Fascia and soffit Dublin

The short answer

The fascia is the board the gutter hangs on. When it rots, the gutter sags, the eaves leak and the birds move in.

We repair and replace fascia boards and soffits on houses across Dublin, in timber where a section can be saved and in uPVC where the run is finished, and we rehang the gutters on the new boards to a proper fall.

Send a photo of the eaves, in particular any peeling paint or a gutter that has dropped, and we will price it. A full replacement on a semi-detached house is normally a day or two.

What fascia and soffit do

The fascia is the long board fixed to the ends of the rafters at the eaves. It carries the gutter brackets and closes off the roof edge. The soffit is the board underneath it, running back to the wall, that closes the gap between fascia and wall so the birds, wasps and weather stay out of the roof space. On most Dublin houses built before the nineties both are painted softwood; on later houses and on anything that has been done since, they are uPVC.

Timber fascia fails from the back. Water from an overflowing gutter runs down behind it, the paint on the front hides the rot for years, and the first sign is a gutter bracket pulling out or a soffit board dropping at one end. By then the board is usually soft along most of its length. Ventilation matters too: a soffit with no vents lets the loft sweat, and condensation rots the rafter ends from the inside.

Repair or replace

A short length of rot at one end, where a downpipe has been overflowing, can be cut out and a new piece of timber scarfed in, primed and painted. That is a repair and it is worth doing when the rest of the run is sound. Where the fascia is soft in several places, or the soffit is sagging along its length, replacing the run makes more sense than chasing the rot piece by piece.

Replacement is done in uPVC on most houses: a full-thickness fascia board fixed to the rafter ends, a vented soffit behind it, and new gutter brackets at the right spacing. Capping, where a thin uPVC board is fixed over the old timber, is quicker and cheaper but it only makes sense where the timber underneath is dry and sound; capping over rot hides it and the gutter still pulls out. We say which is right from the ladder.

Fascia and soffit work we carry out

Every job includes taking the gutters down and rehanging them on the finished boards.

• Rotten sections of timber fascia cut out and new timber scarfed in, primed and painted
• Full fascia and soffit replacement in uPVC, in white, black or a woodgrain finish
• Vented soffit fitted so the roof space can breathe
• Rafter ends checked and any rotten ends treated or spliced before the new board goes on
• Eaves felt tray fitted so water off the felt drops into the gutter, not behind the fascia
• Bargeboards on gables replaced to match
• Gutters and downpipes taken down, cleaned and rehung on new brackets to a proper fall, or replaced if they are past it
• Old timber, boards and offcuts taken away

Working at the eaves on a Dublin house

Fascia work on a bungalow can be done from a ladder. On a two-storey house the run is long and the boards are heavy, so it is a scaffold tower job, and that is in the quote. Terraced houses are done from the front; the boards come in through the gate and the old ones go out the same way.

While the gutters are down we look at the first course of slates or tiles and the felt at the eaves, because that is the spot where a rotting fascia has often been letting water back under the roof. Anything found is photographed and priced separately so you can decide.

How it goes

1. Ring or send a photo. A photo along the eaves showing the fascia, the soffit and the gutter tells us most of it. Peeling paint, a sagging gutter or a gap at the soffit are the usual signs.
2. Look and quote. We check how far the rot goes from the ladder and photograph it, then quote in writing within 48 hours: a repair, a replacement, or both prices if it is borderline.
3. The work. A section repair is a half day. A full fascia, soffit and gutter replacement on a semi-detached house is normally a day or two, scaffold included.
4. Gutters rehung and photos. The gutters go back on new brackets to a fall, water is run through to check, and before and after photos are sent the same day.

What we do not do

We repair and replace fascia, soffit and bargeboards on houses, and rehang or replace the gutters that go with them. We do not fit cladding to walls, and we do not do fascia on commercial units that need a cherry picker. If the rafter ends turn out to be rotten well back from the eaves, that is roof timber work and we will show you what we found before anything is covered over.

Common questions

Should I cap my fascia or replace it?

Cap only if the timber underneath is dry and sound. Capping over rot hides the problem and the gutter brackets still pull out. If the board is soft, replace it with a full-thickness uPVC board fixed to the rafter ends. We check it from the ladder and tell you which.

Do you have to take the gutters down?

Yes. The gutter hangs on the fascia, so it comes off for the board to be replaced and goes back on new brackets set to a proper fall. If the gutter is old and brittle it is often worth replacing at the same time, and we will price that separately.

How much does fascia and soffit replacement cost in Dublin?

It depends on the length of the runs, whether the house is one or two storeys, the finish you want and whether the gutters are being replaced too. We measure it on site and quote in writing, with scaffold included where it is needed.

Will new soffits stop birds getting into my roof?

Yes, if fitted properly with the gap at the wall closed and vented soffit boards or eaves comb filler at the tile line. Birds get in where the old soffit has dropped or where the felt has rotted into the gutter, and both are dealt with as part of the job.

Get a free quote

Call 085 781 4603 or request a quote. Free site visit, written quote within 48 hours.