Soffit and fascias - Clad or replace?
Discussion
Have a 70's house with wooden Soffit and fascias, guttering needs replacing and want to have UPVC Soffit and fascia's added.
Few quotes so far, the more reasonable seem to be be for cladding the existing which are a case of "Inspect existing facia’s and splice out any
sections which deem rotten' followed by attaching upvc. Which I'd not considered as an option, I thought they would be fully replaced.
The wooden ones could do with a rub and paint but appear fine mostly, except for where guttering has failed and the wood has begun to rot in a couple of places, I don't know what lurks under them.
Am I going to regret not replacing the entire lot? I really could use the money saved to do other projects which genuinely need doing asap. - its a complete reno. in and out. Ive read the various posts about asbestos, water ingress where the new UPVC doesn't provide the required overhang etc.
Few quotes so far, the more reasonable seem to be be for cladding the existing which are a case of "Inspect existing facia’s and splice out any
sections which deem rotten' followed by attaching upvc. Which I'd not considered as an option, I thought they would be fully replaced.
The wooden ones could do with a rub and paint but appear fine mostly, except for where guttering has failed and the wood has begun to rot in a couple of places, I don't know what lurks under them.
Am I going to regret not replacing the entire lot? I really could use the money saved to do other projects which genuinely need doing asap. - its a complete reno. in and out. Ive read the various posts about asbestos, water ingress where the new UPVC doesn't provide the required overhang etc.
Being a 70's property you could find more hidden issues.
My property is late 90's, I found on my facias when I got up there on a scaffold/ladder you could notice a lot of issues starting where the guttering was 20+ years old like bulging, tree resins eating away at things etc.
Have you thought about doing the work yourself? I did mine over last summer as the weathers not against you and you are can stagger it over a few weeks/months.
My property is late 90's, I found on my facias when I got up there on a scaffold/ladder you could notice a lot of issues starting where the guttering was 20+ years old like bulging, tree resins eating away at things etc.
Have you thought about doing the work yourself? I did mine over last summer as the weathers not against you and you are can stagger it over a few weeks/months.
fourstardan said:
Being a 70's property you could find more hidden issues.
My property is late 90's, I found on my facias when I got up there on a scaffold/ladder you could notice a lot of issues starting where the guttering was 20+ years old like bulging, tree resins eating away at things etc.
Have you thought about doing the work yourself? I did mine over last summer as the weathers not against you and you are can stagger it over a few weeks/months.
I have yeah, its a big house and there would be only me doing it at heigh, also have a 6 month old, and job list as long as my arm unfortunately. Something Id sooner pay someone to do. My property is late 90's, I found on my facias when I got up there on a scaffold/ladder you could notice a lot of issues starting where the guttering was 20+ years old like bulging, tree resins eating away at things etc.
Have you thought about doing the work yourself? I did mine over last summer as the weathers not against you and you are can stagger it over a few weeks/months.
I'm sure plenty of people will say cladding is fine but personally I'd just take the replace and forget approach.
Chopping bits out sounds like it's creating more opportunities for failure at a later date, plus if the exisitng wood does rot at some point, it's going to be harder to fix?
ETA
Sounds like you may already have but do make sure you shop around, when we had ours replaced (albeit it 15 years ago!) there was a huge variance in price between companies.
Chopping bits out sounds like it's creating more opportunities for failure at a later date, plus if the exisitng wood does rot at some point, it's going to be harder to fix?
ETA
Sounds like you may already have but do make sure you shop around, when we had ours replaced (albeit it 15 years ago!) there was a huge variance in price between companies.
Edited by JimM169 on Thursday 26th March 10:30
Nearly all of the companies I called out wanted to cover the existing wood with upvc, in the end I found someone that was happy to rip all the old wood off and start rom scratch, it didnt add a huge amount to the price and ive not needed to worry about the wooden base still rotting at some point..
Better to rip the timber off and do it right. There'll be rot you won't have spotted plus some rafter ends could be knackered as well, which'd bump up the cost but then it should last for another 50 years.
ETA getting eaves trays fitted at the same time will help with drainage and possible rotten felt.
ETA getting eaves trays fitted at the same time will help with drainage and possible rotten felt.
I understand that there are different thicknesses of sofits/fascia. I have seen argument that you should clad because the fascia isn't strong enough to do some spans and as a result goes wavy/sags etc. Seems to be because someone cheaped out, bought the thin stuff which is meant for cladding but used it on its own right and it isn't thick enough to support its own weight.
I had them done at a previous property, the guys that did it were quite insistent that the proper way to do it was to replace with the correct material - which lined up with the above. Certainly if you clad over rotting fascia, it'll continue to rot, so if determined to clad you'd have ot rpelace the wood first and then clad over, which is just unecessary work/expense.
They said in their experience the "gotchas" are when wooden fascia rots away and then starts taking the end of the roof rafters with it, the end of the rafters then need to be replaced. They also recommended use of eaves trays as they often found the ends of felt in poor conditon/rotting away.
I had them done at a previous property, the guys that did it were quite insistent that the proper way to do it was to replace with the correct material - which lined up with the above. Certainly if you clad over rotting fascia, it'll continue to rot, so if determined to clad you'd have ot rpelace the wood first and then clad over, which is just unecessary work/expense.
They said in their experience the "gotchas" are when wooden fascia rots away and then starts taking the end of the roof rafters with it, the end of the rafters then need to be replaced. They also recommended use of eaves trays as they often found the ends of felt in poor conditon/rotting away.
Crafty_ said:
I understand that there are different thicknesses of sofits/fascia. I have seen argument that you should clad because the fascia isn't strong enough to do some spans and as a result goes wavy/sags etc. Seems to be because someone cheaped out, bought the thin stuff which is meant for cladding but used it on its own right and it isn't thick enough to support its own weight.
I had them done at a previous property, the guys that did it were quite insistent that the proper way to do it was to replace with the correct material - which lined up with the above. Certainly if you clad over rotting fascia, it'll continue to rot, so if determined to clad you'd have ot rpelace the wood first and then clad over, which is just unecessary work/expense.
They said in their experience the "gotchas" are when wooden fascia rots away and then starts taking the end of the roof rafters with it, the end of the rafters then need to be replaced. They also recommended use of eaves trays as they often found the ends of felt in poor conditon/rotting away.
There's generally an 18mm replacement and 9mm nail over version.I had them done at a previous property, the guys that did it were quite insistent that the proper way to do it was to replace with the correct material - which lined up with the above. Certainly if you clad over rotting fascia, it'll continue to rot, so if determined to clad you'd have ot rpelace the wood first and then clad over, which is just unecessary work/expense.
They said in their experience the "gotchas" are when wooden fascia rots away and then starts taking the end of the roof rafters with it, the end of the rafters then need to be replaced. They also recommended use of eaves trays as they often found the ends of felt in poor conditon/rotting away.
While our roof was being done my roofer replaced our pvc capped timber with tanalised wood and then 18mm pvc over the top.
The very definition of over the top, but that's how he does it.
Like I said, if the woods alright then over clad, I would expect on a 70's property that will need a rip out.
Rip out needs some roofing skills to get things right so that brings the cowboys into play.
Don't forget scaffold costs, I saved by getting a hire tower and only scaffolding on the sides that were not easy to use a tower.
Rip out needs some roofing skills to get things right so that brings the cowboys into play.
Don't forget scaffold costs, I saved by getting a hire tower and only scaffolding on the sides that were not easy to use a tower.
Thanks all, this has been most useful. I'd not considered eaves trays.
Quotes included scaffolding.
One quote at £23750 was for rip out everything fully, replace with new timber barge boards, new UPVC fascia & soffits. +drainage.
The previous was about £10k to splice out the rot and clad it with UPVC. +drainage.
I don't think its worth skimping on this job now Ive been reading this so going to have some more quotes hopefully. Everything in this house needed replacing, every socket, light switch, radiator, radiator valve etc, its been a complete money pit so I suspect I cant skimp on this job unfortunately.
Quotes included scaffolding.
One quote at £23750 was for rip out everything fully, replace with new timber barge boards, new UPVC fascia & soffits. +drainage.
The previous was about £10k to splice out the rot and clad it with UPVC. +drainage.
I don't think its worth skimping on this job now Ive been reading this so going to have some more quotes hopefully. Everything in this house needed replacing, every socket, light switch, radiator, radiator valve etc, its been a complete money pit so I suspect I cant skimp on this job unfortunately.
Bathroom_Security said:
Thanks all, this has been most useful. I'd not considered eaves trays.
Quotes included scaffolding.
One quote at £23750 was for rip out everything fully, replace with new timber barge boards, new UPVC fascia & soffits. +drainage.
The previous was about £10k to splice out the rot and clad it with UPVC. +drainage.
I don't think its worth skimping on this job now Ive been reading this so going to have some more quotes hopefully. Everything in this house needed replacing, every socket, light switch, radiator, radiator valve etc, its been a complete money pit so I suspect I cant skimp on this job unfortunately.
Errr I had our entire 1970s bungalow roof replaced, inc scaffolding, skips, all new upvc and gutters/downpipes and tanalised timber, gold battens, quality membrane, posh German tiles and verges, vented ridge kits, various rafter repairs and lead work to two valleys and a chimney for less than your first price. SK6 east of Manchester.Quotes included scaffolding.
One quote at £23750 was for rip out everything fully, replace with new timber barge boards, new UPVC fascia & soffits. +drainage.
The previous was about £10k to splice out the rot and clad it with UPVC. +drainage.
I don't think its worth skimping on this job now Ive been reading this so going to have some more quotes hopefully. Everything in this house needed replacing, every socket, light switch, radiator, radiator valve etc, its been a complete money pit so I suspect I cant skimp on this job unfortunately.
andy43 said:
Errr I had our entire 1970s bungalow roof replaced, inc scaffolding, skips, all new upvc and gutters/downpipes and tanalised timber, gold battens, quality membrane, posh German tiles and verges, vented ridge kits, various rafter repairs and lead work to two valleys and a chimney for less than your first price. SK6 east of Manchester.
I'm in Surrey, and I don't live in a bungalow or even a small house. I nearly didn't quote the price but included it to showcase the gulf really. I only have the two quotes so far anyway.
fwiw I did think that was expensive.
£23k is a mad price.
You can get 5m of 18mm mammoth board for under £50.
Even if you scaffold the whole house that shouldn’t be more than £3k.
Two guys will crowbar the old timber off inside a day easy. Three more days to fit the new stuff.
You are probably looking at £1k materials and 5 days tops for two guys, probably more like 4.
It’s a £8k job.
You can get 5m of 18mm mammoth board for under £50.
Even if you scaffold the whole house that shouldn’t be more than £3k.
Two guys will crowbar the old timber off inside a day easy. Three more days to fit the new stuff.
You are probably looking at £1k materials and 5 days tops for two guys, probably more like 4.
It’s a £8k job.
About 10 years ago I did a fascia and soffit job on a bungalow for a friend of a friend. Existing timbers were flaking but absolutely rock solid, prime candidate for over cladding.
They insisted on it all being ripped off. The fascia was holding up the first row of tiles, heavy concrete tiles. They all had to be stripped off, the felt wasn’t in good condition and needed eaves trays installing.
It doubled the length of the job, added materials cost and the customer wouldn’t pay a single penny more.
I never took on another fascia job after that, leave it for the caravan dwellers.
They insisted on it all being ripped off. The fascia was holding up the first row of tiles, heavy concrete tiles. They all had to be stripped off, the felt wasn’t in good condition and needed eaves trays installing.
It doubled the length of the job, added materials cost and the customer wouldn’t pay a single penny more.
I never took on another fascia job after that, leave it for the caravan dwellers.
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