Fascia, Soffit & Guttering Repairs in Eastbourne East Sussex

What the roof edge is doing

The fascia is the board across the ends of your rafters that the gutter hangs on. The soffit is the board underneath, closing the gap between the wall and the roof edge. Together with the guttering they finish the roof, keep water off the timber and stop birds and wasps getting into the roof void, while still letting the roof breathe.

We replace and repair fascias, soffits, bargeboards, cladding and rainwater goods on houses, flats and commercial buildings across East Sussex, in UPVC, aluminium and timber. We also repair the rafter ends and wall plates behind them, which is the part that gets skipped most often.

Most people call us because the boards look tired, are flaking, or have gone soft. By that point the question is not only what the boards look like but what the water has already done behind them, and that is what decides the real scope of the job.

Because the roof edge needs access anyway, it is usually worth doing the guttering, any roof repairs and high level painting at the same time while the scaffold is up.

Why boards fail, and what fails with them

Timber fascias and soffits fail where water sits on them, usually because a gutter has been overflowing or a joint has been dripping for years. Paint blisters, the board goes soft at the joints and the ends, and rot spreads into the rafter feet behind it.

Older UPVC has its own problems. It goes brittle and chalky under years of sun and salt air, clips break, and the boards distort so the gutter no longer sits at the right fall.

The failure we care about most is hidden. If a soffit is soft, there is a fair chance the rafter ends and possibly the wall plate behind it are wet too, and capping over the top of them simply seals the problem in.

Birds are the other sign worth acting on. If starlings or gulls are getting in at the eaves, there is a gap, and where there is a gap there is usually water getting in too.

How we replace it

We take the old boards off rather than capping over them. Capping is quicker and cheaper and it hides exactly the timber that most needs looking at, so we would rather strip back, see the rafter feet and tell you what is there.

Rotten rafter ends and wall plates get cut back to sound timber and spliced, and everything gets treated before the new boards go on. If the roof edge needs the tiles lifting and a new eaves tray to stop water tracking back, we do that at the same time.

Then the new fascia, soffit and guttering go on with the ventilation the roof needs and the gutter set to a fall that actually runs to the outlet. We take the old material away and leave the ground clear.

You get told before we start how far the making good goes, and if we find rot once the boards are off we show you and agree it before carrying on.

Fascia and soffit replacement

Full replacement in UPVC, aluminium or timber with the old boards stripped off rather than capped over, so the rafter ends can be inspected and repaired first.

Bargeboards and verges

Gable end boards, dry verge systems and closures, which stop wind getting under the tiles at the verge and stripping mortar out, a frequent problem on exposed roofs here.

Guttering and downpipes

New rainwater goods sized for the roof area and set to a working fall, plus clearing and repairs through our gutter cleaning and repairs.

Rafter and wall plate repairs

Splicing rot out of rafter feet and wall plates behind the boards with our carpenters, and treating what remains before it is closed up.

Roof ventilation

Vented soffit boards and over fascia vents so the roof void keeps drying out. Sealing the eaves tight to keep birds out without ventilation causes condensation and rot in the roof timbers.

Eaves protection and cladding

Eaves trays and felt repairs where water has been tracking back behind the gutter, plus UPVC and timber cladding to dormers, porches and gables alongside external refurbishment.

Why we will not just cap over your old boards

Capping, sometimes sold as overcladding, means fitting a thin UPVC skin over the existing timber. It is cheaper and faster and we will do it if you insist, but you should know what you are buying.

It hides the rafter feet. The timber most likely to have rotted is exactly the timber you can no longer see or treat.
It traps moisture. Wet timber capped in plastic stays wet, so the rot carries on out of sight.
It relies on old fixings. The new board is fixed to timber that may already be soft, so it works loose.
Ventilation is often lost. Capping frequently closes off the airflow the roof void needs, which causes condensation.
It costs more in the end. When the rot is eventually dealt with, the capping comes off and is thrown away with the timber.

Stripping the old boards off costs more up front. It is the only version where you know what condition the roof edge is actually in.

Roof edges on the East Sussex coast

The eaves are one of the most exposed parts of any building, and on this coast they take a beating. Wind driven rain is pushed up under the roof edge rather than falling off it, salt air attacks fixings and finishes, and gulls and other birds work at any gap they can find.

That is why ventilation and water shedding both matter at the eaves. A soffit sealed tight to keep birds out but with no vents in it will leave the roof void damp and encourage condensation and rot in the roof timbers. Vented boards and over fascia vents deal with both at once.

We also see a lot of eaves where water has been tracking back behind the gutter because the roofing felt stops short or has perished. Fitting an eaves tray while the boards are off is a small extra job that prevents the same rot returning in five years.

On seafront and clifftop property in Eastbourne, Seaford and Newhaven we specify with the exposure in mind: aluminium rather than UPVC in the worst positions, stainless fixings, and attention to the verge and gable details where wind does most of its damage.

Questions we get asked

Can you just cap over my existing timber fascias?

We would rather not, and we will explain why. Capping fits a thin UPVC skin over the old boards, which is quicker and cheaper but hides the rafter ends and any rot in them, and traps moisture against timber that is already wet. Stripping the old boards off costs more and lets us see and repair what is behind. If you want capping we will tell you plainly what the risk is.

How do I know if my soffits need replacing?

Look for paint flaking or blistering, boards that are stained or sagging, gaps opening at the joints, and any softness if you press them. Green algae growth, birds getting in at the eaves, or a gutter that has dropped out of line are also signs. If the timber is soft it is a repair, not a repaint.

Will new fascias and soffits stop my damp problem?

Only if the damp is being caused by water getting in at the roof edge, which it sometimes is. Damp has several possible causes, so we would rather look at it first than sell you boards that do not fix it. Where the cause is elsewhere we deal with it through damp proofing instead.

Do soffits need vents in them?

In most cases yes. A roof void needs air moving through it to carry away moisture, and if the eaves are sealed completely you get condensation, damp insulation and eventually rot in the roof timbers. We fit vented soffit boards or over fascia vents so the roof breathes while still keeping birds out.

UPVC, aluminium or timber?

UPVC and aluminium need very little upkeep and cope well with coastal weather, which is why most replacements we fit are one of the two, and aluminium is the better choice in the most exposed positions. Timber is right on period and listed property, or in a conservation area where the profile and material matter, and it needs repainting periodically.

How long does the job take?

A standard house is usually a few days, including access. It takes longer if we find rot in the rafter feet or wall plate that needs cutting out and splicing, and we will show you before carrying on rather than adding it to the bill afterwards. The quote covers the boards, the guttering and the access.

Should I do the roof and painting at the same time?

If they need doing, yes. Access is a large share of the cost of any work at that height, so having the scaffold up once for the boards, the guttering, roof repairs and high level painting is considerably cheaper than four separate visits. We will tell you what else is worth doing while we are up there.

Can you stop birds getting into the roof?

Yes. Gaps at the eaves and under the verge are the usual entry points, and they can be closed with vented boards, comb filler and dry verge systems so the roof still breathes. We check for active nests first, because it is an offence to disturb nesting birds, and time the work accordingly.

Where we work

We are based on Hyde Gardens in Eastbourne, so the town and the villages around it are home ground for us. We are out working here most days and we know the housing well, including the older seafront terraces, the Victorian and Edwardian houses in Upperton and Meads, and the newer estates and blocks of flats nearer the edge of town.

From Eastbourne we cover the whole of East Sussex. Along the coast that takes in Bexhill, Hastings, Seaford, Newhaven, Brighton, where salt air and driving rain are hard on any building. Inland we work regularly in Polegate, Hailsham, Pevensey, Willingdon, Lewes, Uckfield, Heathfield, Crowborough, Battle and the smaller villages between them, where period cottages and country properties often need a gentler approach and older materials matched carefully.

Being local matters for fascia, soffit and guttering work. We can get to you quickly to take a look, we know the buildings and the ground conditions, and we are never far away if you need us again. If your village is not on the list there is a good chance we still reach you, so give us a call on 01323 671001 and we will tell you either way.

Backed by recognised standards

We are Gas Safe registered and members of the Federation of Master Builders, NAPIT and the FSB. Those memberships mean our gas, electrical and building work is measured against recognised standards, and that an outside body has looked at how we work rather than us simply saying we are good at it. For a family business our reputation matters more than anything, and we have built it one customer at a time.

Fascia, Soffit & Guttering