Why You Should Prioritize Soffit and Fascia Repair
Protect your home by prioritizing soffit and fascia repairs. Learn how maintaining these elements prevents structural damage and enhances curb appeal.
I don't even know what that is.
That’s what most people think when they hear about soffit and fascia. Both are often overlooked. However, soffit and fascia play a vital role in maintaining the structure and strength of your home.
What are Soffit and Fascia?
Soffit panels are the underside portion of the roof overhang.
While often overlooked their function is essential: they provide the ventilation to your attic and upstairs rooms. You will notice that the soffit often looks striped. That is the perforations that provide ventilation.
Such ventilation prevents devastating moisture damage, which can ultimately lead to wood rot and even worse, mold! That’s exactly why Fascia and wood rot repair work is so important.
It’s the mold that we can’t see that causes the most damage to our homes and bodies. That is why it's so important to keep soffit in good repair.
Fascia boards appear as the trim piece just below the roof.
Fascia protects the rafter tails of your roof and provides support to your gutters. Proper drainage from the roof can prevent thousands of dollars worth of water damage to your home's foundation.
Try to think of the fascia boards and gutters as your house's umbrella on a rainy day.
Even though soffit and fascia appear to be aesthetic elements of the home, they are not just for show by any means. They play an important role in your property's health and life span.
How to Maintain Soffit and Fascia
To make sure you maintain your soffit and fascia effectively you can:
Perform Regular Inspections: Inspect these two home essentials at least twice a year for any signs of damage. Look for cracks, peeling paint, water damage, and so on. Fascia is often damaged by clogged gutters that cause water overflow. Be sure to check gutters for debris while performing this inspection.
Act Fast: Make sure to address any of these issues quickly to prevent any further damage and maintain the structure and foundation of your home.
Don't Be Afraid To Call A Professional: You should consider hiring a professional for any inspections and/or repairs to make sure the work is done correctly and safely. If you’re in the KC area, the guys over at Gutter Cover KC® have a solid reputation.
What Are Some Common Risks of Ignoring Soffit and Fascia?
Bob: “I honestly couldn’t care less, it’s not that important.” Don't be like Bob.
Insects And Rodents
Rotten and/or damaged soffit can create an opportunity for all sorts of pests like bugs and mice to turn your attic into their permanent new home, causing further damage and extreme health and safety hazards! Having rodents like mice and rats infesting your home can lead to an increase in snakes and other predators that feed on rodents.
Bugs, rats, mice, bats you name it!
Damage To Your Homes Foundation
Neglecting your soffit and fascia repair work can lead to devastating consequences that will ultimately destroy your home's foundation.
Fascia boards that are starting to decay or fall apart will fail in trying to support the weight of your gutters. This can cause the gutters to start sagging or even detach. The result? Thousands of gallons of water spilling off the roof, down the siding, overwhelming the foundation and ruining the landscaping.
Common symptoms of gutter overflow or detachment are mold on your siding, flooding basements, soil erosion around the foundation, foundation cracks, and damaged landscaping.
Ultimately, a lot of costly repairs and a drop in the overall market value of your home.
Soffit and Fascia Maintenance and Repair Benefits
Fast, quality repairs and regular maintenance of your soffit and fascia provide several benefits, let’s take a look at a few:
Saving $1000s In Repair Work: Repairing, or tending to minor issues early on can prevent them from escalating into massive, costly repairs or replacements.
Increased Market Value: Well-maintained soffit and fascia will make your home look and feel amazing, ultimately increasing its overall market value.
Saving Energy: Well-ventilated attics and well-looked-after roof edges can drastically improve your energy efficiency by reducing the cooling costs in summer and preventing ice dams in winter.
By making the maintenance and repair of soffit and fascia a priority, homeowners can save money, enhance their home's appearance, and avoid the risks that come with neglecting their home!
In Conclusion
Soffit and fascia are an often forgotten aspect of home maintenance. Make sure to incorporate them in your next home inspection.