23 Apr Essential roof fascia maintenance

Fascia and Soffits

Roof maintenance tips and advice for homeowners!

Fascia, soffit and guttering maintenance is essential to maintaining your home’s condition. Unfortunately, roof maintenance is far too often overlooked as part of home ownership, and unless there is a problem with leaks or damp roofs is generally ignored. This is surprising given their protection to the rest of the house and the likely high replacement cost.

Like a bottle can’t keep water from spilling without a cap. Likewise, a roof cannot control the house dry without fascia and soffits. These are vital parts of roof construction; if not maintained correctly, they can allow damp ingress.

What is a fascia?

The fascia is the vertical board that fixes to the end of the roof trusses. Not only does it protect the lot of the roof, but it also helps to support the bottom row of tiles and the guttering. The fascia needs to be strong and in good condition to keep the weight of the tiles and potentially large volumes of water in the guttering during a heavy storm. A damaged fascia board will lead to more significant problems, such as rotting in the roof joists and may mean that you will need to repair or even do a new roof if the posts have extensive damage from the rooting timber due to moisture getting inside.

What is a soffit?

The soffit is the horizontal board you can see if you look up at the roofline. It helps to complete the weatherproofing of your roof and may be fitted with vents to ensure adequate airflow into the roof space. Without ventilation, condensation can form on the top inside – you may even think you leak when you need more airflow.

Types of fascia

Many materials can be used to create fascia and soffits. The traditional material is wood, but alternatives such as aluminium and vinyl (uPVC) are also available. Wood is time-honoured and relatively inexpensive to fit but requires regular repainting and can very quickly deteriorate if the finish becomes damaged. Plastic and aluminium fascia is available in various finishes to match other property elements.

4 Signs you shouldn’t ignore

For the most part, the combination of soffit, fascia and gutter works very well to keep your home dry, but, like all parts of a building, they require maintenance to continue to provide protection.

• Peeling or flaking paint is a sign that the wood underneath has swollen due to dampness. It needs to be repainted and checked for signs of rot.
• Noticeable rot or dampness is a more serious sign that something is wrong. The damaged area will need to be replaced before more severe structural damage can occur.
• Leaky gutters are often blamed on blockages, and while you should clean your gutters out if they leak, it may also indicate that the fascia is wearing out.
• Holes can indicate infestation. Some pests can cause structural damage, so any holes should be checked and any infestations dealt with.

Fascia and gutter

Your fascia and gutter system needs to be designed together to ensure the fascia is of appropriate material to support the weight required and to ensure you don’t create problems further down the line with insufficient ventilation, which is why it is essential to discuss any changes to your roofline with an expert. One word of advice if you decide to do it yourself – please ensure your new fascia boards and soffit are securely in place and not fixed onto any rotten timber, or you may end up causing more damage or even hurting someone.

If you require help, please do not hesitate to contact us with your queries here at S & M Solutions LTD. Our team would be happy to help you make your house watertight. Call us on 0203 092 3791 today.