When it comes to assessing your loft, attic, or roof space, there’s one material that will always be at the centre of any structural conversation...

When it comes to assessing your loft, attic, or roof space, there’s one material that will always be at the centre of any structural conversation — timber. Whether it’s rafters, joists, or battens, the structural wood in your roof plays a critical role in the health of your home. But recently, a wave of unscrupulous operators have weaponised misinformation about timber and moisture to gain entry into people’s homes and sell unnecessary services, insulation removal, or costly replacements.

Let’s set the record straight.

💧 Moisture in Timber: What’s Normal?

Wood is a natural, organic material — and it will carry moisture. In fact, any competent builder or surveyor will tell you that air-dried structural timber will typically sit between 10% and 16% moisture content. This is not a sign of failure, rot, or danger — it’s simply the way timber behaves in a ventilated home.

Rogue salespeople, often claiming to be ‘surveyors’, are deliberately misinforming homeowners by claiming that any reading over 12% is dangerous — a complete fabrication not backed by building science or BS 7913 guidelines. The goal? Scare you into thinking your roof is at risk so they can sell you insulation removal, roof sprays, or new loft systems that are completely unnecessary.

🕵️ The Condensation Report Scam

One of the most alarming tactics we’ve seen comes from a company currently under investigation by Trading Standards for their repeated use of falsified “condensation reports.” These reports, all allegedly signed off by a UK surveyor, have been duplicated — word-for-word, figure-for-figure — for different households across the country.

We’ve seen dozens of these reports. They claim specific humidity levels, thermal transfer values, and moisture graphs — yet every single one is identical, down to the decimal point. That’s not surveying. That’s fraud.

These fabricated reports are then used to justify costly insulation removals, where homeowners are pressured to act fast or risk their property becoming "unmortgageable." These threats are baseless and designed to panic.

🚪 Their Tactics: How They Get Inside Your Home

The pattern is simple:

1. You enquire online or over the phone about insulation or loft ventilation.
2. You’re quickly offered a “free inspection” or “health check.”
3. A representative arrives claiming to be an expert.
4. They conduct a pseudo-survey with handheld moisture meters, holding them on timber that is naturally moist, and claim it’s a sign of failure.
5. A scare report is presented (often printed in advance).
6. You’re pressured into signing expensive remedial work.

These aren’t inspections. They’re orchestrated sales visits.

🚨 Conclusion: Don’t Let Rogue Traders In

Homeowners need to be more alert than ever. Rogue traders will say anything to gain access to your loft, exploit your lack of technical knowledge, and upsell you thousands of pounds’ worth of unnecessary works. If a simple enquiry turns into a home visit filled with pressure and pseudoscience, hang up the phone or show them the door.

Call the Spray Foam Advice Centre instead. We are here to give you real facts from real experts. With over 20 years of experience in building structure and home insulation, I’ve seen how misinformation can devastate families — from unnecessary debt to irreversible damage to their homes.

🛑 A Final Note:
Installer companies are now resorting to online smear campaigns, anonymous forums, and misleading rebuttals to discredit the Spray Foam Advice Centre and me personally. That’s no surprise — truth hurts when it threatens your bottom line. But I stand by every word. My mission is simple: protect homeowners from rogue tactics, and help them make safe, informed decisions about their homes.