A roofing system has many parts that work together to protect your home. One of these is the fascia and soffits.
The fascia is the longboard that spans the area where the outside walls meet the roof while soffits cover the eaves. They meet at the roof’s edge and create an enclosure that prevents water, bug, and invasive pests from getting into your house through the attic.
Ignoring the soffit and fascia in your Phoenix home comes with far-reaching consequences that impact your home’s security. Read on to learn the important role soffits and fascia play and the signs that you need to replace them.
What Purpose Do Soffit and Fascia Serve?
Soffits and fascia are common sights in many roofing structures. While they look more like aesthetic design features, they do actually protect your home’s interior from moisture and water infiltration. In tiled and late roods, the fascia provides a supporting edge that keeps tiles in perfect alignment. The fascia also mountains the roof gutters attached to your home, ensuring water runs off smoothly during a rainstorm.
Soffit keeps water from coming into contact with rafters and trusses, ensuring the attic stays dry all the year-round. It’s important that soffits stay in tip-top shape, otherwise, mold and mild can sprout and take over the roof and then spread to your home.
7 Signs to Replace Your Soffit and Fascia
If you notice one or more of the signs below, time’s up to replace the fascia and soffit in your home.
Flaking, Peeling, or Cracking Paint
The condition of the paint on the fascia can alert you to problems when they start coming off. Once the paint starts to peel, it exposes the underlying wood to water and creates an opening for water invasion. Moisture and water will cause wood rot, which can spread across the roof’s decking onto the rafters and trusses. If peeling happens at one spot along the fascia, examine the rain gutters for leaks or clogs as that’s likely to be the culprit.
Leaky, Unsupported Gutters
Fascia and soffit problems will also manifest in the rain gutters that move water from the roof. If your gutters look like they aren’t secure or won’t hold up in a heavy downpour, the time might be up to replace your soffit and fascia. Remember, cracks and clogs in your gutters will impact the performance of your fascia and soffits, and this can lead to problems down the road.
Pest Infestations
Bugs and rodents aren’t just an inconvenience to any homeowner. Both can harm your roofing system and cause premature roof failure. Be wary of bugs as they can invade, breed, and turn a once pest-free home into a habitat for unwanted pests. Rodents will chew the insulation and wiring and leave excrement that poses health risks to your loved ones and turns your home into a mess. If you notice a spike in the number of pests and insects invading your home, the problem could be the soffit and fascia. Perform a visual check to see if they’re intact.
Moisture Infiltration
Another way to identify moisture problems is to do a visual check of the roof’s edge, where the fascia and soffit meet. Take action if you see discoloration or patches that look like water leaks. Left unattended, water can spread throughout the roof interior, and can instigate structural problems that could compromise your home. One of these is wood rot which can weaken trusses and rafters until they are unable to support the entire roofing structure. Wait a little longer and your roof fall may collapse and fall on your house. 
Ventilation Issues
When soffits and fascia are clean and healthy, they allow fresh air to circulate through your attic. This can create a cool, dry environment that stops moisture buildup, and maintains your roof’s performance. Dirt and impediments on the soffits can impede airflow and cause untold damage over time. If there are problems with ventilation, check the soffits.
Physical Damage
Sometimes the signs of damage are obvious to the naked eye from the ground. When you notice problems that weren’t there a week or two ago, take that as a cue that something is wrong. Missing sections of the fascia and soffits are problems in and of themselves. It could be rain gutters pulled away from your roof’s edge or something struck the soffit and fascia. Regardless of the cause, contact a roofing contractor to repair the soffits and gutters before the problems mount.
Strange Noises
Maybe all was quiet before then all of sudden you start hearing weird noises in your attic and roof. Know there’s a problem. And the most likely source is rodents. The uninvited guest - pests, and rodents - will nest up in the dark spaces in your room, where they can breed. Strange noises should tell you the soffits and fascia are in need of visual checks and possibly repairs. Contact a roofing company to check if the roofing is compromised in anyway.
Why You Shouldn't Ignore Soffit and Fascia Damage
Ignoring roofing problems associated with soffit and fascia could set the stage for mold growth. Mold thrives in damp, dark, and warm areas. With time, the mold will attack the trusses and rafters in your roof and cause them to rot. Your roof could sag and ultimately fail. The resulting damage may set you back a few thousand dollars in repairs. Then there is the issue of pest infestation. A soffit and fascia wear out and weaken, they can create entry points for damaging pests.
Hire Us for Soffit & Fascia Repairs
Installing fascia and soffit on your roof adds another layer of protection to your home. If both components are weak or damaged, they can’t do their work properly. We can perform soffit repair and fascia repair to resolve the above signs and underlying issues. If the fascia and soffits are damaged beyond repair, we’ll remove the old soffits and install new ones, all in a day’s work. For a free estimate, call to speak to a roofing consultant at The Phoenix Roof Company.
About The Phoenix Roof Company
The Phoenix Roofing Company is a highly trusted residential roofing company serving Phoenix, Arizona. Our family-owned business is well-known in the AZ roofing industry for quality roofing projects including asphalt shingle roofs, tile roofs, flat roofs, roof repairs, roof maintenance, roof installations, foam roofs, restoration coatings, and full roof replacement.
We specialize in roof installation services, roof replacements, and roofing repairs. We are fully licensed and insured, and all of our work comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Plus, we have a team of experienced professionals who can help you choose the right roofing option for your home and budget. We take pride in sourcing the highest quality materials for the best possible price.
If you need a new roof, contact us today for a free roof inspection & estimate on any residential roof project. One of our owners will personally visit your home, answer your questions and provide a detailed quote.