FASCIAS are the trim boards at the top of the outside walls of a house. Sloping fascias at the ends of a house or beneath a gable are called rake fascias, and horizontal fascias that cover the ends of rafters are called eaves fascias.
Eaves fascias are vulnerable to decay, especially if the roof and soffits, the boxed areas beneath roof overhangs, are poorly constructed. Repairing rotten eaves fascias generally consists of replacing the damaged boards. The job is not too difficult for a moderately skilled amateur, but a helper is needed for handling larger pieces.
Look for peeling paint, stains, crumbling wood and loose gutters. To inspect a fascia, poke the surface with an icepick or other sharp tool. Decayed wood crumbles easily.
Fascias covered by aluminum or vinyl siding are more difficult to check. One problem with such siding is that it can hide decaying wood until the condition is too advanced to repair easily.
To inspect fascia boards behind siding and replace them, the siding covering the boards must be removed. Start by removing downspouts, gutter troughs and brackets or other fasteners. To simplify reinstallation, measure and record the highest and lowest points along a gutter trough before removing it. Troughs should slope at least one-16th inch per foot toward downspouts.
Use a screwdriver to pry loose the bottoms of the corner caps at each end of the siding. Removing just one cap may be necessary. Pry or slide the upper ends of the caps out from beneath the horizontal trim strip running along the top of the fascia. Next, separate the upper edge of the siding covering the fascia from the trim strip by prying or sliding it off. That should leave the board exposed.
To remove a damaged board whether or not it was beneath siding, pry away the molding strip, if there is one at the top, with a flat prybar. Then pry the board away from the rafter ends or from the separating board, the fascia backer.
If the wood to which the fascia was attached is decayed, it also has to be repaired. Minor rotted areas can be scraped away and missing material replaced with epoxy or acrylic wood restorer.
Repairing severely rotted rafters may require a professional carpenter, but sometimes short lengths of lumber can be fastened alongside the rotten wood to reinforce or replace ruined areas. Before doing that, gouge or saw away as much decayed wood as possible and saturate the rafter with wood preservative.
While the fascia is off, inspect the space enclosed by the soffit to make sure it is ventilated. Inadequate soffit ventilation is a primary cause of fascia damage. If the attic is insulated, check that air can pass freely from the space into the attic, specifically above the insulation.
Buy new lumber for a replacement fascia. Take a piece of the old fascia to a lumberyard to obtain the correct size. Fascia lumber has to be flat and straight and contain no defects other than small tightly attached knots. Long lengths may have to be delivered, but they require fewer end-to-end joints than short lengths and may last longer.
Fascia that forms part of a corner and will not be covered by siding may require mitering for appearance. Do that before cutting it to length with a circular saw. Tilt the saw baseplate 45 degrees and guide it against a straightedge. The mitered end should slope toward the side of the board that will touch the building.
Beveling the upper edge of the fascia is necessary at times so that it fits tightly beneath the roof sheathing. First find the angle to cut the edge by placing a sliding T-bevel over the edge of the old fascia or beneath the roof sheathing, where it forms an angle with a rafter end.
A sliding T-bevel resembles a tri-square with a slotted adjustable blade. Adjust the blade so that the tool conforms to the angle. Tighten it and use the tool as a guide for setting the saw baseplate to the same angle. Make a practice cut on scrap lumber and test the fit against the roof.
Place the new fascia on a flat surface or across several sawhorses, with the edge to be cut overhanging. Position a straightedged board on top of the fascia to guide the saw parallel to the fascia's edge and clamp both pieces to the work surface. Before cutting, be sure that the clamps will not obstruct the saw and that the saw cord will trail freely.
If cutting a groove in the fascia for the soffit is necessary, use a router. Measure the width of the groove in the old fascia and its distance from the board's lower edge. Then cut a similar groove with a straight router bit.
A circular saw making repeated passes over the board at slight distances apart can also cut a groove. The fascia should extend past the groove at least three-eighths of an inch so that water will drip from the edge and not run along the soffit's underside.
Coat the sides and ends of the fascia with sealer-primer before installing it. If the fascia will not accept paint, coat it with preservative. When the coating is dry, fasten the fascia into place with galvanized finishing nails. Be sure to keep the fascia straight and flat. If necessary, attach shims to any rafter ends that are shorter than the rest. Reinstall the molding strip and countersink all nail heads with a nail set. Paint the fascia or reattach the siding and reinstall gutters.
Diagrams: Free siding covering a fascia by first prying away the corner caps and then the siding from the trim strip running along the top. To remove a fascia board, first pry away any molding across the top. Then pry the board away from rafter ends or backer. Bevel fascia's upper edge to fit against roof sheathing. Use a sliding T-bevel to obtain correct angle. Cut a slot for soffit with a router. (Edward Lipinski)