requirements.
A professional removal cost comparison will usually show that hiring professional is not that much more expensive, especially when expensive DIY mistakes and issues are so common anyway.
Worried about the costs for professional foam insulation removal services? Fill out a form today for a competitive, no-obligation quote from our spray foam removal partners.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about the removal process. Our team is always happy to help!
