By Daniel Weadley
© DanielsRoof.com

Are looking for step-by-step instructions on how to remove and replace fascias and soffits? If so, you need to click through to this page, it also contains photos and a slideshow of my work. Check it out here. If you want to know how much it costs to replace fascias and soffits with Upvc then have a read of my example quotation.

Below you can find the 5 reasons why I never recommend capping over the existing boards and why you shouldn’t either!

In all honesty I have only ever “capped” a board twice. The first time was because the customer insisted on it as he was selling his house and wanted to improve it’s appearance. He was on a tight budget and was made fully aware of the long term implications.

The second time was because we were unable remove the existing boards, it was an unusual situation where there were severe access issues, it was decided that there was only one option – to cap over the original boards. We did put extra long nails into the capped board and the customer agreed that it was the best course of action given the unusual circumstances.

Below is a selection of photos I took after discovering a project carried out by a less able installer, note the reduced tile overhang that has led to rot. It’s not unusual on “capped” fascias.

Here is another view of the same capped fascia:

Here is a close up of the rot:

Anyway, below is my list of 5 reasons why one should replace rather than cap:

1) Nearly every cowboy roofer in the United Kingdom will recommend capping over the existing boards. It’s a fact that these morons are too stupid to construct something from new so they simply cap over and hope for the best. In 15 years of installing roofline products I have seen many roofline disasters, almost all of them from “cap over” cowboys. It is incredibly easy and quick to cap over a board while replacing them does involve a lot more work.

2) Rot – Timber will rot over time if it is subjected to moisture, possible causes would be from overflowing (or splashing) gutters, condensation or via a broken roof tile. Cowboys that are too dumb to do the job correctly will not tell the home-owner about any rot they discover, instead they will just cap over it and send the bill. Once it is capped it is impossible to see the rot that will of course spread over time.

Rot to top edge is hidden by guttering

Rot to top edge of fascia board

3) Guarantee – The guarantee that is typically offered with a fascia installation will not cover the sub-structure, ie the old fascia that the new plastic is secured/nailed to. Hence why it’s best to just remove and replace it and then fix directly to a solid and reliable structure such as a roof rafter.

4) Reduced roof tile overhang – By capping over the boards the guttering will be set slightly further away from the roof tiles, this may cause rain water to run behind the gutter rather than into it. This is a known issue that is directly caused by capping over the fascia instead of doing a proper job and replacing it

5) Obstruction – Try fully opening a window near the existing fascia boards. How much gap is there between the window and the existing fascia? If another fascia was “capped” on top of this existing board, would the window still fully open? Or would it catch/jam on the new fascia? Professional fascia installers are trained to *ALWAYS* check the window openings during an installation. This is not just because the homeowner may want to open a window on a hot summer day, but because these windows may need to be fully opened and used as a fire escape in an emergency. I have seen three (yes three) homes where the designated fire escape window has been obstructed this way.