Soffits and Fascia Boards: Understand Their Importance and the Need for Prompt Repairs

The soffit and fascia boards are often neglected and forgotten since they are mostly out of sight, but they are important parts of your roof and play an essential role in protecting your attic and home from damage. The soffits are the underside of the edge of your roof, and they have vents that allow air to circulate through your attic. The fascia boards are more easily seen since they face outward.

The soffits and fascia boards can be made from wood, metal, or PVC. Here's a look at the important roles they play in protecting your home, how these parts of your roof can be damaged, and what a roofer may do to repair the damages.

The Importance of Soffits and Fascia Boards

The fascia boards provide a place to hang gutters, so it's important the boards are straight and strong so gutter hangers remain stable. If fascia boards rot, screws holding the hangers can work loose and cause gutters to sag. This could allow water to damage your home.

Strong fascia boards also keep pests out of your attic. Wood boards are susceptible to rotting, especially when gutters don't drain properly. Rotted wood attracts insects and animal pests that can chew through the weak boards and get inside your attic.

Soffits can also rot or crack. Plus, soffits can develop other issues since they provide ventilation for the attic. If the vents get clogged, ventilation decreases, and that could lead to heat damage to roof shingles and the formation of damaging ice dams in the winter.

For these reasons, it's important to call a roofer to repair or replace damaged soffits or fascia boards promptly so your home is protected.

Weather and Pests Can Damage These Roof Parts

The location of the soffits and fascia makes them vulnerable to damage. The boards are in a convenient location for rats, raccoons, and other animals to gnaw through to get inside your attic. The boards are also convenient for woodpeckers to do damage while hunting for bugs in rotted wood.

Metal and PVC fascia and soffits can be damaged by temperature changes, impacts from strong winds, hail, and rain. Metal and PVC don't rot, but they can rust, warp, and crack. All these damages allow pests to get inside your attic. Small damage escalates over time, so prompt repairs are needed when you see damage to the soffits or fascia boards.

Replacements May Be Needed

Since the fascia boards are right under your roof and face outward, your roofer may recommend replacing damaged boards for aesthetics rather than patching them when repairs would be visible. Both fascia and soffits can be replaced independently of other roofing materials. The roofer may need to take the gutters down first to reach the boards, and then the old boards can be taken off and replaced.

In some cases, repairs might be possible, especially if the damage isn't too severe. Holes and cracks can be plugged or patched and the damaged area sealed and painted over. If you have wood fascia boards now and have ongoing problems with animal pests, you may want to upgrade to metal so animals can't chew through the boards.

Your roofer can explain the different repair methods and materials so the new boards last a long time and the work fits in with your budget. Since damage from rot and pests gets worse over time, having repairs done when the damage is minor could save money over waiting until the damage is more severe.

If you've noticed rot, holes, or cracks in your roof's soffits or fascia boards, contact Guyer & Sons Roofing. We'll assess your roofing problems and find solutions so your home is protected from the weather and pests.