Roofline

Replacing your fascias and soffits that are old or worn helps to protect your roof and walls, preventing damp and water damage to your property. Clean new gutters and ornate fascias can greatly increase the value of your home.

The soffit board is tucked away under the fascia board. It is usually the board that you see most of from street level. The soffit can be ventilated to allow the flow of air into the roof area. Alternatively, ventilation can be provided over the top of the fascia board.

Soffits and Fascias explained

A soffit is a covering which sits between the outer edges of your roof and the adjacent wall of the house, protecting and sealing the rafter feet. If your roof has a soffit (not all do), you will be able to see it if you stand underneath the overhang of your roof and look up.

Modern soffits are usually made of uPVC. UPVC soffits and fascias are hardwearing and cope well with exposure to moisture. Wooden soffits are a popular rustic or period feature, but they are more likely to rot and decay quickly, threatening the integrity of the rest of the roof structure.

Fascias are traditionally a softwood board which is mounted to the exposed edges of your rafters, however, in recent years this has been replaced with high-grade uPVC as softwood has a tendency to rot. The purpose of a fascia is to protect and seal the roof and the interior of your home from exposure to the elements, to support roof tiles at an eaves level and to provide support for the guttering. Fascias also serve a cosmetic purpose and are much nicer to look at than exposed rafters.

Guttering is used to collect rainwater from the roof and direct the flow of water as it drains. Gutters catch the water and direct it into the downpipes, and towards a drain. Guttering is fixed with the appropriate “fall” to prevent the water from pooling in places that it should not, which could eventually lead to your gutters overflowing, which is then likely to cause other problems.