The parts of a roofline
- Fascia. The long board fixed to the ends of the rafters along the bottom edge of the roof. Your gutters are screwed to it.
- Soffit. The board underneath the fascia, closing the gap between the wall and the edge of the roof.
- Bargeboard. The sloping board along the edge of a gable end.
- Gutters and downpipes. They collect the water running off the roof and carry it away from the walls.
What they do
Together, they protect the edge of the roof, which is one of the most exposed parts of a house. They keep rain off the rafter ends, stop birds, wasps and squirrels getting into the roof space, carry water away from the walls, and in many roofs, let air into the loft through vents in the soffit to stop condensation.
Signs they need replacing
- Timber that is soft, rotten or flaking, especially on older painted boards.
- Gutters that sag, drip or overflow onto the walls.
- Gaps under the eaves, or birds going in and out.
- Damp patches high up on outside walls, or on bedroom ceilings near the eaves.
- Brittle, faded or cracked gutters and downpipes.
Why it pays to do them together
The gutters have to come off to replace the fascias, and both need the same access, often a scaffold. Doing fascias, soffits and guttering in one go means you pay for access once, everything matches, and the gutters go back on to sound boards with the right fall.
If you are also thinking about a new roof, that is the ideal time, because the scaffold is already up.
Capping or full replacement
Some firms fit new boards over the old timber, known as capping. It is cheaper, but if the timber underneath is rotten, it keeps rotting out of sight. Taking the old boards off means any problems underneath can be seen and dealt with.
A word on birds
Birds often nest in gaps under the eaves. Nesting birds are protected by law, so if birds are nesting, work on that part of the roofline may have to wait until they have finished.
See fascias and soffits and guttering for how Jon does the work, or call for a free quote.
