As far as your home’s aesthetics and structural integrity are concerned, it’s important to understand the basic functions of your home’s soffits and fascia.
Both the fascia and soffit play key roles in how your home functions. They’re essential elements of the exterior of your home and help promote proper ventilation, weatherproofing, energy efficiency, and overall aesthetics.
The soffit for example, is usually located on the underside of the overhang of your roof. This helps to promote ventilation and provide protection from the elements. The fascia board however, is located on the edge of your roofing and provides support for the guttering, while also helping make your roof look nicer and more aesthetically pleasing as well.
In order to ensure your home not only looks its best, but is also ventilated, energy efficient, and weatherproofed you must ensure your soffit and fascia are both in tip-top condition. Soffit and fascia repair pricing is therefore worth knowing, along with general care and maintenance.
Here are several soffit and fascia care and maintenance tips for you to consider.
Know Your Budget
We understand that times are tough and we’re all doing what we can to watch our wallets and limit the amount of money we’re spending. With that said, when it comes to property care and management, you can’t afford to cut corners.
Soffit and fascia repair pricing can vary greatly from company to company, based upon how much work is required. A simple repair job for example, will obviously cost less than having a completely new soffit and fascia fitted.
Even if your soffit and fascia are both in great condition, you should still do some research and get a rough idea of how much repair work or maintenance work is going to cost. That way, you can then set a budget.
In terms of repair work, you can expect to pay roughly $6 - $20 per linear foot, though things such as materials used, the size of your property, and who you use will all influence the cost. Typically, as far as soffit and fascia repair pricing goes, the average cost of a replacement or full repair is between $2,700 and $3,000.
As you can see, that’s hardly cheap, which is why maintaining your fascia and soffits is so important.
Factor in the Weather
Whether you’re opting to have new fascia and/or soffits fitted, or to simply have the existing ones replaced, you must take the elements into consideration.
A lot of people prefer wooden timber fascia for example. These can look rustic or modern and can give a property a certain appeal and charm. The main problem with wood, however, is that it can rot. Snow and ice can also damage the wood by freezing, expanding, and contracting. If you go with wood, be sure to factor in the weather. If you live somewhere prone to a lot of rain, humidity, or harsh winters, you’ll want timber that’s waterproof and designed to cope well in cold and damp environments.
UPVC, however, is waterproof and you will therefore not have to worry about water damage.
Consider Other Environmental Factors
As well as the weather, other environmental factors can potentially damage your fascia and soffits, so be sure to consider these when deciding on a repair or replacement.
Pests such as rats, mice, ants, woodworm, termites, and other insects can all potentially chew and eat their way through wood. Birds may choose to build nests. All these things must be taken into account as far as soffit and fascia repair pricing is concerned.
Remove All Old Wood Entirely if Replacing
If you are looking to replace your fascia or soffits, before you do so you’re going to have to ensure that you remove all of the old wood entirely.
No matter how tempting it may be to work around the wood, and simply replace any parts that are very obviously damaged, you should always get rid of old wood fascia before you fit the new one. Just be aware that this is likely to be a long job and may even require roof tiles to be removed.
Inspect the Soffit and Fascia Regularly
Again, soffit and fascia repair pricing can be fairly steep, which is why proper care and maintenance is so important.
The best way to deal with fascia and soffit issues is to catch them early and detect small issues or potential issues, before they become major issues. This is where regular routine inspections are so important.
If you’re able to do so, you can carry out the inspections yourself. Alternatively, contact a professional and have them carry out a thorough inspection once or twice per year. Because of the weather, it’s best to inspect just before Fall, and at the start of spring. Also, try to keep an eye on it anytime after a period of bad or stormy weather.
Keep Them Clean
Keeping your fascia and soffits clean and tidy isn’t just important when it comes to the aesthetics of your home, it’s also important as far as their lifespan is concerned.
Cleaning the soffits and fascia of your home will help to remove moss which could cause blockages and retain water. It will also help prevent the risk of mold, mildew, and general dirt and grime that could affect their integrity. Not only that, but it will also enhance the look of your property and make it look cleaner.
If you have the tools and skills to do so, you could clean them yourself, or alternatively hire professionals who will have the proper equipment and cleaning solutions to not only remove dirt and debris, but also to help prevent them from returning.
Leave Repairs to the Pros
Finally, if you do need a new soffit and/or fascia, don’t try tackling the job yourself, instead leave it to the experts.
Soffit and fascia repair pricing is generally very reasonable, especially considering the fact that you’re getting an expert service. By leaving repairs to the pros, you know that the fascia and soffits will be installed and replace correctly, efficiently, and safely.
