Spray foam and lenders
The report places stripped spray foam, nail-sick slates and a roof the stripping has not repaired in one paragraph. Which of those were inspected, and which were merely named?
Stripped spray foam and nail-sick slates were inspected, in the sense that they were seen. The claim that stripping has repaired the roof was only named, and it is not what the visit found. Nail-sick slates are slates whose fixings have failed as the nails corrode, so the slates slip. Taking foam off the underside shows that condition. It does not replace nails or refix slates. The roof the stripping has not repaired remains unrepaired. The survey recorded the result. It did not mend it.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Spray foam applied under a slate roof can hide the undersides of slates and the nail heads. When it is stripped, those undersides become visible again, including rusted nails and slipped or loose slates. Visibility is not a repair. Nail sickness continues to matter because the fixing, not the foam, is what held the slate. A roof can look clearer in the loft and still be insecure on the slope. The report separates the stripping from the unrepaired covering so the two are not written up as one success.
Tell the solicitor the foam has been stripped and the slates are still nail-sick. If you want the covering repaired, that is a roofer's specification for nails or slates, not a note that removal finished the job. A lender query about foam, if one exists, is a separate matter from the slipped fixings. Do not describe the roof as repaired because the loft looks open again. The survey has not issued that description.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which slopes still show loose or slipped slates?
- Were rusted nail heads visible after the foam was stripped?
- Has a roofer specified refixing, or has only the stripping been done?
What are the typical next steps?
- Record nail-sick slates as still unrepaired.
- Do not describe stripping the foam as a roof repair.
- Ask a roofer to specify the fixings if you need the covering dealt with.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
Does removing foam refix a slipped slate?
No. Stripping foam reveals the underside. It does not put a nail back or reset a slate. The report saw nail-sick slates and a roof the stripping has not repaired. Those were the inspected facts. The repair itself has not been done.
Were the nail fixings tested in a laboratory?
No. The survey looked at what stripping had exposed. It did not laboratory-test the nails, and it did not measure remaining strength. Nail-sick is a visual description of failed fixings. A roofer's specification is the next step if the covering is to be repaired.