When your fascia installation starts to look dirty or a little bit worn, sometimes a few licks of paint will be enough to restore the outward appearance of your house back to respectability. There will, however, come a time when your fascias have put up with so much from the elements, animals and so on, that they need to be replaced or repaired. As most people will probably only face this situation a handful of times in their lives – at most – it’s difficult to know whether your boards can be repaired, or whether it’s time to get a new fascia installation.

How Do You Know If You Need a New Fascia Installation?

If you take a look around homes in your area, whether that be Milton, Oakville, Burlington or anywhere in the Toronto area, you’ll see fascia installations in a variety of conditions – from brand new to rotting and decrepit. The key is knowing when, and how, to stop your installation from becoming like the latter. You’ll also probably see a number of quick fixes that should really have been full installations. Here are some tips to help you figure out what to do:

• If Your Fascias Just Need Painting – If you’re tired of having to climb up ladders in order to keep your fascias looking fresh, you could benefit from simple cladding. Modern boards tend to last longer than old ones and need much less maintenance. However, you’ll need to have your existing boards inspected to make sure they are not rotting or infested.
• If You Find Small Areas of Rot – It is important to check every area of your fascias for rot – it’s not enough to simply look up at them and make a judgement. If you do find rot, it doesn’t automatically mean that you need an entirely new installation. It does mean that you can’t clad over it, though. If you find small areas of rot, you might want to simply cut them out and replace them with new timber. Once that is done, you can go ahead with cladding.
• If Your Boards Are Rotting – If you’ve found larger areas of rot on your boards, the safest and most sensible option is to go with a whole new fascia installation. It’s simply not worth carrying out a number of timber replacements, as this can damage the strength of the structure. It’s also not worth the risk of missing any areas of rot, which will end up spreading under any new cladding. A new installation eliminates these risks and will likely last longer than your original fascias.
• If There Is Limited Rot, But It Is Due to Structural Issues – Quite often, rot is caused by a structural issue related to the boards themselves. Your fascias might extend out from under the roof tiles, meaning they have a high chance of rotting. Simply cladding over these boards doesn’t remove the likelihood that they will eventually rot. In these cases, it’s best to have a complete installation made, to new specifications, which don’t carry the risk of rotting later on.

The most important thing is to be sure that any rot – including potential rot — is eliminated from your fascias. To do this you need to have a clear view of their condition when you decide to go with cladding or entirely new fascias. So before you decide on a course of action, make sure you have thoroughly checked for any rot or exposed timber. Don’t be afraid of seeking a second opinion, either. There are, unfortunately, a number of rogue tradesmen who will try to make a quick buck by cladding over boards which really need fully replacing.

It’s just one of those facts about house ownership that we accept – fascias need to be kept in good condition, not only for the sake of the outward appearance of the house, but to protect the house as a whole from suffering. Proper fascia installation and regular maintenance work such as checking for damage, especially after the kind of severe weather we get in Toronto, can go a long way to giving them as long a life as possible. At some point, however, it is going to become clear that their time is up and they will need to be replaced.

Waiting as Long as Possible for a New Fascia Installation Could Be Disastrous

In many ways it seems natural to allow a product to come to the end of its life before replacing it. With fascias, unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that. The amount of damage that can potentially affect your house when your fascias even begin to look worn and weary, could be many times more than the cost of having a new fascia installation. It’s simply not worth risking, and here’s why:

• You Have Begun to Share Your Home with Other Families – In this case, not human, but more than likely, birds and even bats. Birds very often build their nests in the roofing and supporting areas of homes – if you have been neglecting care of your roofing and gutters, you may find that there are already nests there. This will only accelerate the deterioration of the fascias, but it’s a very delicate task to move a birds’ nest and you will probably need professional help with it. From time to time, protected birds have been known to nest in places like Milton, Oakville and Burlington. In the case of protected species, you could be breaking the law if you do anything to the nest at all without approval.
• It’s Not Only Birds that Appreciate dying Fascias – If you’ve allowed your fascias to start to rot, they will attract many different types of insects who have all kinds of uses for rotting wood. These insects will, in turn, attract larger pests who feed on them. Perhaps most worrying is the fact that many rodents, including rats are attracted to damp and rotting places such as worn-out fascias.
• Once it Sets in, Rot is Tough to Stop – If you have allowed rot to set into your fascias, it is only a matter of time until it spreads to other places – most likely that will be other parts of the roofing. Don’t let the situation get so bad that you need to replace your entire roof. In fact, don’t let your fascias rot at all – get a new fascia installation straight away to avoid the problem even becoming a possibility.
• In Old Homes, Asbestos Can Be a Serious Health Hazard – These days, asbestos is not used in home construction. But if your home is over 25 years old, there’s a good chance that asbestos was used in its construction. Fascias and especially soffits were often made with asbestos due to its fire-resistant properties. If you allow these parts of your home to deteriorate sufficiently, you could unknowingly cause a serious health hazard – asbestos is a known carcinogen. If you happen to know that you have asbestos in your home, you should seek professional help when it comes to removing it.

As mentioned, there are ways to reduce the risk of damage – regular cleaning, sanding down and repainting all help, but the fact remains that, eventually, your fascias will need replacing. When that time comes, arrange to have a new fascia installation rather than risk a much bigger headache.

The fascia (the word is Latin for “band” or “swath”) is one of the most important but least recognized elements of your roofing system. Every time you look at a typical house you see fascia although most people are unaware what it is and why it’s so important. The job of the fascia is to act as a cap that runs around the edge of the roof sealing it from both the elements and pests and providing a pleasing visual aspect as well. Because it’s so little understood it’s also one of the components of a house that is most likely to be ignored until something happens to draw attention to it. In this post we’ll look at how ignoring problems with the fascia can impact the cost of new fascia installation.

 The High Cost of Delaying Fascia Installation

Sometimes homeowners are late in fixing problems with the fascia because they were unaware there was a problem. Other times they were aware of the problem but didn’t think something so innocuous looking could pose any type of significant risk to the health and value of their home. In either case the price of delaying fascia repair or installation can be startling. Here are some of the extra things you may wind up paying for if you delay new fascia installation.

• Roof damage: Moisture has a way of disrespecting gravity. If the fascia is compromised and moisture is allowed to penetrate for any period of time that moisture will gravitate up into the roof itself and begin eating away at the wooden beams and roof deck that underlies the shingles. When enough rot has taken hold you’ll wind up having to repair a good portion of your roof when you finally get around to installing the new fascia.

• Pest infestations: No one replacing old fascia is going to simply absorb the cost of rooting out a raccoon or squirrel infestation as well. You’ll likely need to call a specialist to come and take care of that for you. If, however, you take care to replace the fascia before it rots through – or is clawed through by pests determined to find a warm, dry place to call home – you’ll wind up saving a lot of money.

• Damage to the soffit: One of the most common results of delaying new fascia installation is that the elements penetrate and begin to work away at the soffit, which may have been in otherwise perfectly fine shape. If you notice black spots on the underside of the soffit that typically means you have water intrusion which is likely coming from a rotten or otherwise compromised fascia and you’ll need to replace that soffit too.

• Damage to the home’s electrical system: The fascia’s most important job is to keep moisture out of the house. If the fascia is damaged and rain and snow are getting in given enough time this moisture will find its way down the exterior walls of the home where it can engage in all manner of mischief including causing water damage to drywall and interfering with the home’s electrical system. Short circuits are not uncommon as a result but things can get more serious than that as well and require expensive repairs.

Whether you live in Oakville, Milton, Burlington or Toronto, the importance of recognizing and acting to fix issues with the fascia on your home is the same. By letting problems fester you are pretty much guaranteeing that when you do finally have a fascia installation performed you will need to conduct additional repairs at the same time that will significantly increase the cost of the project. Call Alliance Trust Aluminum Inc. today!

Many Toronto homeowners give little thought to the soffits and fascia that cover the section of roof attached to the outer walls of their property until they deteriorate to a point where replacement is the only practical option. This is understandable, as they are not the most noticeable of exterior fixtures but if you are going to have your fascia boards replaced, you should make sure that you invest in high quality materials and that the work is carried out by experienced professionals. If you choose a contractor based on price alone, you could live to regret your decision in the future.

Why Economizing on Fascia Installation Could Be a Big Mistake

Whether you live in Milton, near our base, or somewhere else in the GTA that is even closer to the lake, such as Oakville or Burlington, you will know that the combination of high winds and torrential rain we sometimes experience in this part of the world can take a toll on the exterior of your property. With this in mind, you should avoid economising on fascia installation if at all possible. Choosing the cheapest quote without considering why it is less expensive than all the others could lead to the following problems:

• Manufacturing Defects – Cheap fascia boards may have manufacturing defects that cause problems further down the line. Even if they are installed by an experienced professional, such boards are likely to deteriorate faster than normal, resulting in more expense for you in a couple of years’ time. Any savings you make by economising with cheap materials will be insignificant compared to the cost of a new fascia installation a few years into the future.
• Poor Installation – Whether the boards you are supplied with are of a good quality or are defective, poor installation could render them ineffective. In addition to their cosmetic function, fascia boards can help to protect your property from water damage so it is essential that they are properly installed. For homeowners in this part of the world, it is crucial to have your fascia installed by professionals who know what they are doing, in order to avoid damage to your property during adverse weather conditions.
• Unexpected Expenses – Reputable Fascia suppliers and installers carry liability insurance, which will cover the cost of repairs to your home in the event of any accidental damage caused by the contractors. It will also cover all medical costs and claims for loss of earnings that could arise should one of the workers sustain an injury during the fascia installation process. Less well-established installers who offer to carry out the work at a much lower price may not have liability insurance. If this is the case, you, as the homeowner, could be liable for all such costs.
• Poor Finish – Cheap fascia boards are often made from low quality materials with a poor finish, which means that they will do nothing to add to the curb appeal of your property. If you want to make sure that the exterior of your home is as attractive as the interior, you should avoid buying the cheapest boards you can find. A reputable contractor will only supply good quality fascia so you can rely on them to improve rather than spoil the appearance of your property.

If you would like to obtain a competitive quotation for fascia installation from a well-established contractor that provides great customer service and high quality boards, call or email us today. We have many years of experience in the business and are committed to ensuring first-class results on every job we undertake.

Given the critical role that fascia board plays in protecting your home from the elements, it is essential that it is installed correctly, else all sorts of problems may arise. Wherever you happen to live in the GTA, you need to take care with new installations if you wish to keep your property in good condition and preserve its value for the future. For this reason, we have put together a short list of mistakes that you really need to avoid when dealing with this part of your home.

Don’t Make These Fascia Installation Mistakes

If you want to ensure that the money you have spent on new fascia boards does not go to waste, avoid the following mistakes at all costs. Given the adverse weather conditions we often experience in Milton, Oakville, Burlington and elsewhere in the Greater Toronto Area, it is vital to get it right first time.

• Hiring a Contractor Without Insurance – All sorts of things can go wrong when working at heights so you must ensure that any contractor you hire to replace fascia boards is carrying comprehensive liability insurance that covers both their employees and their customers. A comprehensive policy will also cover any damage that might inadvertently be inflicted on your property during the installation process.
• Choosing a Contractor Based on Price Alone – The cheapest quote is not always the best: you should never hire a fascia installation contractor in the GTA, or any other area for that matter, based on price alone. You need to make sure that any firm you hire to replace your fascia boards is competent, trustworthy, well insured, and has an excellent track record in the local area. If your property happens to be located in a small town it is not essential to hire a contractor based in the very same place but it is a good idea to focus on those companies that have actually competed fascia installation jobs there in the past
• Failing to Consider the Quality of Materials Used – If you are having all of your fascia boards replaced, you should spend some time considering the different types of material from which they can be manufactured these days and deciding which one will be most suitable for your property. Homeowners in areas close to the lake will not need to be told about the importance of choosing durable materials when carrying out property repairs: aluminum is the most popular choice for fascia installation in the area owing to its highly durable nature. Make the wrong choice and it could cost you dearly in the future.
• Picking the Wrong Time of Year – Contactors do not want to be working on your roof in howling winds and torrential rain and, even if they did, your property could sustain water damage if you decide to replace the fascia boards at such a time. The summer months are the best time to have such work done.
• Leaving It Too Late – Don’t make the mistake of waiting until your existing fascias have rotted away completely or you may end up having to spend a lot more than you anticipated, to repair the water damage that is sustained by your property.
• Doing the Work Yourself – Unless you are a very experienced DIY expert who has no fear of heights, fascia installation is a job that is best left to the experts.

Wherever you happen to be in the GTA, you can rely on Alliance Trust Aluminum for all your fascia needs. Call or email us today to request a competitive quotation.