As you learn more about your home's roofing system and its many components, you're likely hearing a lot of new words, such as "fascia," or "fascia repair." While it might sound unfamiliar at first, it plays a vital role in the health of your house.
The roof fascia is a protective material found along the edges of your roof. Your home's fascia is one of the most important pieces of your roof's construction because it protects the inside roof decking and attic.
Due to its positioning, the fascia can be vulnerable to problems like animal intrusions, water damage, and other issues—especially when sufficient maintenance isn't done. If you notice damage to your fascia, you'll want to call a roofing professional and get it fixed quickly. Here are the key details to know about fascia repair.
Understanding the Importance of Fascia
As noted, the roof fascia runs along the edges of your roof, above the soffit. It connects to the rafters inside the decking, and acts as a mount for gutters. The fascia helps shield the attic and roof decking from exposure to weather and pests. While it has an important function, the fascia can also add to a home's aesthetic appeal.
Since gutters are typically attached to the roof fascia, ensuring it's in good condition is crucial to the health of your drainage system. If the fascia is damaged, the gutters might not work properly, which can lead to a host of related problems. If a damaged fascia is left unaddressed, you could encounter common roof problems like water damage, mold growth, cracks, and small openings where nails have loosened. These issues can often be prevented by proper maintenance, but eventually, you're bound to need repairs.
Choosing the Best Materials for Fascia Repair
Fascia boards are typically made from wood, vinyl, aluminum, or composite. Using a quality fascia material can ensure the longevity of the product, reducing the need to repair or replace it as often. Since some options require no sealing or painting, they also require less maintenance than others to keep them healthy.
The choice of material often depends on the region's climate and weather patterns, as well as homeowner preference and visual appeal.
Wood
Wood is one of the most popular fascia board materials. It's also one of the cheapest options available—but it's not resistant to damage from water or pests, so it must be treated to improve its protective capabilities. You can choose a couple of different wood types to select from, like cedar, redwood, pine, and fir.
Cedar is one of the top choices as it's lightweight but resistant to pest intrusions and moisture. You can also stain it so it lasts longer. Redwood offers all the same advantages and provides a very attractive look, but it is expensive. Fir and pine are both affordable options that are lightweight and offer moderate protection against insects and water, but they require regular upkeep to keep them working effectively.
Vinyl
Vinyl fascia is easy to install, requires little maintenance, and offers strong resistance to the elements and local wildlife. What's more, there are many style options to choose from when it comes to color and texture. This makes it a popular option among homeowners. However, it can sometimes have higher upfront costs than other fascia materials.
Aluminum
Aluminum is lightweight, low-maintenance, and resistant to corrosion. The material is commonly placed directly over wooden fascia boards to improve weather protection.
Composite
Composite fascia boards come at a higher price but offer excellent UV resistance, are engineered to resist pests, and don't require sealing. In addition, the material doesn't absorb water, so it's immune to rot, and it comes in different colors.
Signs and Timing for Fascia Repair
A few signs that your fascia needs repairs include peeled paint, sagging gutters, cracks, warping, and rotting. Since fascia acts as a protective barrier, weather-related damage like hail, fallen tree branches, and other debris can create noticeable cracks on the boards.
When the protective board's sealant isn't in the best condition, it can leave the fascia open to water absorption, which can cause wood rot and mold growth. The wood rot creates blemishes on the boards, which doesn't make for a great curb appeal. To detect mold growth, be on the lookout for discoloration and random dark patches on the fascia.
Excessive moisture can also attract unwanted pests like ants and termites. As the fascia boards increase in weight due to the excess water, they also become a less reliable mount to gutters, leading to sagging gutters. This can create further water damage issues. When the water on your roof can't properly drain away, it can lead to foundation problems and rot on the other roofing materials.
Another tell-tale sign that you may need a fascia replacement is if you notice signs of an animal infestation on your roof. Pests can create holes in your soffit and fascia. You'll want to get this repaired quickly since they can move further into other parts of your home, like the attic.
Professional vs. DIY Approach
Your roof is one of the most important systems in your home, so when any type of repair is needed, it's best to call the professionals. Finding the cause of the damage is essential for preventing future issues; even the most handy homeowner might not have the trained eye of a true professional.
Performing the repairs yourselves can be cheaper since you don't need to pay for the labor—but you take on a greater deal of risk. Getting on a ladder to replace these boards is no easy feat. Anytime you need to perform any replacement work on a roof, it can be dangerous, which is why roofing contractors typically have specialized insurance and professional equipment to keep themselves safe.
How to Perform Fascia Repair
If you're still curious about the process for repairing your home's fascia, here are the steps that roofing professionals take.
Assess the Damage and Take Measurements
First, contractors use the current damaged boards to determine the size of the new boards. Then, they measure all the fascia that needs to be replaced with a measuring tape so they can order the number of feet required, usually adding a few inches to each board to allow for adjustments.
Remove the Gutters
Since gutters are attached to the fascia boards, they'll need to be removed first. The gutters are removed carefully to avoid accidental damage. These same gutters can be used after installing the new fascia, but if the contractor notices cracks or other damage, they might recommend that you replace them as well.
After they've removed the gutters, it's time to remove the roof drip edge, which is commonly installed over the fascia.
Remove Damaged Fascia Boards
After those two things have been removed, the contractor will uninstall the damaged fascia by removing the nails that attach it to your rafters. This step has the potential to accidentally damage the rafters, which is why it's best to let a trained professional handle this project.
Install New Fascia Boards
With the old fascia boards removed, the new ones can now be installed. The contractor will install the boards on the rafters by nailing them every 12 inches, and they may seal the seams with caulk to improve water resistance.
Once installed, the exterior fascia boards are painted to match the color of your home or gutters. The contractor may also nail a protective trim to the boards to add aesthetic value. After installing the new fascia, they'll reattach the drip edge and mount the gutters on the boards again.
How Soffits Relate to Fascia
In addition to the fascia, your home's soffits play a key role in your roof ventilation. Soffits let fresh air enter your home, keeping the air quality high. Fascia complements soffits by helping release the warm air from the attic. In the winter, insufficient roof air circulation can lead to ice dams.
Like the fascia, soffits can also experience pest infestations, cracks, rotting due to water damage, and mold growth. To keep all parts of your roof working as they should, it's important to complete repairs as soon you notice any of these problems.
Choosing a reputable contractor can help keep your roofing working effectively. Since the roof is one of the more important components of any home, you want someone trustworthy who will make the best repairs and prevent other issues. Roofers that use premium roofing materials from GAF are able to offer homeowners guarantees and warranties that other roofing companies simply can't match. Request a quote from any of the GAF-certified* contractors near you.
FAQs
Should you ever ignore fascia damage?
No. Fascia is responsible for multiple functions, so when it gets damaged, it can impact multiple parts of your home. From the interior roof decking, to your gutters, to the overall structural integrity of your roof, fascia needs to be repaired or replaced as soon as damage is observed.
How much does soffit and fascia repair cost?
Soffit and fascia repair can cost anywhere from $600 to $6,000. The number will depend on the type of material used and the length of board that needs to be replaced.
How do you find reliable contractors?
The easiest way to find reliable contractors for your home is to use the GAF contractor search tool. This lists all the residential roofers near you that use GAF products, which can help ensure your contractor will likely use high-quality materials with excellent durability and industry-best warranties.
*Contractors enrolled in GAF certification programs are not employees or agents of GAF, and GAF does not control or otherwise supervise these independent businesses. Contractors may receive benefits, such as loyalty rewards points and discounts on marketing tools from GAF for participating in the program and offering GAF enhanced warranties, which require the use of a minimum amount of GAF products. Your dealings with a Contractor, and any services they provide to you, are subject to the GAF Contractor Terms of Use.
