At the edge of your roof, there are several different trim boards that cover and protect the roofing framework behind this outside envelope. The fascia boards are like the trim around doors and windows, hiding the framing that makes up your roof.
Fascia boards are the easiest to see. They're the vertical boards that drop down from just below the eaves to cover all the roof framing. When I started my handyman business, I had a really difficult time remembering the fascia boards and soffits, so here's my personal trick:
- Fascia boards – are the ones I would … face (for fascia) if looking directly at the edge of the roof.
- Soffits – are just behind, and because they're horizontal, they're the boards where I could sleep (S for soffits) on if I lived on the roof and wanted to get out of the rain.
The Role of Fascia Boards
While fascia boards provide an aesthetically pleasing look compared to seeing lots of smaller, unfinished pieces of roof framing, that's not their primary function. Fascia boards are there to protect the roof and the interior of your home, by keeping water out. Gutters are also installed on the fascia boards, and the drip edge from under the shingles, will cover the gap between the roof deck and the fascia.
Fascia boards take a beating from the sun, the elements and for some reason, woodpeckers also like them. You need to maintain fascia boards so they don't suffer from wood rot. If you can't, then you should consider:
- Wrapping wooden fascia boards with aluminum coil stock.
- Replacing wood boards with a composite fascia board that requires less maintenance because it's not susceptible to wood rot.
Photo credit to AMG Gutter.
