Soffit and Fascia

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Homeowners should understand the purpose of the soffit and fascia on their home and be able to identify damage that needs attention.  The soffit and fascia serve both aesthetic and functional purposes on a home’s exterior.  The soffit is the underside of a roof’s eaves and the fascia is the board that extends straight down from the roof edge.  As the soffit and fascia age, they experience damage and require repairs.  The following are six signs to look out for that indicate that your soffit and fascia need repairs.

1. Cracks and Chipped Paint

Paint on the soffit and fascia sometimes develops chips and cracks over time.  This is both an aesthetic problem and a functional problem.  While at first cracks and chips might be merely aesthetic, they can deepen and expand over time until they create leak problems.  For this reason, homeowners should seal up cracks and paint over chips to ensure that the soffit and fascia are watertight.

2. Leaks in Gutters

If your gutters are leaking, chances are high that your soffit and fascia are suffering from water damage.  Leaking gutters can cause the soffit and fascia to be constantly exposed to water.  This can cause freeze/thaw damage in the winter months.  Flowing water can also knock the soffit loose and dislodge the fascia boards.

3. Poor Attic Ventilation

If your attic is not adequately ventilated and the attic air is stagnant, your soffit and fascia could be to blame.  Often, soffits are ventilated to allow air to flow into the attic and upper floors of a home.  Clogs and blockages in the soffit and fascia components could cause poor ventilation.  Dirt and debris become lodged into the soffit and fascia vents and block air flow.  In this case, the components need to be cleaned or replaced.

4. Animal Infestations

One important function of the soffit and fascia is keeping pests from building nests under a home’s eaves.  The soffit and fascia are a first line of defense against pest infestations not just on the roof itself but in the home’s interior as well.  A careful inspection of the soffit and fascia is always important when pests have infiltrated a home.  Replacement of the soffit and fascia is important if pests have been making their way into the home through openings in roof eaves.

5. Rotting Wood