The roofline is the edge of the house where roof meets wall: the fascia at the front, the soffit underneath, the bargeboard up the gable and the gutter along the bottom. A roofline replacement renews some or all of those parts together. It looks quick from the street, a day or two of scaffold and noise, but a good job has a definite sequence, and each stage exists for a reason. Knowing the order helps you judge a quote, plan around the work and spot the moment something is being rushed. This is how we run one, and the points where a different order would store up trouble.
Before anything goes up: the survey
The job starts on the ground. We walk the house, look at every elevation and photograph the boards, the gutters, the downpipes and any staining on the walls beneath. A damp brick course under a gutter joint, algae streaking below a corner, or a wall that dries more slowly than the others each says something about where water has been going. We also note the roof edge: how far the tiles overhang, whether there is an eaves tray (a strip of membrane that carries water into the gutter), and whether the soffit has any ventilation.
Where we can, we test the boards by probing. Where we cannot reach, we say so, and the quote allows for what may be found. The written quote is fixed after that survey, with the scaffold, boards, gutters and repairs each listed. If you are still deciding between a new board and a cover over the old one, our comparison of fascia capping and full replacement explains the difference.
Stage one: access and protection
Scaffold goes up first on any house above a single storey, or a tower on a bungalow. It must sit on firm ground, tied to the building where the design requires it, with boards at working height and a safe way up. Before the first board comes off, we protect what is below: plants, paving, conservatory roofs, cars and windows. A dust sheet or a ground covering catches the rot and the old screws, and anything fragile gets covered or moved. Safe access matters for you as well as for us. The scaffold is also where the neighbour question arises, if it crosses a boundary, and a word with them beforehand avoids bad feeling.
Stage two: taking the old roofline down
Gutters come off first, section by section, followed by the downpipes. Old brackets are pulled and set aside. Then the old fascia and soffit boards are released, usually by cutting through nails with a bar, so as not to jolt the tiles above. This is the stage where good hands show. Pulling a board off carelessly lifts the lowest tiles or breaks the felt tucked behind. We work along the run and support the tiles as the board comes away. The question of whether tiles need to come off is one we answer in more detail in replacing fascias without removing tiles.
If there is any chance that an old soffit board is asbestos insulating board, the work stops here. Boards of that kind are not cut, drilled or snapped. They are sampled and tested first, and the answer changes the method, the cost and who does the removal. Our answer on whether soffits could contain asbestos covers the background.
Stage three: the first honest look at the structure
With the boards off, the part of the house that has been hidden for years is in view. We look at the rafter ends, the timber feet of the roof that the fascia is nailed to, and at the wall plate beneath them. We look for dark, soft or crumbling timber, for old water tracks, for gaps where birds have been getting in and for rusted nails. We check the felt at the eaves, and whether it runs down into the gutter or stops short.
This is the moment that tells you whether the old boards were hiding anything. Sound timber is left alone. Soft ends may need cutting back and a new section of treated timber spliced in, bolted alongside the rafter so that it carries the load again. A rotten wall plate is a bigger job, and we stop and explain it, with photographs, before doing anything beyond the quote. Our guide to rotten fascia boards shows what the damage looks like.
Stage four: the eaves detail
Before new boards go on, the eaves detail is put right. The felt or underlay at the bottom of the roof should lap over an eaves tray or support strip and into the gutter, so that any water that gets under the tiles runs out and not back into the roof. Where it is torn, short or missing, it is repaired or replaced. Where the tiles are close to the edge, a tilting fillet or a support tray may be fitted so the felt does not sag. Small as they are, these items decide whether water that reaches the eaves goes to the gutter or into the rafter ends. Our short answer on what an eaves protection system is goes into it.
Stage five: soffits and ventilation
Soffit boards go on next, fixed to the underside of the rafters and to a bearer at the wall, so they run level and are firmly supported. This is where ventilation is built in. Vented soffit boards, or discreet vent strips, let air move into the roof space and out at the ridge or through tile vents, which keeps the timbers dry and cuts condensation in the loft. Where the roof was built with solid soffits, adding ventilation is one of the best things the job can do. We explain the thinking in our guide to soffit ventilation. If the loft is insulated, the ventilation path must not be blocked by insulation pushed against the eaves, and a baffle is used to hold it back.
Stage six: fascias and bargeboards
Fascia boards go on next, fixed through into the rafter ends, with the top edge set so the lowest tile course overhangs the gutter correctly. Joints are cut as tight mitres at corners, and long runs are joined with covered joints that sit over a rafter. Bargeboards, the boards running up the gable end, are fixed to the roof timbers beneath the tile edge, and the verge is checked as it is closed. Where two materials meet, such as new plastic on an old render, the junction is sealed. A line of board that follows the roof without wave or step is the sign the setting-out has been done properly.
Stage seven: gutters and downpipes
Brackets are fixed into the new fascia at regular spacings, set with a fall towards the outlet so water runs the right way. The gutter sections are clipped in, with sealed joints, and stop ends and angles fitted. Downpipes are lined up with the outlets and fixed to the wall, and the shoes at the bottom are set to discharge into the drain or gully. If you chose a different material, the fitting detail differs, but the principle of a steady fall is the same. The pages on uPVC, aluminium and cast iron guttering compare the materials.
Stage eight: testing with water
A gutter cannot be judged dry. Once the run is complete, we put water into it, usually from a hose at the high end, and watch where it goes. It should travel steadily to the outlet and drain at the bottom. Any joint that weeps is resealed there and then. Any dip that holds water is corrected, because a bracket moved a few millimetres is easy to fix while the scaffold is still up and costs a return visit later. This simple test is the one most often skipped, and it shows up faults that would otherwise only appear in the first heavy rain.
Stage nine: making good and clearing up
Last comes the tidying. Any tile edges disturbed are re-seated, any gaps in the wall at the eaves are closed, and anything cut is sealed. The ground is swept for nails and screws, plants uncovered, and the waste taken away: old boards, plastic offcuts and the old gutters. Scaffold comes down after a final walk round with the work in view, and we show you the finished roofline against the photographs of what was there before.
How long it takes, and what you need to do
The time depends on the size of the house, the complexity of the roofline and what is found behind the boards, so we give the programme with the quote and not a general figure. A bungalow is far quicker than a large detached house with several gables, and rot repairs add time. You need not be at home throughout, but side access should be clear and cars moved. We will tell you what we are about to do each day, and if something unexpected turns up, you hear about it before any decision.
Weather, wildlife and what can pause the job
Three things can stop work without anyone doing anything wrong. High wind makes scaffold and long boards unsafe at height, so the day is lost. Heavy rain makes it unwise to leave an open eaves, and fixing sealant needs a dry surface to bond. And nesting birds in a soffit are protected while the nest is in use, so a job may be timed, or part of it left, until the young have flown. Our answer on birds nesting in soffits explains what to do if you spot them.
What the end result should look like
When the job is done, the roofline should run in straight lines. Fascia joints should sit over rafters and be tight. Soffit vents should be visible and clear. Gutters should fall evenly with no pooling, joints should be dry in the first rain, and downpipes should be plumb and properly fixed. If any of that is not so, say so. The work is guaranteed for ten years in writing, and a snag in the first week is a call we want to get. Our guttering, soffits and fascias page lists the full range of work we do on this part of the roof, and our line, 01256 213956, is the place to start.
