Which Replacement Fascia Board Is Best?

A fascia board is often thought of as merely a roofline trim. However, it serves a practical as well as aesthetic purpose. Commonly mounted on the end rafters or house walls, these attractive finishing touches keep moisture out of your roof space. A good quality fascia will provide excellent weatherproofing at a traditionally vulnerable part of a build.

If you need to replace rotting, warped or weathered fascias, you may be shopping around for an alternative to wood. Having to repair or replace timber boards is a routine part of maintaining your home. That is because wood is susceptible to damage from the elements. Water damage, in particular, is a real problem. It can cause a fascia to rot. If left untreated, the wood will eventually deteriorate to the point that it comes away from its fixings. Not just a disaster for your home but a safety hazard.

Keeping on top of maintenance involves regular sanding down and painting. You may have to replace sections from time to time, and this can be a fiddly process – particularly when it comes to matching up seams. So, is there an alternative that is easier to maintain? The answer is ‘Yes’, and the best solution is the uPVC replacement fascia board.

Benefits of uPVC fascias

It is important when buying a uPVC fascia for use as a replacement you buy the correct product. Always shop for a replacement fascia board. That way, you will know it is fit for purpose. It will also be easier to install. Benefits of uPVC fascias make them an economical and long-lasting choice. They include:

• No need for sanding down or painting - ever
• Maintenance free – other than cleaning
• Moisture resistant so they don’t rot
• Colour stable, so they will retain their pristine aesthetics
• UV protected – important when it comes to withstanding damage from ultra-violet rays
• Lightweight – making them easy to install and less of a load on your structure than heavier timber
• Available in a choice of ready-made finishes – so no need to stain or paint before installing

The replacement uPVC fascia board is also easy to cut to size and fit. This product is available in a range of profiles, giving you options to ensure you make the correct buying choice. Recommended profiles include:

• Flat
• Square
• Ogee

These products should be fixed in place at the joists. They don’t require any backing, i.e. timber, so that is another saving.

Replacement fascia board tips

If you are replacing fascia board, here are a few tips to help you:

• Carefully remove the existing fascia
• Don’t be tempted to fix a uPVC fascia over a wooden one – it will trap damp inside your roofline
• Leave a gap to allow for any expansion. We recommend 5mm
• Hidden fixings will enhance the overall visual appeal of your new fascia. Don’t be tempted to use anything other than stainless steel nails. We recommend Poly Nails for strength, durability and a discreet finish.

While you are replacing fascia board, take the time to inspect flashing and the general condition of your roof. High quality uPVC fascias will last for at least 15 years.

What can impact the performance of timber fascia?

If your replacement fascia board is made from timber, you will need to maintain it. In addition, you will need to keep a close eye on your guttering. Keep gutters free of debris and any build-up of water near the roofline.

The biggest impact on timber fascias is the weather. Rainwater and the sun can age them quite quickly. Common problems include:

• Flaking paint
• Mould
• Splits
• Cracking
• Loss of colour or bleaching
• Dry rot

Some types of timber, particularly processed wood, are considered to have significant weaknesses. For a start, any type of timber is a big draw for insects. Damage caused by pests is often hard to detect until significant damage has been done. If you catch it in time, treatment can be expensive and a hassle.

Even with robust treatments, wood will inevitably soften over time. This makes it a far less durable choice than a modern alternative like uPVC. While many people continue to invest in wood because they think it is a sustainable choice. The fact is that around one trillion trees will need to be planted over the next ten years to help protect the planet from climate change. According to the Woodland Trust, which has planted more than 40 million trees since its inception, trees are essential for absorbing CO2 and combating the climate emergency.

uPVC can be recycled. In fact, many plastic fascia boards are manufactured from recycled materials. Your new fascia board could have served a previous purpose as a window frame or door.

Sustainable replacement fascia board

If you want to smarten up the roofline of your home, save time and money, and help the environment, a uPVC replacement fascia board is a sensible option. It delivers outstanding benefits while preventing waste suitable for recycling from ending up in landfill. That is not all, it ensures fewer trees are lost because of every-day building products.

Looking after your home starts with robust, trusted materials. A fascia board plays a pivotal role in weatherproofing your structure, so why invest in anything less than a product delivered to perform – with no fuss – for more than a decade? As well as being a sustainable, low cost option, a replacement fascia board made from uPVC is easy to cut to size and install.

The re-use of raw materials is imperative for the future security of the planet. Rotten wood has few uses. So, it has got to be good to know that you can look after your home while also caring for the climate. Keeping plastic in use and out of rivers and the sea is important. Reusing it for a practical purpose is good common sense.

Still struggling to decide between timber and uPVC? Why not take a look at the choice of finishes available from a range of outlets – everything from smooth white to woodgrain effect black ash and rosewood? You will find uPVC is best – not just for looks but for a whole raft of other outstanding benefits.