If you are having your fascias, soffits or guttering replaced in Littleport, here is exactly what a properly carried out job involves, from the first look at the roofline to the moment we leave your property clean and tidy.
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Roofline work is not the most complicated job a roofer does, but it involves working at height, removing sections of the building's weatherproofing and making decisions on the day about what can be saved and what needs replacing. Knowing how the job should go helps you ask the right questions when you get quotes and recognise when something is being done well.
Before any work starts, the roofline needs a proper inspection from close up, not just a glance from the pavement. A roofer who quotes entirely from ground level is guessing. The inspection involves erecting a ladder or mobile tower and working along the full run of fascias and soffits, checking each board and each gutter section individually.
During the inspection, a thorough roofer will check:
The roofer should be able to tell you clearly what they found, what needs replacing and what can be left. If they recommend replacing the entire roofline, they should be able to explain why each section needs it. Ask questions - a good tradesperson will not be put off by them.
Once the inspection is done, you should receive a clear breakdown of what is being replaced, what material is proposed and why, and the total cost. On a straightforward replacement job, the main decisions are:
Do not agree to start until these points are settled. Misunderstandings about scope are the most common cause of disputes on roofline jobs.
Roofline work requires proper access equipment. On a typical two-storey house, this means a ladder for short sections or a hop-up board, or a mobile scaffold tower for longer runs and for corners where working from a single ladder is not safe. For larger or more complex properties, a full scaffold may be appropriate.
Before any work begins, the roofer should check that the access equipment is stable on the ground surface and positioned so it does not damage borders or paths unnecessarily. Your driveway or garden will be the workspace for the day, so expect some disruption. Old boards and guttering sections need somewhere to go as they come off - a skip or a loaded van.
The guttering always comes off first, because the fascia sits behind it. Old gutter sections are unclipped from their brackets and passed down to ground level. Cast iron guttering is significantly heavier than uPVC and needs two people handling it safely. Brackets are unscrewed from the fascia and the fascia surface is inspected once the gutter is clear.
Old downpipes come off in sections, working from the top. Where a downpipe connects to an underground drain, the connection is protected during the work to stop debris falling in. Once the job is done and the new downpipe is in, this connection is checked and cleared if needed.
With the guttering clear, the fascia boards can come off. On a full replacement job, the boards are levered away from the rafter feet carefully to avoid damaging the roof tiles above. The bottom course of tiles can be disturbed during this process, so a careful roofer checks and re-seates any that have been lifted.
Once the fascias are off, the rafter feet are exposed. This is the point where hidden damage becomes visible. Soft or rotten rafter feet need treating or, in severe cases, splicing in new timber before the new boards go on. Skipping this step and covering rotten rafters with new boards is a false economy - the rot continues and the new boards fail prematurely.
Soffit boards come off next. They are typically nailed or screwed into a batten on the wall and into the underside of the fascia. Old nails and fixings are cleared before the new work starts, and the wall batten is checked to confirm it is still sound.
On a uPVC installation, a timber or uPVC receiving channel is fixed to the wall first, into which the soffit panel slots. The outer edge of the soffit then slots into a channel on the back of the new fascia board. This gives a neat finish and allows for a small amount of movement without the board cracking.
Where ventilation is required, the soffit board used should be the ventilated type, or individual round vents are cut in at regular intervals. Building regulations generally require a 25mm continuous gap equivalent around the perimeter of the roof void. Check with your roofer that this is being provided before the soffits are closed in, because it cannot easily be added afterwards.
Fascia boards are fixed directly to the rafter feet, one board per rafter. On uPVC work, a clip system is used so the board can be locked in place without exposed screw heads on the face. Joints between lengths are made with an expansion joint fitting that allows for thermal movement without the board buckling or splitting.
The top edge of the fascia must sit correctly under the bottom course of tiles so that any water draining off the tile overhang runs into the gutter and not behind the fascia. Getting this right requires checking the position before the first bracket goes on and adjusting as needed.
Brackets are fixed into the new fascia at the correct spacing - typically no more than 600mm apart on uPVC guttering, and closer on heavier materials. The bracket at the highest point is set first, then a string line or spirit level is used to set the fall toward the downpipe outlet. Getting the pitch right at this stage is the difference between a gutter that drains cleanly and one that holds standing water.
Gutter sections are clicked together over the brackets. Joints are checked for a firm connection and, where specified, sealed with gutter sealant in addition to the rubber seal already in the fitting. All outlets to downpipes are checked for a watertight connection.
New downpipe sections are clipped to the wall, starting at the top and working down. Where downpipes turn around corners or step out from the wall, the correct offset bends and clips are used rather than forcing the pipe into position.
Once the guttering is up, it should be tested with water before the roofer leaves. Pouring water at the high end of each gutter run and watching it travel cleanly to the downpipe and away confirms that the fall is right and the joints are sound. Any low spots or slow-draining sections can be adjusted while the brackets are still accessible.
Clean-up is part of the job. Old boards, guttering sections, fixings and packaging should all leave the site with the roofer. A magnet sweep of the driveway for old screws and nails is good practice on any external roofline job. Before the roofer leaves, walk around the property with them and check the finished work from ground level.
Downham Market Roofers covers Littleport and neighbouring towns including Downham Market and Upwell. If you want to know the condition of your roofline before problems develop, call us to arrange an inspection and we will give you a straight assessment of what needs doing and what it will cost.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
