What does your roof look like in the snow? How snow and frost can indicate if it’s time to upgrade your loft insulation

Frosty temperatures are the perfect conditions for checking your loft insulation according to experts.

Across the UK this week we’ve been blessed with blankets of snow and crisp conditions. It may feel cold, wet and miserable but you really should treat it as a blessing - because how snow and frost sit on your roof is an important indicator of how your loft insulation is fairing this winter and a sign you need to replace the insulation in your home.

While there are areas of your home you should never insulate, your roof is certainly not one of them and heating escaping your roof is a big problem. While a fresh blanket of snow or frost sitting evenly across your roof is a good sign your insulation is working as it should, patchy snow or frost can show it may be time for an upgrade.

How to use the weather to check your loft insulation

If snow and frost look patchy on your roof, it is a clear indication that heat is escaping and your insulation is not working as it should.

‘This is because when a house is poorly insulated, heat rises and escapes through the roof. The escaping heat warms the roof surface, causing snow or frost to melt either completely or in patches,’ says Oren Kander, senior valuer and director at Gaffsy.

‘This unevenness is more noticeable when compared to neighbouring roofs with uniform snow or frost, so make sure you compare your roof to your neighbours' roof. If they have a good even spread of snow/frost, it's likely that they have sufficient loft insulation.’

Heat escaping can cause increased bills, so having a well-insulated roof is an important way to save energy at home.

‘It doesn't necessarily need to be a very frosty or snowy day, but certain conditions are more favourable for spotting frost or snow on your roof. For the best chance of noticing signs of poor insulation, it's important to check early in the morning, before the sun or warming temperatures have had a chance to melt the frost,’ says Robert Quinton, director of Construction Megastore.

‘If the day is too warm or the sun has already risen, you may miss the frost, even if your roof's insulation is underperforming. A roof covered with a consistent layer of snow or frost usually means that the insulation is doing its job by keeping heat inside.’

If you do miss the early morning frost, there are still effective ways to check your loft’s insulation.

‘Look out for signs like moisture, drafts, and cold spots. If you notice condensation on windows or walls or mould growing in living spaces, it could mean your insulation isn't working as it should,’ says Robert.

‘Feeling drafts or cold spots on your walls is another sign that your insulation may have gaps or be too thin, leading to heat loss. It's also important to check the depth of your attic insulation, as it should be at least 270mm for the best performance.’

It may not be the nicest weather to wake up to this January, but utilising it to check on your loft insulation is an easy and inexpensive way to keep your energy bills down.