Having recently completed a survey on a 1950's property in Bournemouth, I decided to contact the installer of the spray foam insulation that had been used to insulate the loft area, spraying between ceiling joists, as the installation had completely covered the eaves at the perimeter of the roof, as well as all electrical wiring.

I was assured by the "installation" manager of the company involved with the installation that, as the foam was open cell, blocking the eaves had no ill-affect, which I disagreed with but he again assured me that the installation accorded with the BBA certificate for the product.

Needless to say, this was not the case, with the installation in breach of 5 conditions set out in the certificate, including covering up the eaves and other existing roof ventilation paths and the covering of electrical wiring and spraying onto non-breathable underfelt.

So, if your roof space looks like the one in the photo, we suggest that you talk to the installer in order to rectify this bad practice as it may result in roof timbers rotting due to excessive moisture content and electrical wiring being de-rated.