The Importance of Keeping your Fascias and Soffits in Good Condition

02 Sep The Importance of Keeping your Fascias and Soffits in Good Condition

Soffits, fascias, and guttering all play a crucial role when it comes to keeping the average home free of pests and unwanted moisture – while maximizing curb appeal.

Keeping your soffits and fascias in good condition can not only help your home look more attractive to buyers, but also assist in protecting your walls and roof – preventing the onset of damp and water damage.

What Are Fascias and Soffits?

Before you can devote some extra time and effort into keeping your soffits and fascias in good condition, you’ll need to know how to identify them on your roof.

In simple terms, a soffit is the covering which sits between the adjacent walls of your home, and the outer edges of your roof, protecting and sealing rafter feet to avoid the penetration of any excess moisture or water. Modern soffits are often made of uPVC – which typically means that they are hardwearing and able to cope well with exposure to moisture. However, wooden soffits may have been used in some houses as a rustic feature – making that home more vulnerable to structural damage.

Fascias, on the other hand, are softwood boards that can be mounted to the exposed edges of rafters. In recent years, most fascias have been upgraded to high-grade uPVC in an attempt to avoid the rotting that can occur within wooden resources. These fascias protect the interior of your home from exposure to the elements, and help to support roof tiles at the same time. Fascias are also valuable for aesthetic purposes, as they are much nicer to look at on a building than a set of exposed rafters.

How to Protect Fascias and Soffits

If your fascias or soffits are improperly installed, then they could easily lead to an increased chance of damage within your roof. To protect the integrity of your home, you need to ensure that you keep these aspects of your house well-protected from signs of damage and deterioration.

Common signs of damage to Fascias and Soffits might include the presence of peeling or flaking paint, rot or damp, leaking gutters, and infestations made up from a number of different pests. If you begin to notice sections of damp around your roofline, or problems with your paintwork, it may be time to seek professional help when it comes to protecting your soffits and fascias from additional damage.