One of the best ways of sprucing up the outside of your home is to repair, rejuvenate or replace the wooden elements like window frames, doors, railing and decking. In this article, we're going to take a look at replacing old and rotting facia boards. Often, all that needs to be done to your facia is to give it a new coat of paint, which will brighten up the whole front of your home. However, there is only so much that paint will cover. Facia boards are the pieces of timber that are attached to the ends of your rafters.
Facia boards can become damaged for a variety of reasons. They may have been installed badly in the first place, allowing water to get below the surface, causing rotting from within. Another cause of damage is termites or some other wood boring pest. Whatever the reason for the damage, sometimes you can make repairs, but usually it is not worth the time or money because replacing the facia boards is not a hard task and won't cost you too much.
First, take a good look at which of the facia boards need to be replaced and which can be saved. A quick look will usually uncover the damage. Look for cracks in the wood, any rotting or other signs of damage. Of course, if you find that there is a lot of damage, you are better off doing the full job now, replacing every piece of facia board. At least you can rest assured that the whole job is done and you won't have to revisit again it for a few years.
The old boards should be easy to prise off the house. They are normally only secured with nails. A good claw hammer and some elbow grease will do the job. As you take each board down, take a quick measurement and cut a new piece to match.
To install the new facia boards, make sure the board is flush with the line of the roof and butted up against the boards on either side. Hammer a nail into the top and bottom of each board as it connects with the rafter. Follow this routine for each rafter, a nail into the top and bottom of the board. Once you have all the boards in place, seal the edges with some silicone paste. The best way of guaranteeing that your boards are going to last a long time is to prime and paint them. This job will be much easier if you can prime and paint on the ground before you install.
