Why Soffit and Fascia Maintenance Matters This Fall

Happy October, Saskatoon!

Continuing our series on fall maintenance of your home, we’re hopeful you’ve already had the eavestroughs cleaned and checked your roof to ensure it’s ready for winter.

If so, you’re a star and deserve a slow clap. If not, and the Canadian geese are still flying in practice formations overhead, you still have some time.

In this instalment, we will focus on two less-talked-about yet vitally important exterior components that are your home's frontline defence against winter damage: the soffit and the fascia.

Soffit and fascia are surprisingly essential for a warm, dry home this winter. They are also key in preventing one of Saskatoon's most destructive and expensive winter problems: ice dams. 

We’ll supply you with a detailed soffit and fascia maintenance checklist so you can ensure your home is completely protected and energy efficient this winter.

Secure Soffits

If you walk outside your house and look up under the roof's edging, the underside of the roof's overhang directly above you is the soffit.

The soffit contains tiny vents that provide outside air intake to your attic space. This function is absolutely critical in a cold climate like ours. 

There are three reasons to make sure they’re secure and free of debris:

1. Ice Dams 

Ice dams form when heat from your living space leaks into the attic and heats the roof deck, melting the snow. The melted snow then runs down the roof until it hits the cold overhang and refreezes, creating a big ‘ol ice cube. This ice stops the melted water from rolling off your roof and instead can cause it to back up under your shingles, leading to leaks, ceiling damage, and rot (ew). To avoid all this, we install soffit vents.

When working correctly, the soffit vents allow a continuous flow of cold, fresh outside air to enter the attic. This constant flow of cold air ensures that the temperature of your entire attic, including the roof deck, stays uniform and near the outdoor temperature. This cool air flow is critical to prevent the snow from melting prematurely, thus stopping the ice dam cycle. 

If blocked, soffit vents prevent that critical cold air intake, dramatically increasing your risk of a warm attic and ice dam damage.

2. Moisture Control

Warm, moist air from the living space can seep into the attic and become trapped. The moisture then condenses on cold surfaces and spreads, leading to mould, mildew, and (you guessed it) rot on the roof sheathing and rafters.

Clear soffit vents help usher this moist air out through the exhaust vents (like a ridge vent) at the roof peak, keeping your entire attic dry and non-toxic as an attic can be.

3. Money, Money, Money!

If the possibility (twice over) of rot in your home isn’t enough to convince you to check your soffits, let's talk money.

Moisture building up in your attic can saturate insulation, drastically reducing its effectiveness and leading to higher heating bills. 

So if you don’t want big bills and rot, check your soffit and make sure it’s healthy-looking. 

Fastened Fascia

The soffit is all about air, and the fascia is all about support and protection.

The fascia is the vertical board running along the edge of your roof. It caps the ends of the roof rafters, providing a clean, sealed and finished line. 

The Evestrough Anchor

The eavestroughs are directly attached to the fascia. 

If the fascia is old or damaged, it loses its strength and ability to support the weight of snow and ice, leading to sagging, pulling away, or even the collapse of your entire gutter system.

If that isn’t bad enough, roof water spills directly onto the home's siding or foundation when a gutter fails, worsening the damage to your home’s exterior.

It’s a potentially vicious cycle.

The All-Purpose Barrier

Even a small crack or hole can allow rodents or birds to establish a nest inside your home's eaves. A healthy, well-secured fascia also provides a barrier for the wood it covers, keeping the roof structure and the attic clear and clean.

Two Simple Steps for Soffit and Fascia Maintenance 

So, grabbing that ladder and cleaning your gutters can serve a dual purpose: checking on your soffits and fascia. 

1. Inspect and Clear Soffit Vents

Inspection is the most crucial step in winter preparation. We’ll take a two-phase approach: exterior and interior.

• Exterior: Look for Obstructions

Carefully inspect your soffit vents. Are they visibly clogged with leaves, pine needles, spiderwebs, or insect nests? Use a brush or shop vacuum to clear any debris blocking the openings. 

You also need to look for holes, cracks, water staining, or sagging panels and plan to fix them so that no water or pests can access your attic.

• Interior: Check the Attic Space

If you can access your attic, look up above the wall plate where the ceiling meets the roof. You’re looking for places where the insulation is blocking the vent opening. 

If you see this, you must have baffles (vent chutes) installed to create a clear air channel between the insulation and the underside of the roof sheathing, so the cold air intake isn’t restricted and all the ‘bad things’ (remember: rot) don’t happen this winter.

2. Call an Expert for Comprehensive Service

If you’re uncertain what to do with what you find, it’s a great time to call a professional roofing company to double-check and diagnose what you see.

Expert Repair: If your gutters are pulling away because the fascia behind them is rotten or the soffits are loose and full of garbage, a roofing company has the exact tools to remove the old, junky pieces and replace the new sections securely.

There’s always a list of other things you’d rather do on a sunny fall day. But it’s good to know that tackling these soffit and fascia maintenance tasks will ensure your roofline is ready to face the intense demands of another Saskatoon winter.

Your time investment in some fall maintenance now can prevent major, expensive water and structural repairs when the spring thaw hits. 

Next month, we’ll highlight a few upgrades that can help you save money on energy bills, so stay tuned!

… and also, at Ozmun, we know a ton about soffit and fascia. If you need more info, reach out, and we’ll be happy to help you in any way we can.