Brentford Woman Patricia Salt Incurs £13,530 Debt for Botched Foam Insulation Removal, Roof Leaks

Patricia Salt, a 76-year-old from Brentford, west London, has accrued £13,530 in debt following two unsuccessful attempts to remove spray foam insulation from her property. The botched work has resulted in a leaking roof, estimated to cost £20,000 to repair, rendering her home unsellable due to a lack of certification for the removal.

Salt initially had spray foam insulation installed in 2006 for energy efficiency. Nearly two decades later, she received a cold call from a firm claiming the insulation could cause severe damage. She paid this company £7,770 for its removal, but the work was not completed correctly.

Subsequently, Salt engaged a second company, paying £5,760, yet still received no proper certification for the insulation's removal. Estate agents later informed her that without this documentation, her three-bedroom end-of-terrace property could not be listed for sale.

A surveyor, recommended by a separate housing company, inspected Salt’s roof in 2025. The surveyor reported the insulation had become "rock solid," impeding proper ventilation of the rafters and creating a risk of rot and potential roof collapse. Salt, a retired office administrator and translator, highlighted the ensuing damage, including a persistent leak, which she cannot afford to fix.