Exterior wall foam

[ks85]

Hello.
I was wondering if anyone has experienced something similar. I bought a 2-story house built in '53. Brick façade. In one of the bedrooms, I discovered that they had placed foam insulation on the innermost part of the wall, so to speak. They have wallpapered directly onto the foam insulation. This makes it impossible to attach anything to the wall. I was very puzzled by this since I've never seen anything like it. My first thought was that the previous owner simply put up a foam board in an attempt to improve the insulation. I asked the previous owner, but he claims the house was built that way. It does match with the window frames, but I still think it seems strange... anyone else experienced something similar?

 

[tommib]

It sounds absolutely incredible that you would have foam sheets as interior walls, if nothing else due to the fire risk. Foam burns about as well as gasoline, so having it accessible in that way, I consider it out of the question. However, there are people for everything, so that someone might have done something stupid later is entirely possible.

Pictures?

 

[ks85]

It sounds completely incredible that you would have Styrofoam boards as interior walls, if nothing else for the fire risk. Styrofoam burns about as well as gasoline, so having it accessible in that way I consider as excluded. However, there are people for everything, so someone doing something stupid is fully possible.

Pictures?

Exactly, I haven't even thought about the fire risk. But doesn't it sound strange? In the other bedroom on the upper floor, someone has put up plywood boards afterwards. But you can see that it was done later because it doesn't "match" with the window frames. But the house was inspected before the sale, I think it's equally strange that it wasn't noticed during the inspection.
I'm not home at the moment, but I can upload a picture during the day.

 

[Tomtom79]

Exactly, I haven't even considered the fire risk. But doesn't it sound strange? In the other bedroom upstairs, someone has installed plywood sheets afterwards. But you can see that it was done later because it doesn't quite "fit" with the window frames. But the house was inspected before the sale, I find it rather odd that it wasn't flagged during the inspection.
I'm not at home at the moment but can post a picture during the day.

Inspected by the seller? Keep in mind that the purpose of such an inspection is to find things that could be considered hidden defects for which the buyer might claim compensation. Defects that are easy to find, as this might be, fall under your duty to investigate. The seller doesn't want to do your job, plus pay for it, to find all obvious defects and give you leverage for bargaining.

 

[ks85]

Inspected by the seller? Keep in mind that the purpose of such an inspection is to find things that might be considered hidden faults for which the buyer can demand compensation. Faults that are easy to find, like this one might be, fall under your duty to investigate. The seller doesn’t want to do your job, plus pay for it, to find all the easy-to-find faults and give you leverage for bargaining.

Ok, that explains a bit why they didn't remark on it then.