Get Your Home Ready for Winter
Winter finds every weakness a house has: a slipped tile, a sagging gutter, a draughty loft hatch, a boiler that has not been serviced since last spring. The time to deal with them is late summer and early autumn, while the weather still allows roof work and the trades you need still have space in their diaries. Roofers and gutter specialists in particular get booked up as autumn approaches, and the first storm of the season turns a quiet week into a backlog of emergency call-outs. Survey early and book early.
Work from the top down and from the outside in. Start with the roof: replace slipped or cracked tiles, check ridge lines, flashings and valleys, and deal with any felt or batten repairs while conditions are dry. Then move to the rainwater system: clear gutters and downpipes, check brackets and joints, and make sure the fall still carries water to the outlet. Everything else depends on this stage. Water getting past a broken tile or an overflowing gutter soaks insulation and masonry, and no amount of indoor work compensates for a wet building fabric.
Next, the fabric. Top up loft insulation, draught-proof doors, windows and the loft hatch, and insulate any pipework in unheated spaces such as lofts, garages and outbuildings. These jobs can be done in poor weather, but doing them before the cold arrives means you feel the benefit all season. Check ventilation at the same time: a warmer, better-sealed house still needs clear ventilation paths through the roof space and habitable rooms to avoid condensation and mould.
Finish with the heating system. Bleed radiators, check each room has enough heat output, and have the boiler serviced before the heating season if one is due. If you have a condensing boiler, check the condensate pipe: an uninsulated external run freezing during a cold snap is a common reason for a boiler to shut down exactly when you need it most.
Each section below collects the calculators, guides and reference tables for these jobs, so you can put real numbers on quantities, sizes and spacings, order materials once, and get each job done in a single visit.
Roof Repairs: Do These First
Roof Tile Calculator
Tile quantities for replacing slipped, cracked or missing tiles before the weather turns.
Slate Roof Calculator
Slate quantities from headlap and gauge for slate roof repairs.
Felt and Batten Calculator
Roofing felt and batten quantities if an area needs stripping and re-covering.
Ridge Tile Calculator
Ridge tiles and fixings for loose or weathered ridge lines.
Lead Flashing Calculator
Lead flashing for abutments and valleys, a common source of winter leaks.
Chimney Flashing Calculator
Apron, step and back gutter flashing from chimney dimensions.
Gutters and Rainwater
Gutter Bracket Calculator
Brackets, outlets, corners and unions for refixing or replacing guttering.
Gutter Sizing Calculator
Check the gutter and downpipe size can cope with your roof area.
Soffit and Fascia Calculator
Soffit boards and fascia lengths if rot has taken hold behind the gutter line.
Guide: How to Install Gutters
Step-by-step guttering installation, falls and bracket spacing.
Reference: UK Guttering Profiles
Half-round, square-line and ogee profiles with typical capacities.
Ventilation and Condensation
Roof Ventilation Calculator
Roof space ventilation to BS 5250, checked before you add insulation.
Loft Ventilation Calculator
Eaves and ridge ventilation area so a topped-up loft stays dry.
Condensation Risk Calculator
Assess condensation risk from room conditions and surface temperatures.
Condensation Prevention Calculator
Surface temperature, dew point and the ventilation rate needed to prevent condensation.
Anti-Mould Paint Calculator
Anti-mould and anti-condensation paint for bathrooms and cold spots.
Insulation and Draught-Proofing
Loft Insulation Calculator
Rolls of loft insulation needed to top up to the recommended depth.
Insulation Thickness Calculator
Insulation thickness needed for walls, floors and roofs by material.
Draught-Proofing Calculator
Draught-proofing strip and seals for doors, windows and the loft hatch.
Pipe Insulation Calculator
Lagging lengths and thickness per BS 5422 for pipes in unheated spaces.
Guide: How to Install Loft Insulation
Laying mineral wool between and over joists, with ventilation kept clear.
Guide: How to Draught-Proof
Draught-proofing doors, windows, floors and chimneys in order of impact.
Heating Checks
Radiator BTU Calculator
Check each room has enough radiator output for the coldest months.
Boiler Size Calculator
Check your boiler kW output suits the property, especially after insulating.
Condensate Pipe Calculator
Condensate pipe runs, fall and external insulation so a freeze does not stop the boiler.
Condensing Boiler Efficiency Calculator
See how return temperature affects boiler efficiency and running cost.
Guide: How to Bleed Radiators
Restore full radiator output before the heating season starts.
Reference: Radiator BTU Reference
Typical BTU outputs by radiator size and type.
Comparison: Gas vs Electric vs Oil Heating
Running costs, efficiency and carbon by heating fuel.
Frequently Asked Questions
All calculators are free to use with no signup required. The seasonal advice on this page is general guidance, not a survey of your property. Work at height carries real risk: use proper access equipment or hire a professional. Any work on gas appliances must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer.