Soffits, fascias and gutters in Bedford

What the roofline does

The fascia is the board along the bottom edge of the roof that the gutter is fixed to. The soffit is the panel underneath it. Together they close off the eaves, carry the gutter and, when done properly, let air into the roof space. They are easy to forget until paint flakes off, a gutter sags or water pours over the edge in a storm.

Signs yours need attention

• Peeling paint or soft, crumbling timber along the fascia
• Gutters sagging, dripping at the joints or overflowing
• Damp stains on the wall below the gutter
• Gaps in the soffit where birds or wasps are getting in
• Felt hanging down behind the gutter

UPVC or timber

UPVC

Low upkeep and the usual choice on Bedford's post-war and newer houses. It does not need painting, and ventilated soffits can be built in.

Timber

Some older houses look wrong in plastic. On period roofs, we fit new timber soffits and fascias in keeping with the original character of the house, and paint them to finish.

We take the old boards off

Some firms clad new UPVC over rotten timber. It looks fine for a while, but the rot carries on underneath, and the new boards are fixed into something that is falling apart. We remove the old boards, check the rafter ends, and fix new boards to sound timber.

Sorting the eaves at the same time

With the fascia off, we can see the bottom of the roof properly. If the felt has rotted where it runs into the gutter, we fit an eaves support tray so water drains cleanly into the gutter instead of soaking into the fascia. This is one of the most useful small upgrades on an older roof.

Gutters and downpipes

• New gutters set to the right fall so water reaches the outlets
• New downpipes and joints where the old ones leak
• Gutter cleaning if the system is sound and just blocked

Your written quote lists the length of each run, the material and colour, the soffit ventilation, any eaves trays, and access, so nothing is guesswork.