Replacing your homes fascias, soffits and guttering is a great way to transform the way it looks from the outside, as well as protecting it from the weather.
FreeFoam uPVC fascia and soffits are an improved alternative to the old style timber fascia and soffit boards. They have been specially designed and made to never rot or lose their colour and in most cases they will last the lifetime of the property. As a FreeFoam registered installer we can give up to a 50-year manufacturers guarantee.
A normal fascia and soffit replacement project will require assembling a scaffolding tower or platform, taking out the initial course of roof slates then clearing away the present timber roof line prior to the installing of the new uPVC fascia boards can start. The process is usually finished by mounting a brand-new gutter system and a new eaves felt tray before laying out the roofing slates onto the roof. However, just like all construction work, there are approaches that are able to reduce the amount of work involved – saving the home-owner money. These choices are usually considered by the homeowner either to minimise costs or through a lack of awareness regarding roofline work. Over cladding is one of these solutions.
- What Is Over Cladding Of Fascias And Soffits?
- Why Replace The Old Fascia And Soffits?
- What Are Other Problems With Over Cladding?
- FreeFoam Fascia And Soffits Up To A 50 Year Guarantee
What Is Over Cladding Of Fascias And Soffits?
Over-cladding is a method of roofline installation where the original wood fascia and soffit boards are left in place and the new uPVC fascia and soffits are attached to the old boards. Doing this solution is considerably cheaper than getting rid of the existing timber boards. The work may be quite easily achieved using a set of ladders and the roof slates do not have to be taken off thus the time on the job is cut down. uPVC fascia and soffit boards utilised in this method are usually much cheaper solely because they are usually less substantial. These fascia boards aren’t supporting the roofing tiles so there is no necessity to use a much more high priced load bearing fascia board.
It can appear an attractive option for the home-owner, however, there is a drawback.
Why Replace The Old Fascia And Soffits?
The chances are that the present fascia and soffit boards need to be replaced simply because they are decaying and have reached the end of their lifespan and applying some paint to them is not a feasible option. Applying a thin uPVC capping fascia board to an unhealthy sub-structure is simply a problem waiting to happen. Any current decay is going to spread out quickly because it is sealed in with the uPVC fascia without any air flow. Whether or not very little rotten wood is at the moment present the existing outer timber fascia boards will store a bit of dampness which can be trapped by the uPVC capping board resulting in eventual deterioration.
What Are Other Problems With Over Cladding?
Guttering Not Lining Up With Neighbours – Potential Leaking Gutters
Certainly, there are many additional problems with the over cladding method for instance what the finished roofline will appear if your house is a semi-detached or a terraced property. If your house is a semi detached or a terraced property there will more than likely be a ‘step’ on the edge between the two properties. The gutter systems are likely to not be absolutely straight between the two houses leading to a potential leakage.
Not Being Able To Open Bedroom Windows
It is also worth bearing in mind that lots of windows are just a few millimetres beneath the roofline, by over cladding the current fascia boards it could possibly prevent some of the windows from fully opening. This is obviously a serious situation when the window is a designated fire exit.
Rain Ingress Into Roofline As Eaves Felt Is Not Replaced
The over cladding approach will also reduce the amount of overhang of the roofing tiles at the level of the eaves and can lead to rain running behind the gutter system. Simply because the capping method is completed without needing to remove any of the roofing slates brand-new eaves felt is rarely installed. This felt is utilised to run over into the guttering it may stop water from running at the back of the gutter system and if the property gets a broken slate any rain will be guided down the roofing and into the gutter system and not onto your ceiling below.
FreeFoam Fascia And Soffits Up To A 50 Year Guarantee
FreeFoam uPVC fascia and soffit products are designed to last years. As FreeFoam verified installers we can offer up to a 50 year manufacturers guarantee. To this day we have still not discovered a company which will supply a guarantee covering the timber structure that the uPVC fascia and soffit boards are connected to. The absolute most important factor for a professional long lasting installation is to connect the uPVC over cladding fascia to a solid framework. It’s highly unlikely that any claim on manufacturers guarantee will succeed if the root cause of the claim isn’t the uPVC fascia and soffits themselves but the existing boards hidden underneath being rotten.
This is why at Yorkshire Roofline Installations we will not do over cladding and would never recommend that a customer gets over cladding done. It might be cheaper initially but it will cost you more in the long run.
For more information on our uPVC Fascia Soffits and Guttering services throughout Wakefield contact us today.
