Soffit and Fascia Repair: Small Boards, Big Job

Soffit and fascia do not get much attention until something goes wrong. These boards along the edge of your roof hold up the gutters, let the attic breathe and keep birds, squirrels and insects out. When they fail, the problem rarely stays small.

What they do

The fascia is the vertical board along the roof edge where the gutters attach. The soffit is the panel underneath the overhang, often vented to pull fresh air into the attic.

Signs of trouble

• Peeling or bubbling paint on the fascia boards.
• Soft, crumbling or dark wood, especially behind the gutters.
• Gutters pulling away or sagging.
• Gaps, holes or chewed openings in the soffit.
• Birds nesting or wasps going in and out of the eaves.

Why boards rot

The most common cause is water. Clogged gutters overflow into the fascia, or a missing drip edge lets rain run behind the gutter. Once the wood stays wet, rot spreads along the board and can reach the rafter tails and roof deck behind it.

The repair

We remove the damaged sections, check the wood behind them, replace what is soft and install new boards that are primed and painted or wrapped to resist moisture. Then we fix the cause, whether that is the gutters, the drip edge or the flashing, so the new wood stays dry.

Catching rot early keeps a few boards from turning into a bigger roof repair. If you see any of the signs above, give us a call.