Rotten fascias, cracked soffits and blocked gutters cause damp, structural damage and pest entry. We replace and repair roofline boards and guttering on homes across Brandon, using uPVC and timber to suit the property.
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
Fascias, soffits and guttering are the first line of defence between your roof structure and the weather. The fascia is the vertical board fixed to the rafter feet just below the roof edge; the soffit is the horizontal board that runs beneath it, closing off the eaves. Together they seal the roof void from birds, bats, damp air and wind-driven rain. The guttering sits on brackets fixed to the fascia and carries rainwater off the roof and down to the drain.
When any one of these components fails, the consequences spread quickly. Water that cannot drain properly spills behind the fascia, soaks the rafter feet and works into the wall plate. Rot in that zone is expensive to remedy and often goes unnoticed until a roofer lifts the first course of tiles. Replacing worn roofline boards before they reach that point is nearly always cheaper than dealing with the structural damage afterwards.
We carry out fascia, soffit and guttering replacement and repair across Brandon and the surrounding area, working on terraced houses, semi-detached and detached properties, bungalows and extensions.
Fascias and soffits on older properties are often made from timber, which can last decades if the paintwork is maintained. Once the paint breaks down, however, moisture gets in and rot follows quickly. The board may look solid from the ground but press a screwdriver into a soft patch and it will sink straight in.
Common signs that replacement or repair is due include:
Gutters made from cast iron or older uPVC can crack, separate at the joints or become so heavily blocked with leaf debris and moss washed off the roof that water has nowhere to go. A blocked downpipe in winter can lead to water freezing inside, splitting the pipe and leaving you with a cascade of water down the outside wall at the next thaw.
A full roofline replacement starts by removing the old guttering and downpipes, then stripping out the existing fascia boards. This is the point at which the condition of the rafter feet becomes clear. If there is any rot in the timbers, it needs to be cut back to sound wood and made good before new boards go on. Fitting new uPVC over rotten timber simply hides the problem and creates the same damp conditions that caused the rot in the first place.
New fascia boards are fixed securely to each rafter foot. The soffit panel is then fitted between the wall and the fascia, with ventilation grilles or a continuous ventilated soffit where needed to maintain airflow into the roof void. Without adequate ventilation, condensation builds up in the loft, soaks the insulation and can cause mould on the rafters.
Guttering is hung on new fascia brackets at the correct fall toward the downpipe. As a rule of thumb, gutters need to fall around 1 in 600 (roughly 6 mm every 3.5 metres) to drain efficiently without the angle being visible from the ground. Downpipes are positioned to discharge into the existing drainage system, and all joints are sealed to prevent drips.
Where a property has decorative bargeboards at the gable ends, these are replaced at the same time to keep the finished appearance consistent. On older houses you may find timber barge boards with quite deep moulded profiles; these can be matched in uPVC or in painted exterior-grade timber, depending on what suits the property and the owner's preference.
Most roofline replacement work today uses cellular uPVC. It does not rot, does not need painting and will not warp or split with seasonal changes in temperature and humidity. The boards are available in white, cream, grey, black and a range of woodgrain foil finishes, so it is straightforward to find a colour that suits a brick or rendered property.
Timber remains the right choice for listed buildings and properties in conservation areas where uPVC is not permitted, or where an owner specifically wants to retain the character of a traditionally built house. Painted hardwood or treated softwood can perform very well when the painting schedule is kept to. If you are unsure whether your property in Brandon has any planning restrictions on materials, it is worth checking before you order boards.
Some properties use aluminium fascias and soffits, particularly on flat-roofed sections or extensions. These are very durable and can be powder-coated to almost any colour, though they are more expensive than uPVC.
Standard uPVC half-round gutter in 112 mm width handles the rainwater load from most domestic roofs without difficulty. Larger roofs, or roofs with a very steep pitch that sheds water fast, sometimes need a 125 mm or 150 mm profile. Square-line and ogee (decorative S-curve) profiles are both widely available in uPVC and are popular on modern and period properties respectively.
Cast iron guttering is still fitted on many older properties. It looks excellent on Victorian and Edwardian houses and, if kept painted, lasts a very long time. The drawbacks are weight (it needs robust fascia brackets and sound timber behind them), the need for regular painting to prevent rust at the joints, and cost. Cast iron guttering and downpipes are noticeably more expensive than uPVC both to buy and to install.
Aluminium seamless guttering is a third option: it is formed on site to the exact length needed, which eliminates the joints where most uPVC leaks occur. It is a good choice for long, straight runs on larger homes.
Prices vary with the size of the property, the number of storeys, the profile and colour of board chosen, and the condition of the timber behind the existing boards. As a general guide, typical UK costs for a standard semi-detached house run from around £1,500 to £2,500 for a full uPVC fascia, soffit and guttering replacement. A detached house with more roof perimeter to cover will usually sit between £2,500 and £4,000. These figures assume the rafter feet are in reasonable condition; if significant timber repairs are needed, that adds to the cost.
Replacing just the guttering on a semi-detached house, without touching the fascia and soffit, typically costs £400 to £800 depending on gutter length, profile and downpipe count. Individual repairs to a section of gutter, a single downpipe or a short run of damaged fascia are priced by the job.
A like-for-like replacement in cast iron costs roughly two to three times more than uPVC for materials alone, which is worth factoring into your budget at the planning stage.
We will come and look at the existing roofline before any price is agreed. It is not possible to give a reliable figure without seeing the boards, checking the gutter fall and understanding what is behind the existing fascia. Any roofer who quotes without a visit is estimating blind.
We work from ladders or a low-level tower scaffold depending on the height and access; for taller properties or where scaffolding is needed, this will be included in the price we agree with you.
All old fascia boards, guttering and downpipes are removed from site as part of the job. New uPVC does not need any aftercare other than an occasional rinse with a hose or soft cloth to keep it looking clean.
If your property needs new roof tiles or a felt replacement at some point, it is worth considering the roofline at the same time. A roofer working on the roof will already have the area stripped back, which reduces the additional labour needed to replace the fascia and soffit. Combining the jobs on one visit saves the cost of a second mobilisation and means any rafter foot repairs are addressed in the same operation.
Equally, if you are having external wall insulation or rendering done, the roofline boards are typically removed and refitted as part of that work. If the boards are already tired, it makes sense to replace rather than refit them.
Fascias and soffits in uPVC do not need painting, but they do benefit from a check every two or three years to make sure brackets and fixings are still tight, that soffit vents are not blocked with debris or nesting material, and that gutter joints have not worked loose. A blocked gutter found and cleared in autumn costs nothing compared with the damp damage that can follow a winter of water overflowing behind the fascia.
Roof moss and lichen washed off during heavy rain can collect in gutters and build up into a dense plug over a couple of seasons. A gutter that drains freely after installation can be almost fully blocked within two or three years on a property with a mossy roof. If your tiles carry a significant moss growth, treating or cleaning the roof at the same time as the guttering job will reduce the rate at which the new gutters fill up.
Fascias, soffits and guttering in uPVC typically last 20 to 30 years or more when correctly installed and kept clear of debris, so replacement is not a job you will need to repeat frequently. Getting it done properly the first time, with sound timber behind the boards, is what makes the difference.
If your fascias are showing signs of rot, your gutters are overflowing or you can see the boards pulling away from the wall, call us to arrange a roofline inspection. We will tell you honestly what needs doing and give you a clear price before any work starts.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
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