how to repair rotted eaves

How to Repair Rotted Eaves

1. Inspect Your Damage. While you are preparing for your repairs, do a thorough check. Run a hose on your roof. ...
2. Remove the Shingle Mold. With a flat bar, pry off the shingle mold from the fascia. ...
3. Take off the Rotted Fascia. Take out the rotted section of fascia. Be sure not to damage any nearby roof shingles or flashing. ...

Full Answer

How to repair rotted eaves on roof?

How to Repair Rotted Eaves. 1 Step 1 – Inspect Your Damage. While you are preparing for your repairs, do a thorough check. Run a hose on your roof. If the water streams into the ... 2 Step 2 – Remove the Shingle Mold. 3 Step 3 – Take off the Rotted Fascia. 4 Step 4 – Remove Soffit. 5 Step 5 – Take off Rotted Rafter. More items

Is it hard to repair eaves?

Luckily, they aren't too hard to repair when the inevitable happens and repair is needed. So, if your eaves are wooden, and you have some damage to your fascia board to deal with (and if not, why are you reading this?), then let's look at the process. "Fascia?" That's the name for the vertical board or panel on the front of your eaves.

How do you repair a rotted soffit?

Using a section of the rotted soffit as a template, saw the replacement material to the right size. This can be done with a handsaw, though you’ll get the most precise and efficient results with a circular saw or table saw. Ideally, the soffit should be made up of only 1 or 2 boards to minimize leaking.

How do you remove old soffits from eaves?

Remove the old soffit. The soffit is the wide horizontal board that encloses the underside of the eaves. Like the fascia, a decaying soffit should be soft enough to pull out manually. Grab the exposed edge of the board and give it a sharp tug downward to dislodge it.

How do you fix rotten eaves?

0:081:24How do you repair broken or rotted eaves on a house? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBy cutting at an angle removing the damaged eaves and replacing it with wood of the same dimensionMoreBy cutting at an angle removing the damaged eaves and replacing it with wood of the same dimension cut to fit the area that you just removed. Since they're under the eaves.

Why are my eaves rotting?

The cause of rotted eave boards is excess moisture, usually the result of faulty drainage at the roof edges. Water runoff during the rainy season tends to keep the fascia and eave boards continually wet, and this promotes the growth of microorganisms that feed on wood fibers.

How do you fix rotted wood soffits?

The good news is that you won't even need to climb on top of your roof to fix your soffit!Pry off your shingle mold. ... Remove the fascia. ... Remove the soffit's rotting wood. ... Take out the rotted rafter (when applicable). ... Install the new rafter (when applicable). ... Prepare the new soffit. ... Attach the soffit. ... Attach the fascia.More items...•

How do you fix the end of rotted fascia?

2:144:27How to Replace a Fascia Board and Repair Water Damage - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo we can get the fascia board out a small flat pry bar is the perfect tool for this job one of theMoreSo we can get the fascia board out a small flat pry bar is the perfect tool for this job one of the nice things about rotting wood is it just lets. Go so easily.

What kind of wood is used for eaves?

All About Eave Eaves are simple boxes. The bottom -- or soffit -- where the damage is, is typically thin plywood, usually 1/4-to-3/8-inch-thick. It's cut in long sections and butt-jointed together with a thin piece of plastic molding that slips over both ends forming a joint.

When should I replace my eaves?

Look out for any of these signs, which may indicate that your eavestroughs need replacing:Patches of Rust or Holes. ... Leaking Seams, Joints, and Corners. ... Eavestroughs Separated from Fascia. ... Damaged Siding or Exterior Masonry. ... Poor Drainage (Usually Signified by Overflowing) ... Choose Higher-End Materials. ... Repair the Fascia First.More items...•

What kind of wood do you use to replace soffits?

Although unsanded and touch-sanded grades of plywood are often used for soffits, optimum appearance and finish performance is achieved by using panels with Medium Density Overlay (MDO), or textured (such as APA 303 Siding) or sanded A-grade faces.

Why are my soffits rotting?

Unfortunately, rotted soffit is usually caused by leaks that drip down and collect in the gutters and on the soffit boards. It can also be caused by bad weather and pesky animals. Soffits play an important role in your home because they cover the eaves and protect the rafters from weather damage.

What kind of wood do you use for soffit and fascia?

Common Fascia and Soffit Materials Fiber-cement fascia board with wood grain. Standard soffit material is 3/8- or 1/2-inch-thick exterior plywood in pine (or similar softwoods) or cedar. Common, but much less durable, is Masonite or similar fiberboard soffit, as well as much more weather-resistant fiber-cement.

How do you fill gaps in eaves?

Start at the end of a fascia board and caulk the corner edge where two boards meet. Smooth the caulk bead with your finger and begin caulking the joint between the fascia board and the soffit (also known as the eave). Slowly move down the joint to apply a steady bead of caulk into the gap, instructs Ron Hazelton.

Can you replace fascia without replacing roof?

Sometimes you can repair a section of your fascia instead of replacing the entire board. For example, if only a few feet of the board have been exposed to water, your roofers may be able to cut out just that section of fascia, so long as it spans two rafters and can be safely resecured.

How do you replace rotted wood on the outside of a house?

0:529:16Repair Trim Rot (Skirt Board and Corner Board) - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipI then switch over to an oscillating multi-tool with the wood blade in it to make the cut throughMoreI then switch over to an oscillating multi-tool with the wood blade in it to make the cut through that line I start by just carefully edging the line with the blade.

What is the vertical board on the eaves?

That's the name for the vertical board or panel on the front of your eaves. Its complement is the "soffit"—the board that forms the bottom of the structure—and technically, that's the only part that's really supposed to be called the "eave.". The first thing is getting to the eaves, which means using a ladder.

Is it hard to repair a eaves?

Eaves are a vulnerable part of your house, exposed to weather and damage by falling limbs. Luckily, they aren't too hard to repair when the inevitable happens and repair is needed.

Can you replace a section of fascia board?

But if you have damage to a long section of fascia board, you may choose to replace just the damaged portion. That's not easy, because the need to protect the roof decking itself makes it hard to make a complete cut across the fascia board.

1. Determine the type and extent of the deterioration

The first and most obvious step is to look for rotten wood. Structural movement of the building may shift the cornice woodwork, opening up joints. This breaks the paint film, letting water soak into the end-grain causing checks, splits, and decay.

2. Plan the repairs

There are four basic types of repair techniques: wood Dutchman (a patch), lap-joint splice, wood-epoxy repair, and complete replacement.

3. Design and lay out the joint

Now that I know the conditions of the board in detail, I can design an effective joint. Here, I’ll use a 3″-long half-lap joint. I lay out the joint with a pencil, combination square and marking gauge (as in Step 2). I mark the shoulder of the lap 3″ back from the end of the board, using the square to make it 90 degrees to the edge of the board.

4. Cut and shape the joint

Next, I cut the shoulder. The depth of this cut extends only halfway through the board. I like to use a Fein multi-tool fitted with a saw blade, which goes a bit slow, but gives me more control for these tricky cuts. Working with a mallet and sharp chisel, I split away the waste [D] and pare down the surface of the cheek until it is nice and flat.

5. Create the replacement part

In the shop, I make the replacement part using the old board end as a pattern. The original soffits are made of heartwood Eastern white pine, so I select a board of the same.

6. Assemble the repair

Back up on the scaffold, I check the part in place, trim it to fit, and drill shank holes in the new part for screws to hold the joint together. Then I glue it into place with an epoxy adhesive.

7. Sand and finish

A light sanding completes the wood lap-joint splice repair, and it’s ready to be painted.