Trim
Soffit, Fascia and Trim Repair in Round Rock
The fascia is the board the gutter hangs on. The soffit is the panel under the overhang. They rot from the roof edge down.
Why These Boards Go First
Water gets behind the gutter and soaks the top of the fascia.
Drip edge is what prevents it, and Round Rock's page names it as required on re-roofs.
Replace rotted fascia before or with a new roof, not after.
Rain runs off the shingles and should drop into the gutter. Without a metal drip edge, some of it curls back under the shingle edge and runs down the face of the fascia behind the gutter, where nobody sees it.
The first sign is usually paint peeling near a corner, or a gutter that has started to sag because its screws no longer hold.
What Gets Replaced
- Fascia. The rotted length is cut back to sound wood over a rafter tail and a new primed board fitted. The gutter comes down and goes back up.
- Soffit. Stained or sagging panels are replaced. Vents in the soffit are kept clear, because they are the intake for attic ventilation.
- Rafter tails. If rot has reached the framing behind the fascia, the tail is repaired first.
- Corner boards and band trim. The vertical and horizontal trim that finishes siding takes water at its ends.
- Drip edge. New metal tucked under the roofing so the cause is dealt with.
Timing It With a Roof
A re-roof is the cheap moment to fix the roof edge. The shingles are off, the drip edge is being replaced anyway and the fascia is fully exposed.
It is also the moment it gets skipped. A crew racing through a storm season can nail new drip edge over a soft board and move on. Since no city inspector checks a house re-roof here, ask for a photo of the fascia with the old drip edge off.
Hail leaves its own marks on trim: chips in painted boards and dents in metal fascia covers. See the hail-damaged siding page.
Questions About Soffit, Fascia and Trim
Can fascia be replaced without replacing the roof?
Yes. The first row of shingles is lifted carefully so the new board and drip edge can go in.
What should replacement trim be made of?
Primed wood, fiber cement trim and PVC trim are all used. Ask what is being quoted and why.
Why is paint peeling under my roof overhang?
Moisture is getting into the soffit, from a roof-edge leak above or from a blocked attic vent. Both are worth checking.
Soft Board at the Roof Edge?
Say which corner and whether the gutter is sagging.
Call (737) 237-8867 Write It Down Instead