The Importance of Fascia and Soffits
Sometimes it’s easy to forget the small details that come together to complete the exterior of your home. The walls may be in great shape and recently painted. The roof looks good and protects you from the elements. But what about those fascia boards? Do you even know what they are and why you need them?
An exterior soffit is located on the span beneath the rafter tails, while the fascia is the exposed horizontal band you see at the end of the rafters. These architectural elements found along the eave area do more than just add visual interest and give a finished look to your home.
Fascia and soffits help protect the exterior of your house by keeping out pests like bats, birds, and squirrels, and help disguise ventilation for your attic. In addition, they also improve the aesthetic look of your home’s, exterior by creating a smooth, even appearance along the roof’s edge.
Maintaining Your Fascia and Soffits
Just like your exterior walls, the fascia and soffits are exposed to the weather, so they need regular maintenance or they will rot, split or flake. They need to be repainted every few years to keep them protected from the elements. The painting frequency depends, in large part, on the local climate.
Tools Needed for Painting Fascia and Soffits
The tools and other products needed to paint fascia and soffits are similar to those needed to paint your home’s exterior walls. Here’s a list of items you may need on hand:
- Ladders, attachments, and scaffolding
- Wood planks/saw horses
- Drop cloths, tarpaulins
- Painters’ tape
- Sash brush
- Paint and primer
- Paint rollers and extension poles
- Paint trays
- Paint scraper
- Caulking/caulk gun
- Sand paper
Steps for Fascia and Soffit Painting
To do a proper job of painting your fascia and soffits, you need to follow steps to prepare the area and surface and to achieve the best results.
- Spread a large tarp or drop cloth on the ground below the area to be painted. This facilitates clean up and damage to your lawn and shrubs.
- You may want to remove the guttering to make the job easier. Otherwise, painting around it becomes more tedious.
- Clean the surface completely. Dirt, mildew, and chalky old paint prevent fresh paint from adhering properly.
- Remove old paint with a scraper.
- Fill in small holes or gouges in the wood. Let dry completely.
- Sand down the boards until they are smooth.
- Treat the fascia boards with a wood preservative. Allow to dry overnight.
- Apply primer and allow to dry according to instructions. You may need multiple coats.
- After each coat of primer is dry, sand the fascia boards lightly.
- Apply the final coat of paint and allow to dry completely
- Clean your brushes and rollers, replace guttering (if removed), dismantle the scaffold, put away the ladder and dispose of debris in the tarp.
Why Choose a Professional to Paint Your Fascia and Soffits
If you’re handy around the house, You may consider painting the fascia and soffits yourself. However, there are some important criteria you need to keep in mind before undertaking this DIY effort:
- Safety. Because a ladder is always required, the risk of injury is present. The taller the house, the longer the ladder, and the greater the risk. Reputable professional painters are trained in proper procedures, so their risk of injury is lower. They are also bonded and insured, which removes your liability.
- Tools needed. If you don’t already have all the items needed to do the job, you’ll need to purchase them and store them.
- Time. Do you really have days to spend climbing up and down ladders and cleaning up the mess? Don’t you have better things to do with your “leisure” time?
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Quality. Professionals have the knowledge and experience needed to do the job right. They know the proper procedures and what type of paint to use. The result will look better and last longer.
The choice on whether to tackle painting your fascia and soffits yourself is ultimately yours. It may save you a few bucks up front, but the long-term return on value may suffer.
If you decide to leave it to the pros, give Battle Born Painting a call. We’re a local painting company serving Northern Nevada homeowners. We have trained painters who can give you high-quality painting results at a fair price.
Don’t settle for less than perfect. Hire the professionals at Battle Born Painting.
