Thetford Roofers replaces and repairs rotting fascias, cracked soffits, and leaking gutters for homeowners in Attleborough and the surrounding villages.
Most people only notice these components when something goes wrong. Fascias are the flat boards that run along the edge of the roof, fixing the guttering and closing off the roof structure. Soffits sit underneath, bridging the gap between the fascia and the wall. Together, they protect the roof timbers from rain, frost and wind, and keep pests out of the eaves.
Guttering collects rainwater off the roof and channels it down the downpipes and away from the building. When any part of this system fails, water gets in where it should not. That means damp walls, rotten roof timbers and potential damage to ceilings inside the house. A small repair job that gets ignored can turn into a much more expensive structural repair.
Timber fascias and soffits absorb moisture over time. You might notice the paint peeling, the wood going soft or dark, or sections starting to bow away from the wall. On older properties, the timber was often only painted, not sealed, so water gets behind the surface and the rot spreads faster than it looks from the ground.
Guttering problems are usually more obvious. Water dripping over the front of the gutter during rain, staining on the wall below the gutter line, or gutters that are visibly sagging or pulling away from the fascia are all signs the system is not doing its job. Blocked gutters are extremely common, particularly where there are nearby trees. A blocked gutter holds standing water, which adds weight and puts pressure on the joints and brackets.
Most replacement work today uses uPVC. It does not rot, does not need painting and holds up well in the wet and frost that comes with an English winter. Colour choices have improved considerably, and most profiles are available in white, black, anthracite grey, rosewood and woodgrain finishes. For the majority of homes in Attleborough and nearby areas, uPVC is the practical and cost-effective choice.
Timber remains appropriate where the property is listed, in a conservation area, or where the homeowner specifically wants it for aesthetic reasons. Good-quality timber fascias and soffits, properly primed and painted, perform well when maintained. The key is not to let the paint break down - once water gets behind a crack in the paintwork, the rot takes hold quickly.
Bargeboards are the angled boards that run along a gable end. They work the same way as fascias and are replaced using the same materials. If you are having fascias replaced on a semi-detached house with a gable end, it is worth having the bargeboard checked at the same time.
This is the question many homeowners want answered before they commit. What will actually happen on the day? Here is a plain account of how a fascia, soffit and guttering job is carried out, from arrival to leaving the site clean.
Before any work is quoted or started, the roofline needs to be looked at properly. A ground-level inspection gives a general picture, but to assess the condition of the fascias and the timber behind them you need access. We use ladders or a scaffold tower depending on the height of the property and the extent of the work. The survey checks not just the obvious boards but also the rafter feet - the timber ends that the fascias are nailed to. If the rafter feet are rotten, replacing the fascias without addressing the underlying timber will not last.
The survey also looks at the existing guttering - its condition, how it is fixed, whether the fall is correct (gutters need a slight slope toward the downpipe to drain properly), and where the downpipes discharge. If the downpipes lead to a soakaway or surface drain that is blocked, fitting new guttering will not solve an overflowing problem.
Safe access is not optional. For a single-storey extension or a low lean-to, a good ladder setup may be sufficient. For a full two-storey house, a scaffold tower or tube scaffolding is required. The access method affects the cost and the programme. A scaffold tower is usually erected in a morning and can be moved around the property as work progresses. Tube scaffolding may be needed for larger or more complex rooflines and takes longer to install and strike.
If access equipment is coming down the side of the house and over a gate or driveway, the installer should discuss that with you in advance. It is also worth asking how the scaffolding is secured - well-erected scaffolding is stable and does not damage walls or guttering.
The existing guttering, downpipes, fascias and soffits come off first. This is done carefully to avoid damaging the roof tiles or the wall below. Guttering brackets are unscrewed, not ripped off, to avoid cracking the old fascia and scattering debris. Old timber fascias may be nailed heavily and need careful leverage to remove without damaging the rafter feet behind them.
Once the boards are off, the rafter feet are fully exposed. This is the critical check - any softness, discolouration or crumbling in the timber needs to be treated or replaced before new boards go on. Fitting new uPVC over rotten rafter feet is false economy. The rot will continue behind the new board and within a few years the fascias will begin to move and gap.
All the removed material is loaded out and taken away. You should not be left with a skip full of old fascia boards and guttering on your drive.
Rafter foot repairs are common on older properties where the original fascias were timber and had not been maintained. A common approach is to cut back the rotten section and splice in new treated timber, properly fixed to the remaining sound wood. Where the rot has gone further up the rafter inside the eaves space, the repair is more involved. In severe cases, a new section of rafter may need to be fitted.
Any new timber used in the eaves should be pre-treated pressure-impregnated timber rated for external use. It should be allowed to dry before being covered by the new uPVC boards, as moisture in fresh timber can cause the boards to sit unevenly.
uPVC fascia boards are fitted first, fixed directly to the rafter feet. The boards should be level and true - this is worth checking as you watch the work progress. Any visible bowing or waviness in the finished fascia usually means the boards were not properly supported or the rafter feet were uneven and not packed out first.
Soffits slot in from below and are usually vented to allow airflow into the roof space. Roof ventilation is a building regulation requirement that is often overlooked when roofline work is done - blocked ventilation causes condensation to build up inside the roof structure. Vented soffit boards or separate vent strips should be fitted to maintain this airflow.
The joints between boards and the external corners are finished with uPVC corner pieces and trims, which are either welded or mechanically jointed. Properly fitted joints are neat and watertight. Look out for visible caulking or filler at joints - it should not be needed if the boards are correctly measured and fitted.
New half-round or square-profile guttering is fitted once the fascias are in place. Guttering brackets are screwed into the new fascia at the correct spacing - usually every 600mm - and set to the correct fall. Most domestic guttering in the UK is 112mm half-round or 114mm square, and the outlet size matters for the volume of water the roof will shed.
Downpipes are measured and cut to run from the gutter outlets to their discharge points. Offsets (the angled sections that bring the downpipe in close to the wall) are fitted where needed. Every joint is push-fitted with a rubber seal or solvent-welded, depending on the system. The downpipes are clipped to the wall at regular intervals to stop them vibrating loose in the wind.
Before leaving, the guttering should be checked by running water from a hose to confirm the fall is right and no joints are leaking. If that test is not done, ask for it to be done before the scaffolding comes down - it is much harder to fix a leaking joint once access is gone.
A proper roofing job leaves the garden, driveway and paths in the condition they were found. All offcuts, packaging, old brackets and fixings should be collected and removed. Any debris on the lawn or borders from the strip-out should be cleared. Scaffold boards and towers should not leave marks on walls or gutters, and if dust sheets or protection were used over planting or cars, these come up before the team leaves.
If your property borders neighbouring houses - as many do - debris management during the strip-out matters. Old guttering can send a shower of silt and leaves onto a neighbour's path or car. A tarpaulin or catching sheet below the work area prevents this.
If your house has a gable end, the angled bargeboard along the verge is part of the same system and is often replaced at the same time as the fascias. The same uPVC profiles and colours are used. External cladding - tongue-and-groove or shiplap uPVC boards used to dress the face of a gable end or dormer - can also be installed or replaced using the same access equipment while it is in place.
As well as Attleborough itself, we carry out fascia, soffit and guttering work in the villages nearby. We also cover a wide area across Norfolk and into Suffolk.
Before any roofline work starts, it is worth asking a few direct questions. Will rafter feet be checked and repaired if needed? What profile and colour of uPVC is being used? Will vented soffits be fitted? How will access be provided, and is the cost of scaffolding included in the quote? Will the guttering be flow-tested before the access equipment comes down?
A tradesperson who cannot or will not answer these questions clearly is one to be cautious about. The answers should be straightforward because a competent roofer has dealt with all of them many times.
If you can see problems from the ground, the actual condition is usually worse up close. Call Thetford Roofers to arrange a roof survey for your property in Attleborough - we will get up and have a proper look before we give you any figures.
No obligation · We usually respond within 2 hours
Storm damage, active leak, damaged ridge - we aim to be on-site within 24 hours.
