Fascia-Soffits, Informative and Ready to Work for You 610-789-0354

An expanding information page for: Fascia & Soffits

A.  General Information
B.  Repairing Wood Fascia
C.  Repairing Wood Panel Soffits
D.  Repairing Tongue and Groove Soffits
E.  Repairing Metal Soffits

A. General Information
Fascia Soffit_diagram Fascia and soffits add a finished look to your roof and promote a healthy roof system. A well-ventilated fascia/soffit system prevents moisture from building up under the roof and in the attic. A secure system keeps pests, like birds and bats, from nesting in the eaves.

B. Repairing Wood Fascia
For repairing wood fascia, inspect the fascia boards for damage. When you have identified which fascia boards need repair, remove any other items mounted on those boards, like gutters or shingle moldings. While you're at it, you should make sure gutters are in good working condition. With a flat pry bar, carefully pry off any damaged fascia boards. Remove the entire board and all the old nails. Find the nail holes on a good section of the fascia board to mark the board for cutting. The nail holes show where the fascia board attaches to a rafter; making the cut here allows you to fasten both the remaining board and the new board securely. Set your circular saw for a 45 degree bevel, and saw the old fascia board at a rafter location. Make sure to cut away all damaged wood.

Reattach the original fascia board to the rafters and rafter lookouts, using 2" galvanized deck screws. The screws can be driven in the original nails holes for convenience, or in new holes for better strength. With a circular saw still set for a bevel cut, saw a new fascia board long enough to replace the damaged section. When you measure the board, include the angle of the miter cut so that the new board will fit right at both ends.
At the rafter where the old and new boards meet, drill pilot holes through both boards and into the rafter. Drive nails into the pilot holes. The nails should pass through the angled ends of both boards and the rafter to create a lock-nail joint. Replace the shingle moldings and other trim pieces, using 4d galvanized casing nails. Set the nail heads. Prime and paint the new board to match the original fascia. Reattach the gutter hangers, gutters, and any other trim.

C. Repairing Wood Panel Soffits
In the area where soffits are damaged, remove the moldings that hold the soffits in place along the fascia and exterior wall. Set them aside. Cut-out_damage (2K) RemoveSoffit (2K) CutStrips (3K) Drill entry holes, then use a jigsaw to cut out the damaged soffit area. Saw as close as you can to the location where the soffit meets the rafters and rafter lookouts. If needed, finish the cuts with a wood chisel. Remove the damaged soffit panels. If they're hard to remove, carefully work them loose with a flat pry bar. Cut nailing strips to the same length as the exposed area of the rafters. Fasten the nailing strips to the rafters or rafter lookouts at the edges of the opening, so that the replacement soffit panels can be nailed to the strips. Using soffit material similar to the original panel, make a replacement piece to fit the opening. To allow for expansion, cut it 1/8" smaller than the opening. If the new panel will be vented, cut vent openings.

If you will be painting all the soffits after the repair, you can leave the replacement panels unfinished for now. But, if only the replacement panels need to be primed and painted, do this before mounting the panels. Attach soffit panel to the nailing strips or rafter lookouts with 2 inch galvanized deck screws. Holding the replacement soffit panel in place, attach it to the nailing strips or rafter lookouts with 2" galvanized deck screws. Once the new soffit panel is securely in place, reattach the soffit molding, using 4d galvanized casing nails. Using siliconized acrylic caulk, fill all remaining nail holes, screw holes, and gaps. Smooth out the caulk with a putty knife or other flat tool until the caulk is even with the surface. If necessary, prime and paint the soffit panels and reinstall the vent covers.

D. Repairing Tongue and Groove Soffits
Remove the soffit molding from the damaged area. Find the closest rafter lookout on each side of the damage, and drill entry holes for a jigsaw near the rafter lookouts. Using 2 inch galvanized deck screws, fasten the nailing strips flush with the rafter lookouts. Using a jigsaw, cut out the damaged section, sawing as close as possible to the rafter lookouts. Remove the damaged section. Cut 2 x 2 nailing strips to the same length as the exposed area of the rafter lookouts. Using 2" galvanized deck screws, fasten the nailing strips flush with the rafter lookouts at the edges of the opening. These strips provide a surface that the soffit boards can be nailed into. Using tongue-and-groove stock that matches the original soffits, cut boards to fit the opening. Drill pilot holes through the tongues of the replacement boards where they will meet the nailing strips. Drive 8d galvanized casing nails through the pilot holes and into the nailing strips. Set the nail heads so that the groove of the next patch board will fit cleanly over the tongue of the first one. Fasten all the replacement boards except the last one. Trim the top lip from the grooved edge of the last board to be installed. This lets you fit the board in place without breaking the tongue-and-groove pattern. Position the tongue of the final replacement board in the opening, and slide it into place. Using 4d casing nails, face-nail the last board to the nailing strips.

E. Repairing Damaged Metal Soffits
Remove the fascia covering the soffits by prying out the nails. Make sure you don't damage the fascia or the other soffit panels. Remove nails from the damaged soffit panels. Pull down on the panel at the fascia end, causing it to bow, and work it loose from adjoining panels. Cut the new soffit panel to size, using a circular saw with a fine tooth metal blade installed backward. Insert the panel, push the edges of the panel to make the panel bow, then interlock the edges with adjoining panels. Tap it toward the house until the end is in the channel, and the opposite end is flush with adjacent panels along the subfascia. Fasten the panel in place by driving 1 ¼" aluminum trim nails in the soffit's V-grooves. Reinstall the fascia.