Soffits and Fascias – Choosing the Best for Your New Roofing

Although there are various materials that can be used, choosing the best soffits and fascias for your new roofing will ensure that they will last you a long time. The fascia board and soffit are an integral part of a house’s drainage system. This is because the fascia holds the guttering of a building while the soffit is the finishing materials under the fascia boards.

In roofing, fascia boards are the horizontal boards that are attached at the end of the rafters at the exterior of a building which are used to hang rain gutters or guttering, while the soffit is the finished surface below the fascia. A soffit is also called an eave.

Wood has long been used as a material for fascia boards while soffits were mostly finished with marine plywood. Engineered wood, such as MDF 9medium density fiberboard) was also an alternative material as this type of wood is structurally sound and can be resilient to water to a certain point. However, even sealed and treated wood only has a lifespan of four to five years in wet climate.

If you live where winters are bitter and cold, you might want to consider UPVC (Unplasticised PolyVinyl Chloride ) soffits and fascias because the material retains heat and is resistant to weathering. Rain water that leaks in the roof or guttering system will directly wet the soffit.

UPVC has superior performance characteristics. It is resistant to high impact and has good flexibility. PVC is more durable and has a longer life cycle. Because of its excellent thermal stability, there is less expansion and contraction than many other materials. There will be no need for repainting every year and cleaning is performed by just wiping it down with a damp cloth and PVC-U cleaner.

When choosing the best soffits and fascias for your new roofing, be sure to choose the material that will save you maintenance cost, and will always look great.