Guttering, Fascias & Soffits

The roofline detail that manages water and protects the timber underneath

Guttering, fascias and soffits are the roofline's water management and finishing system — the part that carries rainwater away and covers the rafter ends — and when any part of it fails, damp problems usually follow at wall level rather than roof level.

Guttering carries rainwater off the roof to the downpipes; fascia boards are the vertical boards fixed to the rafter ends that the guttering is mounted to; soffits are the boards underneath, closing off the eaves and, in most modern installations, providing roof ventilation through small vents built into them. When guttering sags, cracks or blocks, water overflows down the wall face instead of into the downpipe, and over time that leads to damp patches, staining and, at worst, water tracking behind the fascia into the roof timbers themselves. Fascia boards that have rotted, usually from long-term water contact where guttering has failed, need replacing rather than repairing, since a rotten fascia won't hold new guttering brackets securely. We work with both timber and low-maintenance uPVC systems, and where soffits are being replaced we make sure ventilation is maintained or improved, since a loft or roof void with no eaves ventilation is more prone to condensation problems over time. This is a job that's easy to overlook until it fails, but replacing tired guttering and fascias before they fail protects far more expensive roof timbers behind them.