Understanding exactly what happens when Cambridge Roofers replace your fascias, soffits and guttering in Potton helps you know what to expect and what a properly done job looks like.
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A roofline replacement job is straightforward in principle but easy to get wrong if corners are cut. The materials - uPVC, timber or aluminium - will perform as they should only if the work behind them has been done properly. Knowing what each stage involves gives you the means to judge whether the job has been carried out correctly, regardless of who does it for you.
Cambridge Roofers carries out fascia, soffit and guttering replacements across Potton and the surrounding area. Here is an honest account of how the job unfolds from the first inspection through to clearing the site.
Before any price can be given, the existing roofline needs to be examined from close range, not from the ground. A ground-level look is useful for spotting obvious problems - overflowing gutters, hanging soffits, visible rot - but it will not reveal the condition of the rafter feet or the fixings behind the fascia boards.
During the inspection we check the following:
Any rotten rafter feet need to be assessed at this stage because repairing them is part of the job, not an extra to be discovered later. A quote that does not include rafter foot inspection is an incomplete quote.
Once the inspection is done, we confirm the scope of work and the materials to be used. This is the point at which any decisions about material type - uPVC versus timber versus aluminium - and profile or colour should be settled. It is also when partial replacements (replacing only the guttering, for example, while leaving sound fascias in place) are agreed.
For a full replacement, we confirm the width and profile of the new fascia boards, the depth of the soffit panels, the gutter profile and size, downpipe diameter and positions, and the colour. White is the most common choice for uPVC; black, brown and anthracite grey are also widely available. Getting these decisions made before work starts avoids delays and ensures materials are on site when needed.
Roofline work requires working at height along the full perimeter of the roof. For most two-storey houses this means either scaffolding or a scaffold tower moved along the elevation as the work progresses. A tower is adequate for straightforward replacements on standard housing; a full scaffold is safer and more efficient for larger or more complex properties.
Before any stripping begins, gutters are cleared of debris and checked for standing water. Neighbouring properties and parked vehicles should have access maintained wherever possible, and any plants or surfaces below the working area should be protected from falling debris.
The existing guttering comes off first - unclipping the sections from the brackets and removing the brackets from the fascia. Then the fascia boards are removed. On timber fascias, this means unscrewing or prising the boards away from the rafter feet, taking care not to disturb the roof covering above. On properties where uPVC has been overboarded onto timber in a previous job, both layers come off so the timber can be properly assessed.
With the fascias removed, the rafter feet are exposed. Any that have rotted or been damaged are cut back to sound timber and spliced with a treated timber section, fixed securely so that the new fascia has solid timber to bite into. This stage cannot be skipped: a fascia fixed into rotten or soft rafter feet will pull away within a few years regardless of the quality of the new board.
Soffit panels are removed separately - they are typically nailed or screwed to a bearer fixed to the wall and to the underside of the rafter feet. The bearer may or may not need replacing depending on its condition.
Once the old components are stripped, the exposed surfaces are checked and prepared. Rafter feet are treated with a preservative if they are timber and sound. Any masonry or brickwork that will be built up against should be dry and pointed; if there are gaps or crumbling mortar at the wall-soffit junction, these should be made good before the new soffit is fixed.
The roofing felt at the eaves should overhang into the back of the new gutter. If the felt has shrunk back or is damaged at the edge, this is the time to extend or replace that section, because it will be impossible to access properly once the new fascia is in place.
Soffits go in before the fascias. The soffit panel sits on a bearer fixed to the wall and is supported at its outer edge by the fascia once that is in place. For uPVC soffits, the panels slot into a channel at the wall end and are face-fixed or clipped at the outer edge.
Where roof space ventilation is required, ventilated soffit panels or separate ventilation strips are fitted at this stage. Building regulations require a minimum free airway for roof ventilation, and this should not be blocked by insulation sitting at the eaves inside the roof space. Getting ventilation right at this stage protects the rafters and insulation from condensation-related damage in the long term.
The new fascia boards are measured, cut and fixed to the rafter feet. On uPVC fascias, the boards are face-fixed with stainless steel screws at each rafter foot, with internal joints made using union clips. A small expansion gap is left at each joint to allow for thermal movement - uPVC expands and contracts with temperature changes and if this is not allowed for, the boards buckle in summer heat.
Gable-end barge boards are fitted at the same time on detached or semi-detached properties. Corners - both internal and external - are finished with purpose-made angle pieces rather than mitred cuts, which is both neater and more weathertight.
Gutter brackets are fixed to the fascia at the correct spacing - typically no more than 1 metre apart, closer if the gutter profile is large or the expected load is heavy. The fall is set towards the downpipe outlet: the far end of each run sits higher than the outlet end so that water drains rather than pools.
Gutter sections are clipped together using union joints with new rubber seals. Stop ends are fitted at the closed ends of each run. Downpipes are fixed to the wall using pipe clips at the correct spacing, with offsets where needed to bring the downpipe in against the wall from the gutter outlet. At the bottom, downpipes connect either to the drainage system via a back inlet gulley or discharge into a hopper. All joints are checked visually for alignment before the scaffolding comes down.
Once everything is fitted, we run water through the guttering from a hosepipe to confirm the fall is correct, joints are watertight and downpipes are flowing freely. Any drips at joints are identified and corrected at this stage, not left for the customer to discover in the next rainfall.
All stripped timber, old guttering sections, brackets and fixings are removed from site. The area below the working elevation is cleared and left clean. Most straightforward roofline replacement jobs on a standard house are completed in a single day.
If your fascias, soffits or guttering need attention on your Potton home, call Cambridge Roofers to arrange a close-up inspection. We will walk you through exactly what needs doing and why before any work starts.
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