Why Fascias And Soffits Matter
The fascia and soffit are the boards that close off the bottom edge of your roof. The fascia faces forwards (you see it from the street), the soffit faces down (you see it when you look up at the eaves), and together they form the box that supports your guttering and stops birds, wasps and weather from getting under the tiles.
On most pre-1980s Leicester houses these were originally timber, painted every few years to keep the rot out. By the time a typical timber fascia is 30-40 years old it's usually rotted, the paint is flaking, the gutter brackets are pulling out, and the underlying rafter ends are starting to suffer too. Replacing rotten timber fascias with modern uPVC stops the rot for good and ends the painting cycle — the boards we fit now should still look identical in 20 years.
Full Replacement Vs. Cap-Over
There are two ways to replace a fascia: full replacement, where the old timber is stripped right back to the rafter ends and new fascia, soffit, drip strip, ventilation and gutters all go on fresh; or cap-over, where uPVC is fitted over the existing timber. Cap-over is cheaper and quicker but it's almost always the wrong choice — you're hiding rotten timber behind plastic, and any rot continues unseen until the whole eaves system fails together.
We only quote for full replacement. The old timber comes off, any rotten rafter ends are cut back and scarfed in with new timber, eaves felt and over-fascia ventilation strip get fitted to current Building Regs, and 18mm or 25mm uPVC fascia goes on with stainless fixings. Soffits are slotted-vent uPVC where roof ventilation is needed, or solid where the loft is already vented elsewhere. New uPVC half-round or square gutters and downpipes complete the job.
Roof Ventilation At The Eaves
Modern Building Regulations require continuous low-level ventilation into the loft at the eaves. This is what stops warm moist air from your house condensing inside the loft, dripping onto the ceiling, and rotting the rafters and wallplate from the inside. Older houses often have no eaves ventilation at all, which is one of the main reasons their roof timbers fail prematurely.
When we fit new fascias we always include the eaves ventilation as standard — either 25mm continuous strip vent under the fascia, slotted-vent soffit boards, or both, depending on what your roof needs. This isn't an extra; it's part of doing the job to current standards.
Gutters And Downpipes
We refit new uPVC guttering and downpipes whenever we replace the fascia — the old gutters are usually full of rotten leaf debris, the brackets are pulling out, and the seals between sections are leaking onto the wall behind them. Half-round 112mm gutter is the standard for most Leicester semis. Larger detached or commercial buildings sometimes need square 125mm or deeper-flow profiles.
All new gutters are fitted with proper falls (1:600 to 1:300 typically), brackets at maximum 1m centres, and downpipes either to existing back inlet gullies or to direct underground connections where required. We test every system with a hose before we leave.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does fascia replacement take?
A typical 3-bed semi takes 1-3 days depending on the access and the eaves length. A larger detached property is 3-5 days. The job is normally done from a tower scaffold or scaffold platform — ladders aren't safe for working a full eaves length.
What colour options are available?
White is standard. Black, anthracite grey, oak woodgrain, mahogany woodgrain and rosewood are all available, with 20-year colour fastness guarantees on the main brands. Roselineum, Eurocell, Freefoam and Liniar are the brands we fit most often.
Do I need scaffolding?
On a single-storey building a tower scaffold is enough. On two-storey we use either a full scaffold or a sectional eaves platform — included in the quote either way.
Will you replace any rotten rafter ends?
Yes — this is part of doing the job properly. Rotten ends are cut back to sound timber and scarfed in with new pressure-treated softwood. We don't charge extra for this on most jobs unless the rot is exceptional.
Will my house warranty / NHBC be affected?
No — replacement of fascias and soffits is permitted development and does not affect any new-build warranty.