Soffit repair cleans up this important areaunder the eavesand restores it to good working order.
Repairing the soffit and the adjacent fascia usually entails removing the poor sections and replacing them with new panels.
What Are Soffit, Fascia, and Subfascia?
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Thesoffitis the panel on the underside of the eaves.
Thefasciais the long, narrow strip at the ends of the eaves.
Thesubfascia, behind the fascia, is attached to the rafter ends.
Not all homes have a subfascia.
When Is Soffit Repair Necessary?
The ground directly below must be level and firm.
For second-story soffit and fascia, thebest ladderto use is an extension ladder.
The extension ladder can rest against the side of the house while you work on the soffit.
Assess the Soffit and Fascia
Tap the fascia with a hammer.
If it sounds hollow, the fascia likely is rotted and needs to be replaced.
The paint may still appear to be in good condition, even though the board itself has rotted out.
With theputty knife, see if any paint pulls away.
Under the eaves, sight down the length of the soffit board.
It should be flat, not bowed.
Adjoining soffit boards should not be separated.
Finally, unscrew the gutter hanger straps and remove the gutters.
It’s possible to remove the fascia while keeping the drip edge in place.
Then, slide the fascia board down and away.
Tip
Some homes may have the fascia attached directly to the rafter tails.
Remove the Soffit
Remove the damaged section of soffit.
If the soffit is vinyl or metal, remove the damaged sections of soffit from the channels.
If the channels appear in good shape, they can remain in place.
Metal and vinyl soffit panels are installed sideways, not lengthwise.
In other words, they are cut into sections, each section the width of the eaves.
Nail the fascia board to the rafter tails or to the subfascia with corrosion-resistant finish nails.
The other end of the level should rest against the house.
Tilt until it is level.
Mark a line against the house on the top side of the level.
Repeat at the end of the area to be replaced.
Match the channel’s slot with the pencil marks you made earlier.
This measurement determines the length of the soffit sections.
If the house has a subfascia, this is the priority nailing surface, not the fascia.
If there is no subfascia, use the fascia.
Use a 1-1/2-inch ring shank siding or roofing nail along with a hammer to nailupwardinto the fascia or subfascia.
Ensure that you nail through the center of the soffit section for a secure installation.
Continue the Soffit Sections
Continue to add soffit sections until the entire soffit is repaired.
Soffit sections fit end-to-end with tongue-and-groove joinery.
When to Call a Professional
A roofing company or ageneral contractorcan help with soffit repair.
Often, after the soffit or fascia are removed, the rafter tails are revealed to be decayed.
A professional can cut away and rebuild poor rafter tails.
Having a professional help you out if you feel uncomfortable on a ladder is also a good idea.
it’s possible for you to replace a section of soffit.
The way to fix rotted soffit is by removing the damaged board and replacing it with new soffit board.
you could replace soffit without removing fascia since they are not attached to each other.
However, removing the fascia gives you better access to remove the soffit.
Also, soffit and fascia damage often go hand in hand.
So, when the soffit needs repair, the fascia likely will need to be repaired, as well.
One piece of soffit costs around $50 to $60.
Reducing Falls in Construction: Safe Use of Extension Ladders.
U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Reducing Falls in Construction: Safe Use of Stepladders.
U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
