Many wonder what fascia is and why is it important to my home. Fascia is the exterior wood trim around the front of your home, installed just below the roof line. This trim has both an aesthetic and practical function and both play an important function to the style of the finished exterior.
What Are Fascia Boards?
Fascia boards have a small role in the overall appearance of a home when it comes to design and color. Aesthetically it helps to cover the soffit and provides a more finished appearance to the roof and the eaves of the home. It is best to replace all fascia when redoing your roof as it presents a more uniform appearance, and the roof is not damage during fascia installation.
These boards vary in width but is generally slightly wider or thicker than the same trim used on the rest of the home. Normally it is painted the same color or given the same finish as the other trim. This gives the home a more cohesive design and appearance.
How Do Fascia Boards Work?
How is this practical to the home is the next question that we are usually asked during a home inspection. Fascia boards support the roofline of the home. Made from structurally strong wood fascia helps give support to the gutter, and soffit, which is installed just behind it. The fascia provides support to these sections of the home and gives the gutter and gutter ties something to attach onto. It also gives the roof sheathing and the roof flashing something to adhere to while giving the area a watertight seal.
What Are Fascia Boards Made of?
Cedar and other woods typically used for trim often don’t hold up well if not pressured treated or painted to deter wood eating insects. It is important to note here that many roofers do not paint trim and it is up to the homeowner to paint or hire a painter to paint the trim once installed. Overtime heat, cold, and UV exposure, cause the paint finish to breakdown, bubble, peel, and crack exposing the wood beneath. The wood will then absorb rain and/or snow water, leading to fungal growth and eventual rot, which in turn means that the appearance is impacted.
Lately vinyl and PVC trim has become popular as an alternative to wood. This material isn’t impacted by moisture like wood or the peeling or cracking of the finish. Nevertheless, like with any kind of plastic, fascia board will have issues. This means it will fail more quickly than cedar or other types of wood. During long periods of heat vinyl and plastic fascia boards will soften. During the rainy season the weight of the water in the gutters will cause the fascia to warp and bend. In very cold climates the material can become brittle. Which means the fascia can crack, leading to the ultimate failure of the area.
Our suggestion is to use pressured-treated wood for your fascia board and trim detail for your home. Pressure-treated wood helps to resist wood rot in the elements, can stay protected, and looking its best for greater lengths of time. It last longer than other products with just a primer coat added to bare wood that resists moisture with no underlying wood fiber protection.
Fascia boards are important to both the looks and the function of the home. If you are noticing dry or rotted fascia it is time to call in the experts to replace or repair your trim.
If you have questions about your fascia, soffit, or need a free estimate, feel free to contact the experts at Fresh Home Roofing. As a locally owned and operated roofing contractor, we have proudly served people in South Florida for more than 30 years. Learn more about our services by calling our representatives at (866) 373-7410 today.
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