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What is Fascia on a House & How Does it Affect Gutters?
Fascia boards are long, typically wooden, boards that cover the edge of the roofline. They are perpendicular to the roof, and the shingles slightly hang over the boards. These boards are found on your home’s rakes and eaves. Eaves are the lower edges of your roof that run parallel to the ground. Rakes are the slanting edges of the roofline.
The fascia is secured to your home’s rafters using an inner sub fascia board and an outer fascia board. If your home has gutters, the gutters will attach to the outer fascia boards on the eaves, the horizontal parts of the roofline. As a side note, soffits are the “ceiling” boards of your roof overhang. These are the areas where your roof extends past your house. Ever stand under your porch or roof overhang during the rain to stay dry? That little ceiling above you is made up of pieces of soffit. Some soffit systems are entirely enclosed. However, others have small, perforated holes and act as intake ventilation for your attic space.
What Is It Made Out of?
Fascia, similar to siding, can come in many different materials. Most fascia is wooden. However, you can also find aluminum, PVC, vinyl, or composite board fascia. Some homes with wooden fascia will also have an aluminum wrap or band covering the fascia to protect it from wood rot. When replacing fascia, either primed pine fascia board or PVC boards is typically used depending on the homeowner’s preference.
What is the Purpose of Fascia on a House?
The main purpose of fascia is to keep water out of your home and attic space, acting as the seal along the roof edge. Fascia also acts as a protective barrier against pests like squirrels and birds that may want to nest in your attic space. Lastly, fascia acts as the board or wall to which gutters attach.
Fascia Boards and Gutters
Fascia is a critical component of your home exterior. Nevertheless, it is easy to ignore and not think about since it doesn’t require maintenance and is mostly covered up by the gutters. In order to have secure, properly functioning gutters, there needs to be a secure & damage-free fascia board behind it. If the fascia is rotted and damaged, the gutters cannot securely fasten to the fascia. As a result, the gutter hangers or screws can come loose, and the gutter will fall off – sometimes tearing off the fascia or soffits with it. Fascia rot can also damage your roofing system. If your fascia begins to rot, it can no longer act as a seal that keeps water away from the shingles and roof edge.
How do you protect the fascia, and how to you know if it needs replacing?
Care & Replacement
There are a few key ways to ensure that your fascia lasts as long as possible and protects your home from water intrusion.
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Keep your gutters clean
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Have drip edge installed on the rakes and eaves
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Hire a roofing contractor to inspect your attic ventilation system to prevent winter ice dams
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Have your fascia wrapped with aluminum
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Hire a gutter contractor to periodically perform maintenance on your gutter system
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Don’t wait too long to replace your gutters if they are past their “Best By” date
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Make sure your gutter contractor uses speed screw hangers for the gutter installation
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Have your fascia inspected and replaced as needed whenever you do wood rot repairs, or at the 20 year mark
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When you replace fascia, consider replacing it with fiber cement boards
Signs your fascia needs some TLC
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You often see pests in your gutters or running along the roofline
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Other parts of your home have wood rot
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Your home is 20+ years old
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There is peeling paint on the fascia
Fascia is the outer seal that keeps your home watertight, so don’t ignore it. Keep an eye on it, and have it checked whenever you have other home projects done including gutters, roofing, and siding. Ultimately, a properly functioning and installed roofing and gutter system should guarantee your fascia to last for many years to come.
Why Do Fascia Boards Rot?
The fascia boards are the vertical boards that cover the ends of rafters and are usually where gutters are mounted. They are typically made of wood (though they can also be made of composite, vinyl, or fiber cement, among other materials), which makes them vulnerable to rotting.
While there are other factors that contribute to rot, two of the most common are improper installation of gutters and drip edges — the latter being the type of flashing installed at the roof’s edge. Poor installation can leave holes or cracks in the fascia that exposes the bare wood to moisture, which can later result in rot. Lack of maintenance can result in blistered and peeling paint on the fascia boards, which can also expose the boards to moisture.
What Happens When You Have Rotten Fascia Boards?
Rotten fascia boards can directly affect your gutters. Most types of gutter systems are fastened to the fascia, and if the boards are rotten, the gutters are at a higher risk of falling off the roof. This problem can also create openings in the roof where rainwater can get into the attic, through the walls, and down to the house foundations.
How to Keep a Fascia Board in Good Condition
It is ultimately your responsibility as a homeowner to maintain the overall condition of your roof, and that includes protecting your fascia boards from rot. Here are some tips:
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Install a drip edge. As required from building codes, a drip edge must be installed to preserve the life of fascia boards. It sits right below the first layer of shingles and keeps water from reaching the fascia. If your existing roof has a drip edge, make sure that it is not loose or misaligned.
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Keep the gutters clean. When water backs up due to clogged gutters, it goes to the fascia boards before it even seeps underneath the shingles. Have your gutters inspected and cleaned at least twice a year — once in spring and once in fall — to ensure there are no dead leaves, animal nests and other debris clogging up the system.
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Give the fascia a fresh coat of paint. An annual roof inspection is a perfect time to make sure the fascia board is sealed and caulked. You should also let professional roofers touch up any areas where paint is peeling or flaking before water penetrates them. Giving the fascia a new lick of paint every now and then will help protect it from elements and keep the exterior of your home sightly. If the fascia is made with wood, choose a premium exterior paint that can stand up to severe weather conditions.
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Remove insect nests. Especially in the colder months, your roof becomes a beacon of light for pests and small animals. Periodically check for evidence of bee, wasp and hornet nests in the corners of your home where the exterior walls meet the roof. If animals nesting on your roof has become a serious problem, call a professional to have them safely removed.
If your fascia boards are slowly exhibiting signs of deterioration, it is often more cost-effective to replace them. Make sure you remove the old fascia boards before adding new ones. Installation should not include cap covers since they can promote moisture buildup on the timber, therefore causing it to rot.
How to Prevent Rotten Fascia Boards
Fortunately, you can protect your fascia boards from rot by regularly inspecting your roof, ideally at least once a year. Visual inspections are fairly easy to do — simply use a pair of binoculars to inspect the roof, taking note of problems like damaged or missing components, as well as the condition of the fascia boards. Just as important is having your licensed professional fix such problems as soon as possible.
If your roof has rotten fascia boards, one of the things you should not do is try to fix it yourself. In addition to the high risk of injury, you also risk voiding your roof and gutter warranties. Instead, leave the repair work to roofing professionals.