Rotting fascia and blocked soffit vents cause ice dams, attic moisture and pest intrusion. Here is what the roof edge actually does and how to tell when it is failing.
Soffit and fascia are the least glamorous part of a roof and among the most consequential. Almost nobody calls us about them until something else has already gone wrong.
What each one does
Fascia is the vertical board that closes off the ends of your rafters at the eave. It carries the gutter and it keeps weather out of the roof structure.
Soffit is the horizontal underside between the fascia and the wall. Vented soffit is your attic's intake air. Air enters low at the soffit, rises through the attic, and exits high at the ridge vent — that continuous flow is what keeps your attic dry and your roof deck at a sane temperature.
What happens when they fail
Blocked or missing soffit ventilation stops the intake air. The attic gets hot and humid in summer, which cooks the shingles from underneath and shortens roof life. In winter, warm attic air melts snow on the upper roof; the meltwater runs down and refreezes at the cold eave, forming an ice dam that backs water up under the shingles.
Rotted fascia lets the gutter pull away and exposes the rafter tails behind it. Once rafter tails are wet, you are into structural repair rather than trim replacement.
Gaps at either also make an excellent entry point. Squirrels, birds and wasps find them long before you do.
Warning signs to look for
Peeling paint or visible dark staining on the fascia board. Gutters that sag or have pulled away from the house. Sections of soffit that are bowing downward or that you can push up with a broom handle. Daylight visible from inside the attic at the eave. Ice dams every winter in the same place. Any evidence of nesting.
Most of these are visible from the ground with binoculars on a clear afternoon.
Why the repair has to start with the cause
Almost every soffit and fascia failure is a water problem, and simply installing new material over a wet condition just resets the clock on the same failure.
We trace where the water actually came from first — a failed gutter, a short shingle overhang, a missing drip edge — and correct that. Then rotted rafter tails and sub-fascia are cut back to sound wood, and the eave is rebuilt with the intake ventilation your attic needs.
If your eave line looks tired, it is worth a free inspection before winter. Call (812) 259-0159.